The cold that was coming already hinted at its existence here in the northern reaches. Already there were snow flurries and the leaves on the deciduous trees had fallen. Along wit the change of season came the change in his antlers. Rannoch was a very young buck, but even this first real set of antlers were more impressive than the biggest of the native elk. He’d shed his velvet and now as the autumn shifted to winter he felt the full effects of rut upon him. He wanted to fight, he wanted to prove himself. There wasn’t much more a young stag like him could do at this age. His heart ached to know that it would never matter. He was the last of his kind, there were no hinds to tend to his existence was near useless.

The existential thoughts plagued his restless mind even as he lowered his massive body into the golden grasses as the sun set. Rannoch chewed his cud to give himself a sense of comfort and normalcy, but his life would never be normal. He’d never meet out his duties as a stag, he would never have his own herd.

He grit his teeth as he swallowed and lifted his eyes to the stars above. The constellations reminding him of a different time. What was a constant in his life, purpose or no, was the threat of predators at his back. His whole frame stiffened as the sound of howling wolves raced with the wind. A chill ran up his spine and the deer was suddenly on high alert. Maybe there would be no sleep tonight.

"Speech"

It was time for the hoofed mammals to bed down for the night. Oscar and Kyren had curled up in a thatch of pines, the needles and fallen branches creating a cushion on the hard ground. Not too far from them, Rannoch had chosen a place to rest for the night. Taiga was a bit more nocturnal than the hoofed trio, but her wake and sleep cycle had shifted somewhat to coincide with that of her 'herd.'

With the donkey and reindeer sleeping, or at least getting to sleep, the behemoth of a cat made her way through the pines towards where the elk lay. The pair, though drastically different, had some similarities that couldn't be denied. They were the last of their kind in this place. It was a lonely existence and she knew that the young elk felt it deeply.

As she moved through the pines, the sound of wolves met the lioness' ears. To save them all trouble, Taiga inhaled deeply and let out a few low, distance eating calls as only a lion of her size could. She no doubt woke her sleeping companions, but it was for their own good. The wolves wouldn't bother any of them this night. With that, she continued moving through the pines until Rannoch came into view. He was already laying down as she approached. "Chilly night," she commented on her observation. "Kyren and Oscar bedded down together. Wouldn't you be warmer with them?" She didn't think to offer her own body heat, knowing that he had been a little skittish around her in the past.

"Taiga"

While he was thankful to the herd he would never forget that this was not where he belonged. He should have been with his kind, he should have been running with the great elk. He should have been fighting to set up his position for next year. He wouldn’t have gotten any does this year, though he would have tried, he knew the herd sire was much more impressive, and stronger than he was now. Still, the young stag yearned for the rut, but instead he was bed down here with a donkey and caribou. Both stags themselves.

The one he felt closest to, oddly enough, was the elegant lioness that had decided to linger with her herbivore friends. After the sound of the wolves filled the air he heard her voice rise up over the pine trees. Any creature could guess at her size and power, there would be no disturbance tonight. The sound should have chilled him to the core, but the change in his relationship with the lion made the sound comforting. The tension left him as the white marked cat approached him.

His massively antlered head swiveled so his mossy green gaze could find her as she commented on the weather. Rannoch didn’t often bed down right beside the other two of their herd. It wasn’t actually conscious, a remnant of his deeper feelings. He’d ignore them though. "It would be, but this isn’t real cold yet.” He returned with a chuckle that bubbled from deep in his barrel like chest. He was made for these northern reaches, there was no bitter cold that he could not handle with his thick pelt and massive form. The fermentation process in his belly made sure of that. "Are you going to lay with them?” He asked, unable to keep the longing from his voice. It was no secret there was a special connection between the two of them despite their deep differences.

"Speech"

Unlike Rannoch, Taiga didn't miss her kind much. They'd rejected her and ousted her from the pride, after all, so she'd been living on her own for some time. The woman could understand the sadness in the young man, but she didn't feel the same. Maybe being the only ones of their species in this land made them special. Not only that... but the ice bridge had formed once. Who knew if it would do so again? They could either go back to their land or maybe others of their kind might come over. She could do without the lions, but for Rannoch's sake, perhaps some other giant elk would come to this side of the world.

The elk answered her query, stating that this wasn't real cold yet. "No," the woman chuckled, "Not by a long shot." She then gave a little shrug. "Still, warmth is nice and the presence of others can be comforting." He then asked if she was going to bed down with the others and Taiga could hear the hopeful tone that went along with the glint of longing in his mossy eyes. "There are four of us," she pointed out as though he didn't know. "It's only right that we bed two and two, right?"

