In the mountains

She joined him at his side, and Ember saw Erik's expression shift ever so slightly. Masked behind an austere facade, but she could see his eyes light up, saw the smile he gave her, walking with pride like he owned the very mountain they stood upon. Which she supposed was true. Did she not also have the same hubris when she trotted the halls of Hearthstone? This was his home; here he was a prince. Following in his pawsteps was a much welcomed assistance, though Ember would be loathe to admit to it. She didn't like to appear helpless or like she was facing some sort of challenge simply by walking, but gods be good, there was so much snow and she still had a ways to grow before she'd be able to trounce through it with ease like her father did! So she used Erik's bigger strides as a path as he tamped down the snow to make her own path easier. Hey, if he was offering the help, why not take it?

Up and down the mountainous paths the two young wolves walked, and when she asked about their destination, the viking boy simply responded with a better view. Again, his rough, husky voice caught Ember's interest. He had such a different way about him, an unusual uniqueness that made her curiosity spike. She'd never met another wolf like him, especially not one within her own family or pack. Ember's eyes moved from his face down to the spikes of crystal shards protruding from around his collarbone. Were they why his voice sounded so ragged and rough? Were they hurting him? They matched the fiery color of his fur, and were it not for the thought that they might be causing him pain, they would have looked stunning when they caught an errant ray of sunlight. Ember had always been fascinated by her mother's jewelry and gemstones. They were beautiful and wondrous things. How curious that Erik could wear crystals all the time... With this newfound dawning realization that he wasn't speaking much for a reason, Ember chose to not force him to keep speaking for now. She didn't understand the nature of Erik's affliction, having never learned of the Long Night or its withstanding consequences, but she could recognize that talking wasn't exactly something he enjoyed doing. That was fine, she could talk for the both of them if need be.

Reaching a sharp incline up the path, Ember stared up at the boulders that blocked the way. She turned to Erik, mouth opening to ask how he planned on getting past—and was silenced when she saw him already leaning up the boulders, offering her a boost up. Ember's water-hued eyes glimmered with a playful mischief. "Why thank you, Prince Erik. You're such a gentleman," she teased him with a flash of a grin, wasting no time sauntering up to take his aid once again and clambered up the boulder beside him, using the larger brute's offered shoulder as a foothold to push herself up the largest of the boulders with the grace of a feline springing up to a higher tree limb. Once she was up, she grinned down at Erik with a bit of humor in her expression. "Need a paw up or are you gonna show off your moves, mountain boy?" Despite being notably smaller, Ember was still a headstrong little thing and turned to offer a paw to Erik, even though he likely didn't need any help to climb up on his own. Hey, Ember Carpathius was no damsel in distress, and she wasn't afraid to show it!



"Ember Carpathius"