As the trio travelled through a myriad of different lands, Caedmon had stayed a couple wolf lengths behind the two others, eyes and ears on alert for anything that could be considered dangerous. They had come a long way from their homeland, and the russet male could not remember the last time the three had stayed in one place for too long before venturing forth out into the unknown time and time again. What he did know was that it was cold, so very cold. The harsh icy winds nipped at his cheeks, and the packed snow he walked upon numbed his paws. This place was desolate and devoid of any life as far as the eyes could see. Caedmon squinted his eyes against the bright glare of the snow as he looked ahead of the two wolves walking just in front of him. He could see multiple structures rising into the air that looked like ice, glinting in the sunlight. As the trio got closer, he could see a frozen lake come into view, stretching far into the distance. The russet male broke into a trot to pass the other two before coming to a stop at the edge of the lake. Brows furrowed, he gently stepped one front paw onto the lakes’ surface, and when it did not crack, put most of his weight onto the paw. Still, the ice did not crack, or even show that he had done anything at all, other than leave a smooth surface where he had put his paw. "The ice seems pretty thick," Caedmon rumbled as he turned his head to look at his brother. The icy lake would require some further testing before he would be happy to walk on it, but he was happy to know there would be no accidentally falling in. Finding a place to drink however, was a whole other challenge he did not yet have an answer to.

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you

Eirnan’s eyes flashed cautiously around the territory. It was fun to explore new lands, and it gave her a sense of adventure as well as a sense of purpose. She stuck close to Quinn, feeling the most comfort at his side as she kept her head on a swivel, prepared for anything that might jump out at them. She frequently glanced up at the sky to track the sun as it travelled through the sky so that she might recommend the right time to stop and rest for the day. They had time, her paws crunching in the snow with a soft hum as she captured her surroundings.

There wasn’t a scent on the wind, apart from that of her mate’s and Caedmon’s. A soft shiver ran down her spine, watching as Caedmon tested the surface of the lake hesitantly, wondering if he would fall in. It appeared they were fortunate in that regard. “I’d prefer not to test our luck for now.” She mused aloud, knowing that falling into a lake in the middle of winter was a sure fire way to get hypothermia. She wasn’t a healer, but she knew at least that much. Her sister, