While the Carpathians were visiting the mountain-dwelling wolves of Heiðinn, it seemed like a real shame to not take advantage of their opportunity to explore and discover a new land at the same time. While their father was entreating with the alphas of the pack, Ember snuck off with Clove to go seize the day and see what made Boreas' tallest mountain so special. The young girl led her sister through the snow, crunching through the dense piles of white powder everywhere with mirthful giggles. Snow was such a rare treat being from the southern continent, so Ember was greatly enjoying getting to play in the unusual substance.

"Look at how much snow there is, Clove! It's all over the place!" exclaimed the midnight-furred girl to her sister, blue eyes shining with excitement. Sure, it was cold, but it was nothing her thick cloak couldn't help her keep out. "Do you think we’ll ever see this much snow back home?" Picturing this much snow all around the castle was such a magnificent and strange concept.

"Ember"

It didn’t take much prompting from her sister to leave the grownups behind and do some exploring. In fact, Clove had been hoping the two of them could get away for a bit- who knows when they would have another opportunity to check this place out? And, being the curious explorer Clove was, she was more than excited to see the mountainside. Before leaving the adults, Clove put her fur coat back on. She wasn’t accustomed to the cold just yet… and honestly, she might never become accustomed to it. The snow was beautiful, but dang, it made your paws wet and chilled you to the bone!

Following Ember through the snow, the duo made their way up one of the mountainside pathways. Where it led, she had no idea- but she was eager to find out. “Its sooooo much snow!” She giggled, looking up at her taller sister. “Hmmmm,” She had to think about Ember’s question. Wondering if it was possible to have this much snow back home. Taking a good look around, noting how the mountain almost looked like a white wasteland - aside from the towering pines, and random boulders spread across the landscape - she decided, it probably not. “Probably not- and, I hope not! I love how warm it is back home.” Reminiscing her midday sun naps, she wished she could feel that warmth right now.

Crunching through the snow, the duo slowly climbed the mountainside. Stopping here and there to peer into the valley below, which made butterflies fill Clove's tummy. They were so high up! Or at least, it felt like it to her. “You think there are caves around here? Oh! Caves filled with ice? Maybe they have cool patterns in them!” A bit naive and filled with child-like wonder, her mind was going all over the place. What treasures was this mountain hiding?  

"Speech"

While Ember wasn't quite the enthusiastic outdoorsy type like Clove was, that didn't deter or stop her from wanting to spend time with her sister and share in the exploration of new places with her. The pair of southern girls, wrapped up in their wool cloaks, meandered their way through the snow-covered mountain paths, Ember pausing whenever Clove wanted to stop and inspect something closer. After a moment of thought, Clove decidedly declared that she wouldn't want this much snow back home, and Ember had to agree with an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah, I kinda love our home too. I dunno if I could do the whole 'living in a cave on a mountain' sort of deal after having Hearthstone." The snow was pretty to look at and all, and she was sure it would be equally pretty back home—just best viewed through a window while she sipped hot cider in front of a fireplace. The snow was much too cold for her liking and it clumped in her fur like nobody's business!

Picking up on her comment, Clove wondered aloud if there were any caves around and if they were filled with ice. Ember's eyes lit up and she shot a daring grin at her littler sister. "Only one way to find out, but I bet there are!" she replied, her long tail giving an energetic wag in the process. "C'mon, let's go find them!" Ember led the charge up the path, pushing through the snow to try and carve a path through the deeper parts of the snow drifts for Clove to more easily follow her. The princess' gaze glanced out over the edge of the path, down the side of the mountain and out at all of Boreas sprawled out around them. Wow, what a view! Was this what being up in the tower in their home was like too?

While the sisters continued to look for the mountain caves Clove wanted to find, Ember glanced over with curiosity at her eager littermate's glee just to explore Heiðinn's mountains. "You really like to explore, don'tcha, Clovie?" asked Ember, cocking her head as she considered her sister's interests with fascination. She liked learning little things about her siblings, about their interests, their likes and dislikes. It made her feel closer to them in turn.

"Ember"

She couldn’t help but giggle at Ember’s response, while nodding her head in agreement. Their home in the south had much better weather than this… and the Hearthstone! Who wouldn’t want to live in a beautiful castle with their loved ones? Call her a spoiled princess, but Clove was simply a product of her environment- she had grown up in luxury, and enjoyed it. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t go out and get dirty every once in a while. She loved to explore, after all. “Me either! Dad should invite them over, so they can enjoy our home too!” Of course, she didn’t have the slightest clue about politics and adult things. Her thoughts were far more simple- a vacation for a vacation! Laughing and chasing after Ember, the duo started searching for the ice caverns Clove hoped were hidden in the mountainside. With every few yards they traversed, the snow became deeper- but luckily, Ember led the way and helped create a pathway for Clove to follow. Staying close to her, and still surveying their surroundings, she took her time to fully enjoy the newness of this place. The scenery beyond the mountainside was equally as beautiful- but they were so high up, that it felt like she would tumble down if she made one wrong step. It made her cling even closer to her sister, just in case one had to grab the other. “I do! I hope to be an explorer, like Taly someday. She’s got so many maps in her room- she’s been to so many places!”  She exclaimed, answering Ember’s question. And then, she formulated one of her own. “What do you like, Ember? Besides swords and stuff?” Sure, she’d seen her sparring with dad, like most of their siblings. But what else did she find interest in? Coming around a bend, the pathway opened up into a moderately large clearing. And, in the mountainside to their right, was a little passageway carved out by the elements over time. Motioning for Ember to look, she waited for her sister to see the little cavern, sharing an expression that read should we go inside before slowly moving towards it. It was just big enough for the two of them to slip inside, and Clove would do so, if Ember agreed. "Speech"

