Víðarr wouldn't tell you just how relaxed he was on the beach, no.  He'd become a creature of habit, haunting the same spaces up in the north of Boreas.  Not complacent.  Certainly not comfortable yet, not here.  Though a wanderer and an explorer, these days he was less and less interested in leaving his family unprotected.  It wasn't that they couldn't defend themselves-- quite the opposite.  No, it was more that Víðarr cared not for leaving them vulnerable, and in a state where they had to protect themselves.  They would never need to fend for themselves again, if he could help it.   A warm summer afternoon had spread out around him, beautiful but sleepy.  He'd been resting alright lately, but the heat.  The damned heat.  Víðarr  was decidedly not a fan.  It would never get this warm in the homeland they'd left.  It struck the shadow that he thought of that place, the scene of all their befores as home less and less.  Their camp beside the wall-- that was home.  For now, that was their home, quite specifically.  After a year on the move, they finally felt as if they'd put enough space between themselves and all their befores.  The time was coming (soon, so incredibly soon) to start their afters.   Deeply, the shadow sighed and peered out over the Sound.  Víðarr pulled himself to his paws and approached the water's edge, splashing halfheartedly.  It was cool, and felt nice against his dense fur.  Ah, what the hell, he thought.  Taking a few steps back, he bolted forward and sent himself crashing into the chilly water.   VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

I'm Tired of Looking for Answers

Birna buried the remnants of her meal. She'd managed to snag a mountain goat and filled her belly with meat to spare. She'd taken her time to skin the goat so that she could have the pelt for cold winter nights though it needed to be properly prepared. Right now it still had fat and bits of meat on the underside of the hide and she'd need to treat it with tannens to tan it.

It would take some time to do so she opted to carry the hide somewhere scenic so she could enjoy the summer day while she worked. She settled down on the rocky sound shore, stretching out the hide and pinning down the corners with larger rocks as she started to lick and clean the excess meat and fat off the hide. She was hard at work when a large splash caught her attention. She sat up and spied a dark pelted wolf who had flung himself into the water. She recognized the form but shuddered. She couldn't imagine ever willingly throwing herself into water.


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The cool water was a shock to his system, especially with the heat that had been plaguing them lately. Gods, how he wished for winter. For snow. He'd have a glorious time throwing himself into the snow drifts, living his absolute best life in the freezing cold. No, for now, he'd have to put up with the dog days themselves. Even in the north, it seemed like the heat was inescapable. Ah well, he'd adjust. They'd learn to adjust. Life was a series of change, after all... Víðarr supposed. Now dripping wet, the shadow pulled himself from the waters of the Sound. He was far more comfortable, less likely to overheat in the afternoon sunshine. How anyone got anything done at this time of day was absolutely beyond him. Víðarr was aware of a scent close by, one that was at least a bit more familiar now... the cat, the one that had helped him take down the bear not so long ago. She seemed to be setting to work in much the same way his sister did. The shadow made his way to a broad, flat rock nearby and settled down to dry out in the sunshine. Though he didn't want to interrupt, some tasks could be better suited to two than one. "Do you want help keeping it stretched tight?" The common tongue still tasted funny, but Víðarr was doing his best. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

I'm Tired of Looking for Answers

Birna shifted her focus back to the hide. Having met the wolf before she was not terribly concerned for her safety and she doubted most creatures would fight her simply for a hide, at least in the midst of summer. Winter might be another story. Birna seized the shoulder blade of the goat that she had cleaned in her dexterous paws. Carefully she began to use it to help scrap the larger scraps of flesh and fat off. Any stubborn bits required the use of her sandpaper tongue which made quick work of any remnants while giving her a little extrra nutrients. Birna still did not have a set routine for making hides so this one was an experiment as she tried different methods.

The wolf emerged from the water and she paused in her work to reply. "I would not say no to help though there is little I can offer in return. What were you doing in that water by the way? If you were fishing I did not mean to interrupt." She couldn't imagine fishing in that frigid water but perhaps the wolf knew something she didn't.

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