landfall

The trading vessel had sent him ashore.. quite a ways from a proper shore. Something about reefs or shoals, he wasn't entirely certain what they'd all been muttering about. Regardless, he was.. somewhere. Long, stilt like limbs propelled him through the salt water of the shallow sea as night fell. Both of his companions had elected to conserve their own energy by using him for transport to dry land, much to his chagrin. The temperature of the water around him dropped by several degrees with each passing moment, and by the time he dragged himself onto the rocky beach, it was nearly pitch black out. Hefting his pack from his shoulders and onto the ground, he rifled through the waxed canvas sack until the familiar woolen textures of his cloak could be found. He dragged the massive swathes of fabric from the recesses of the bag, teeth chattering already, and loosened the infuriatingly well tied knots that held it in the small bundle. His feline companion busied herself with deft paws burrowing into the bag, though he paid her little heed as he finally found himself able to draw the thick fibres of his cloak around his thin, shivering body. It would do until he could start a fire and make camp for the night.

The cardinal, previously perched quite comfortably on the tine of an antler, was roused by a rapid shake of a narrow skull which dislodged him. "Go on ahead, find us somewhere safe to sleep." he uttered in the strange, guttural language of his clan. And the large red bird was off, vanishing into the shadows with a flutter of wings. Familiar motions with clumsy, waterlogged paws took several attempts to secure the fastening of his cloak before he slung his travel bag back over his shoulder. His movements were slow, a bit awkward. The cold was seeping into his bones, and his motions were a bit stilted, lacking their usual fluid grace.

A few short trilling calls from his avian companion drew him deeper into the misty darkness, leaving the shore and its lapping waves behind. Stump, the cat, was keen to keep a safe distance from her sodden canine companion for the time being. So instead, she moved on ahead to see what the cardinal had found for them. By the time the cloaked wolf caught up to them, the two were already making themselves comfortable in the safe embrace of a standing stone circle. It brought tears to his eyes just to see them, so familiar despite their alien appearance. Not a close match to the ones at home, but the structure was the same. The rough-hewn stone sang to him in words he didn't understand, for this place was not one he was accustomed to. He stepped into their embrace with great reverence, head low and eyes half lidded.

Wordlessly he nodded his thanks to the cardinal, dropping his pack at the foot of a massive monolith. The walk had done something to warm his muscles, but the water that still soaked his fur would be the death of him soon enough. So he didn't spare another glance to the safety of the circle, and walked as quickly as he could to the woods. Branches and tinder. It didn't need to be a great amount, but he needed to be warm and dry soon.

When all was said and done, a small fire flickered at the heart of the stone circle. All three of the strange visitors to the runestones huddled close to its dancing tendrils of warmth, biding their time until the cold leeched from their bodies. The antlered wolf chewed slowly, almost meditatively, on some decidedly old jerky. It was nearly past its time to be safe to eat, but he didn't care. It was food, and he was hungry. Tired too. But that would have to wait until his coat was dried enough, lest he succumb to the elements as he dozed.