Rounded white toes brought the woman up beside the big, elk. Taiga took a moment to admire the rack of antlers up close before folding her limbs and leaning her side against his. The lion's thickly tufted tail lashed back and forth a few times as she got comfortable, unwittingly swatting Rannoch's rump once or twice. She tucked wide paws against her chest and released a long, contented sigh. Already she could feel the warmth bouncing back and forth between them and a deep, rumbling groan of pleasure pulled from the big cat's chest. It was a sound that her kind produced when happy, content and bonding with family. Since she had no family, she shared this sound with Rannoch.

"Taiga"

He hadn’t really considered the possibility of the icebridge opening again, maybe it was possible but he didn’t think he would live to see it. Rannoch didn’t want to put any hope into his heart, not when the likelihood was almost impossible. The sooner he came to terms with his reality the happier a life he would live. Even if it would never really be complete. He ignored the thoughts the best that he could as Taiga answered him.

There was no argument, she knew as well as he did that this was nothing compared to the winter days to come. Of course she went on with a shrug, also mentioning the companionship that came along with the warmth. He had embraced his solitude, and he felt it now. As a herd animal he was wandering too far from the group. But here Taiga was to return him. She pointed out it only made sense for them to be in pairs, and that she wasn’t going to return to the other bachelors.

Before he could answer she closed the distance between them and lowered her long languid form beside his massive flank. Her tail lashed and hit his haunches, causing him to flinch lightly. It wasn’t her fault but his instincts remained hard to ignore. He relaxed as she leaned into him, and was thankful for the feeling of another body beside him. Despite willingly bedding alone.

Brows rose in surprise as she let out a pleased rumble, causing Rannoch to smile softly. He leaned against her and settled in comfortably. "Maybe a little extra warmth is nice.” He conceded softly as he lowered his neck over his shoulder, his massive antler resting over his back with his head while the other acted almost like a shelter over Taiga’s head.

"Speech"

Laying down beside the big elk was comforting. Their mutual body warmth soothed the giant cat and she began to groom her thick, snowy forelegs with a raspy pink tongue. The elks words brought a soft chuckle from her and she grinned even as she did her nightly grooming. Rannoch curled his neck as though he was going to go to sleep and Taiga cast a sidelong glance with one ruby eye. She then looked up to the wide antlers and made a small sound of interest. Being a cat, she did enjoy scratching her cheeks on things. Extending her neck, Taiga rubbed her cheek along one point of Rannoch's antlers for a few swipes, enjoying the sensation.

A pride would indulge in grooming here and there. It was one of the things that the big feline missed about being part of a group. With Rannoch beside her, Taiga curled her neck and allowed her tongue to pull over the elk's shoulder and neck. If he didn't like it, he could pull away or tell her otherwise. Her hot breath pushed through the russet fur, meeting his skin. Something about the act was arousing to the feline. Lionesses heat cycles were sporadic and she could usually feel them coming on. No doubt hers would be arriving soon. She might have to leave the group for a few days while she went through it as she tended to get a little feisty.

"Taiga"

Taiga made herself comfortable at his side, he could feel the deep rumbling of her breath as she groomed her pale paws. Rannoch made himself comfortable as the darkness of the night spread over them like his antlers over their forms. Taige chirped softly as he lowered his head, and her ruby eyes sparkled with interest as she stared up at his antlers. There was no hesitation in her as she stretched her long neck and began to rub her cheeks on the sharp tines.

The feline affection was unlike anything the massive elk had ever experienced. The deer often groomed each other when they bedded down, but the feeling of her cheeks against the bone structure made him feel warm inside. The feeling reminded him of home and family, and he wasn’t sure if he was sad about not having his herd and being happy that he had Taiga and their friends.

The ungulate’s lips pulled back into a soft smile even before Taiga’s attention shifted to him and she began to groom his thick fur. He felt the heat of her breath against his skin and his flank shivered. It was an odd feeling as he enjoyed the feeling of such a dangerous predator against him. He truly trusted her as she was given access to the vulnerable parts of him. He sighed softly and closed his eyes, feeling deep in his bones the need to reciprocate. Tentatively he would slide his tongue along her spine, having craved this essential part of herd behavior.

"Speech"

Taiga continued to release pleased rumbles and deep, feline groans as she and Rannoch groomed one another. His lips moved over her spine and the lioness reflexively lifted her hips into the air, tail lashing back and forth as she enjoyed the attention to the sweet spot upon her back. She doubted that the elk had any idea about the sweet spot on a cat, but it was definitely there.

