It took Sirius a long time to decide what their night would entail. She could easily make it back down the mountain. Just because he'd found her broken and half alive on a mountain didn't mean that she didn't know how to traverse one. It had been the damn bears fault, not her own. If he wanted her to leave though, she wished that he'd tell her quickly so she could utilize the last remnants of light for as long as they lasted. 'Stay,' he told her, finally speaking. Isa nodded and said with the tiniest bit of sass in her tones, "As you wish, my lord."

Surprisingly, Isa parted from the man and moved over to the bag that he'd pulled her fur from. Taking out every fur in the bag, Isa lay a few down in the space with the most natural protection against the wind. Then with one paw, she beckoned for Sirius to come join her. Already she had the extra furs heaped on top of her. Sandwiched between a set of furs, she knew that they would be safe and warm all night.

"Isa"

He grunted at that, though he couldn’t really be bothered to answer. He could feel sleep trying to take him. The cold didn’t bother him too much. Thick as his fur was, and the little heater beside him. He could have gone to sleep on the cold ground, but Isa had other ideas. Well, if he was going to make her stay, the least he could do was ensure it didn’t kill her.

He got to his paws with a grown as she moved away from him, grabbed out some coats, and patted the ground in an obvious gesture. He trotted forward and collapsed on the coat she had placed for that purpose. He chuckled as she took every coat spare and piled them on top of her. He lay down beside her, turning his back to her, and letting her lean into him. The weight of the furs on top of him, and the gentle howling of the wind in his ears. It wasn’t the worst way to spend a night.

No time was wasted as Isa beckoned the warlord to her side. Sirius came and flopped down on the furs, turning his back to her and closing his eyes. The fur covered woman scooted forward, placing her belly against his back so that she could bury her face in his fur and keep her nose warm. It would have been better if he'd just let her sleep against his stomach like a curled up pup, but that wasn't in the cards.

Lifting the furs that covered her, Isa scooted close enough so that she could cover them both. As she got comfortable and finally buried her nose in his fur, the sleepy fae mumbled, "That's right, big guy. You just enjoy being the little spoon." With the warmth of the furs and the warmth of the man beside her, Isa fell asleep quickly and comfortably.

"Isa"

He coughed suddenly, as if the wind had caught in his throat. If it came across a little like laughter then that was her fault for interpreting it that way. “Whatever you say, short stuff” He said, and closed his eyes, letting the familiar sounds of the elements lull him to sleep. --- He awakened with Zee’s warmth at his back and a smile on his maw. Even as his instincts jarred at the sensation. “Hey, love.” He said huskily, rolling over with the intent of pressing a kiss to her brow. Instead, he was shocked fully awake at the sight of the stripped girl beside him. Not Zee. Not his Zee. Because Zee had suffered, and died, and there had not been a single thing he could do to stop it. Her blood had pooled at his paws, and he had watched the life fade from her eyes. His mind helpfully thrust the image at him, and he could see if as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. "Seer"

Sirius laughed. He actually laughed. So he wasn't all boring and dull in there. A little digging and she might unearth an entire sense of humor beneath all of that bulk and fur. He then called her Short Stuff and Isa snorted but was too tired to say anything too snarky. Instead she simply mumbled, "Pet names already? Cute."

The pair slept side by side and Isa had to admit that she was sleeping rather well despite their location. Until she was jostled awake, however. Movement brought blue eyes open and a mumbled voice caught her attention. Love? "Hmm?" As she opened her mouth to question him further, the mans expression changed drastically. A look of pained horror washed across his features and Isa was instantly concerned. "Sirius?" She spoke his name but his eyes didn't drift to her in acknowledgement. It was as though he was stuck in some dream. She said his name again, a little louder this time. Isa pushed to her paws, the action moving the furs away from her and she instantly felt the familiar bite of cold. The saber toothed man had her worried though. The fae took a step backwards, away from Sirius until he was himself again.

"Isa"

The horror of her deep slowly flooded from his system as he finished waking up fully, and the realities of the world settled around him. He had let his guard down with Isa, finding himself surprisingly relaxed and his sleep had been oddly peaceful. He wasn’t sure if he could remember the last time he had slept for such a solid block of time. But that had left him vulnerable as he had come to, and he was paying for that now. He leaned back, and rubbed at his eye with a paw and sighed. “Reality is often disappointing” and with that rather barbed remark he got to his paws, and shook out his coat. “We should head back off the mountain” He said, grabbing the coat they had slept on for the night. "Seer"

Slowly, Sirius began to wake from his dream and the first words that he said to her were nasty and rude. A verbal slap in the face that made Isa visibly flinch in shock. They'd been getting along so well and then a little bit of rest turned him back into an insufferable bastard. The blue woman was actually a little angry and rightly so. As Sirius said that they should head back down the mountain, he began picking up the fur that they'd rested on. She'd had enough.