Spending time with her sister, the only other girl in their litter, was a special sort of moment for Ember. She loved all of her siblings dearly, but Clove held a special place in the young girl's heart. The was her sister—her true and closest sister—and in a way that made her like her best friend and confidant. Hearing her littler sister giggling as they both ran up the snowy banks of the mountain brought a bright, gleaming grin to Ember's face. Listening to Clove talk about her love for adventuring and her desire to be an explorer like their older sister Talyssa made that smile grow even wider. "You're gonna make the best explorer ever, Clove! I bet you'll even be the Hallows' Wayfinder before you know it!" she remarked, all chuffed and proud of her sister's dreams and aspirations. Heck, they were Carpathians! Anything they set their mind to they could do. If Clove wanted to be an explorer, then Ember knew she was gonna be a famous explorer someday.

Clove turned the topic back around on her and asked what she liked, aside from the swords their father and older siblings carried. Ember snickered to herself; she certainly did have a fascination with the rare family relics their family touted about and their sire guarded like they were the most valuable things on earth. "Well, Mom's been teaching me how to cook, and I've been learning some songs in Carpathian from her and Aunt Gwyn, so I guess I like cooking and singing too," replied the pup, putting a lot of thought into her sister's question. "I'm also really interested in all the jewelry Mom has too. I think maybe one day I'd like to try my paw at making something new. I could make you a new necklace once I learn how to do it!" Ember flashed a confident grin at her sister beside her. She also knew how much Clove enjoyed trying on their mother's jewelry and playing dress-up. Well, if Ember ever learned how to make things like that, she'd have to make sure her sweet sister had a collection of shiny things all her own.

Moving up to a cleared out plateau, Ember was gawking around at the scenes of Boreas around them when Clove's nudging caught her attention. She followed Clove's motioning to the opening in the side of the mountain and immediately put two and two together. A cave! They'd actually managed to find a cave! Ember read Clove's questioning expression and replied with a cheeky smirk and a devilish look of her own, Oh yeah we're going in there! The midnight pup followed her slate and ivory sister towards the mouth of the cave, peering inside as far as the light would let her see. Clove hesitated, waiting for her to take the lead, and take the lead she did. With a bold grin, Ember pushed her way inside, leading the charge into the unknown. Hey, if her sister wanted to see an ice cave, she was gonna make sure she got to see an ice cave!

"Ember"

She couldn’t hide the big, sheepish smile that pulled at the corners of her lips. Receiving compliments from her sister made her heart swell- she was the only other girl in their litter, after all. And although they hadn’t spent much one-on-one time together, there was an innate bond between them that became stronger as time passed. Perhaps it was because they were almost teenagers… and teenage girls, tended to gravitate towards other teenage girls. But Clove already knew that even in adulthood, the Carpathian princesses would remain loyal to one another. No matter what Ember would ask of her, Clove would try her best to deliver. She was a family girl, after all. As Ember revealed some of her other interests, Clove’s ears shifted in her direction, portraying her undivided attention. Her sister’s interests were a bit different than she was expecting. And, deep down, Clove felt a tiny bit envious. “You think you can teach me that stuff too?” She said, excitement sparkling in her eyes. She didn’t want to fall behind her brothers and sisters… and learning skills like cooking would be useful in adulthood. And, at the mention of jewelry… Clove's eyes grew even wider, her jaw dropping a little bit. “Oh, yes! I would love that Ember!” Assumably, her sister knew about her love for jewelry and playing dress up. Even though Clove enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. She equally enjoyed setting herself in front of a vanity, brushing out her hair, trying on jewelry adorned in jewels and gems, and swathing herself in perfumes. Reaching the entrance of the cave, Clove waited for Ember to lead them inside. Reading her sister’s mischievous expression, made her smile. The duo then pushed past the rocky opening, and it took some wiggling to get them inside. But once they were there, it opened up into a much larger grotto. The sunlight from outside couldn’t reach the end of the cavern, but it only took a few moments for their eyes to adjust. And when they did… Clove was starstruck. Ice lined the rocky walls, at least a few inches thick, with a few yards of untouched powdered snow lining the floor. Beyond that, the ground looked icy and slippery. And the ceiling! It was coated in layers of crystal clear, blue-toned ice, with icicles drooping down. She admired their size, and the super pointy ends that seemed dangerous if they fell. “Whoaaaaa” She said, astonished by the untouched beauty of the cave. Maybe they were the first ones to discover it!   "Speech"