Since his neck was curled to pull gently at her fur, Taiga began to pay attention to the shorter fur at Rannoch's throat. Teeth and tongue continued to groom the young mans fur but suddenly she had the urge for something else. The lioness raised a paw to cup one earthen cheek, turning Rannoch's long muzzle towards her. Without hesitation, the woman's lips brushed across his velveteen cheek and jaw, finally arriving at his lips. Her tongue swept across his lower lip and she placed a gentle kiss right behind it.

The woman's lids were at half-mast and her long, thick tail continued to lash back and forth languidly. Yes... her heat was coming upon her yet again. Once more she kissed the great elk, her paw, gentle and soft sliding down the side of his neck to rest upon one long, spindly foreleg. "I'm glad we found one another, Rannoch," the cat whispered, her mouth still close to his lips. Ruby eyes rose to stare into mossy pools. Heat or no heat, she meant it.

"Taiga"

Rannoch’s grooming was met with more pleased rumbles and whipping of a long striped tail. Taiga shifted slightly as his thick tongue caressed the ridge of her spine. His movements were slow as the atmosphere of the night called for little more than gentle swipes. He didn’t understand the way she moved beneath his affection, he was a young stag, and she was a lioness. Rannoch didn’t really begin to understand until she leaned into him further.

What he did understand was the thrill that she caused in him as her teeth nibbled against his throat, right above the pulsing life vein beneath. The deer gasped softly, but didn’t pull away from the cat. Her pink paw pads reached up to touch his cheek and she took the chance to guide his head, bringing his pale lips to hers. Surprise laced through him, he had found it easy to return her grooming, but her kiss was like nothing he had experienced before.

There was danger and a thrill as her lips and her tongue pressed against him. She kissed him softly, alluring him gentle as her soft paw trailed down his neck and over his thin leg. He was young yet, but his body was developed enough to embrace the instincts that were so much stronger during Anlach. Verdant gaze blinked open as she pulled back slightly so her ruby eyes would meet his.

"As am I.” He rumbled in response, shifting slightly, lifting his chin to nuzzle her affectionately. He didn’t fully understand the complicated feelings stirring between them, but he did want to explore them more. He hadn’t felt complete since he lost his first herd, but Taiga had an ability that helped him remember how it felt.

"Speech"

The young elk seemed surprised by the kisses that she gave him and she could almost hear his pulse quicken as he received them. After the second kiss and her heartfelt words, Rannoch returned them in his own way. The feline grinned, flashing long, thick canines for a moment before she sobered. "We're all that we have," she whispered. "Let's stay together." Again her tongue pulled across the ungulates chin, gently and sweetly.

With a sigh, the cat's eyes drifted closed and she fell onto her side before rolling into her back, forelegs stretching, then hind. She released a long groan as she got comfortable laying upside down, her thick, snow colored belly fur towards the sky. The woman's long tail lashed back and forth upon the ground and she wiggled a big to press her side against the elk's one more time. A sigh of content drifted past pink nares and Taiga's ruby eyes closed. Her head turned just a bit and she nuzzled into Rannoch's shoulder. If only he was a cat...

"Taiga"

Taiga flashed her dangerous ivory teeth in a grin as he returned her words. He was grateful for her presence, even if she was not a deer herself they shared a similar background and future. She spoke just as gently, echoing his thoughts with her words. They were the only ones they had in many different ways. Rannoch was grateful for his herd mates everyday, but they did not share the same fate as the doomed creatures from across the ice bridge. She told him they should stay together and her textured tongue was pulled across his white chin again.

A deep rumble formed in his chest and reverberated in pleasant agreement with her. They might have been the last of their kind, but they could have each other. Someone else that understood the other despite how very different the two of them were. That fact made him struggle with the sudden thumping of his heart against his chest and the fluttering in his stomach that was certainly not fermentation. Taiga pulled away slightly as she rolled to her belly. Rannoch was nowhere near as limber or flexible as the lioness rolled onto her back and stretched herself. Far longer than he could get his body to contort to.

She sighed softly and curled up next to him, nuzzling into his shoulder and bedding down comfortably with him there. He sighed in contentment, lowering his head over hers affectionately. Nuzzling his muzzle against her soft ears. He hummed softly, a sound he’d never heard himself make before, but he had never felt as… safe as he did when he was next to the powerful lioness.

"Speech"