Isa removed the fur cloak that had been given to her and threw it at the man. "Feel free to stay up here alone with your dreams then, my lord." With that, the fae turned around, left the little shelter and began picking her own way back down the damn mountain. He could put away the furs and come after, but she'd had enough of his company today. The woman wouldn't admit it out loud, but the remark had caught her off guard and had hurt her feelings. He shouldn't have been able to have that effect on her at all and that made her even angrier.

The winds blew fiercely and sometimes visibility was slim, but she was bound and determined to make it back down the mountain without the Warlord. She didn't need him to guide her and he didn't need her to 'disappoint' him. Grumbling to herself periodically, Isa was so prickly and perturbed that she barely felt the cold. At least that was a blessing.

"Isa"

In truth, he was bitterly disappointed with her reaction. He had expected more of a fight. He had longed for it in a way that caught him off guard. He wanted to see her teeth, wanted her to snarl at him. To verbally spar with him until they were both bleeding from wounds made with the tongue. Instead, she turned her back on him. Tossing down the coat and stalking away. He growled at her departing from. “Insufferable woman” He snarled. Finding no satisfaction in her retreating back. He threw the blankets into the oiled bag that kept the rain from them, and trotted down the mountain. He didn’t intend to catch up with her, but his stride was long and his paws familiar with the terrain. He did so despite his best intentions. “Walk a little slower, the turtles are catching up to you” He barked as he caught up and overtook her. "Seer"

As she stalked down the mountain, despite the wind she could hear the bastards heavy footfalls hurrying behind her. Was he trying to beat her to the bottom of the mountain just to be a jerk? The man's remark wrinkled Isa's nose and she bared her teeth in distaste. "You're pretty big for a child," she spat at him. His remark was that of a pup. It wasn't even clever.

Though it was cold and she was still healing from her injury, Isa put on a bit of speed, moving more quickly down the mountain so that she passed Sirius once again. The woman hadn't been lying when she said that she could make it down the mountain on her own. Isa was quite sure-footed. He wanted to be rid of her company so badly, yet there he was, trying to be in her presence again. He could have just waited until she was down and followed her. He didn't have to hurry. The man was just being annoying. She said nothing more to him. He wanted a reaction from her and she refused to give it.

"Speech!"

Art & Code by Skelle 2023

“I wish I could say the same, but you're about the right height for your age.” He said, and already he could feel something settle down inside of him. That fear and horror he had woken up to started to abate as he settled in to insulting Isa. Perhaps it was unhealthy and cruel to fall into a coping mechanism such as this. But he preferred rage to pain any day, and no one in the pack challenged him verbally as she did. She picked up speed, stepping up her game as she overtook him again. “Yeah, you show those turtles!” He called out as she showed how sure footed she could be on the icy mountain path.. Doing his part to be a supportive Alpha "Seer"

Sirius still flapped his gums, spouting drivel but Isa had put up blinders. She couldn't hear him or see him. He was nothing. The buzzing of a fly, if anything. With her gaze narrowed against the icy wind, the cobalt fae continued on her way. She moved quickly along the mountain path and the further down they went, the easier it was to breathe. The easier it was to breathe, the faster that she could go. Coming up the path, she'd learned it right away. It was a gift. Even now she'd be able to find her way back to her real home. The woman's sense of direction was impeccable. So, by the time that they reached the bottom of the mountain, Isa was practically running.

When the ground leveled out and they had left the mountain behind, Isa peeled away from the dire wolf, putting as much distance between them as she could. She was done with him for the day. Things had started out nicely with her apology for bringing up his wife, and it had ended with him proving that he was nothing but a childish bully. Isa had wondered why there were so many wolves in the pack with a leader like Sirius but he had proved the reason. He was bigger than everyone else and he was a jerk. Everyone here was a prisoner; not just her.

"Speech!"

Art & Code by Skelle 2023

She started to put on speed, saying nothing. Wanting nothing to do with him. Nothing he said made any dent on her, she didn’t want to participate. He let her go. Pulling to a stop as she fled from him and out and into the Col. He thought of the dreamless sleep he had had up the mountain. The most peace he had felt in a long time. He knew he was a fool, an old, old fool. He didn’t want to care about Isa. The truth was, there was no room left in his heart for what Isa could mean to him. What she was frightened him in some way. He turned, and found Bast watching him. “I’m an idiot” He said softly. She made a sound that was shockingly like a growl, and turned and walked away from him. Leaving the brute alone on the last few steps of the mountain path. Alone. He looked up at the early morning sky and thought of that strange, fleeting vision he had received of his wife. Of her standing tall and strong for the first time in a long time. Her paws as light as stardust as she followed after the Firefly man. Leaving him alone. Alone, alone, alone. "Seer"