Ice Ice Baby

Well, it'd taken a hell of a lot of time to get here, but he'd done it. Melchom had finally made it to where his family had wandered off to. Granted, he hadn't found them yet, but all in good time. He was just glad their scents weren't leading too far south. Even the northern lands of this continent seemed to be clinging to some of the dreaded summer heat. Ice melted enough to leave a thin film of water, which Melchom had to admit he had slipped on once or twice. Damn the sun. He was a creature of the night anyway.

Melchom walked along, trying in vain to trace a week old scent from Pyralis. Her scent was all over the damn region, and it didn't help that she was literally a bitch in heat. Or perhaps it did help. Made her scent stronger, at least. But where was she? The brute tried to lower his head to get a better sniff and slipped up, one of his paws skating forward unsteadily on the ice. He growled in frustration. Ice was supposed to be solid, not... whatever this was. He was losing his patience. With the ice, with his family, with the world.

After all, if things had gone his way, he'd be the father of four healthy pups right now. He'd be teaching them all there was to know, watching them grow like weeds and get stronger and fiercer every day. He'd be on equal ground with his brother for once. But no. The woman he'd chosen to carry those pups had gone and poisoned herself, killing every one of them. And she'd only gotten herself killed, too. But that part was thanks to Melchom, not the poison.

Ah, well. Best not to dwell on the past. Look ahead to the future, and all that. But all the brute could think about right was finding his family. If he couldn't have pups of his own, he'd find the ones Amon had procured and maybe impart a little uncle-y wisdom on them.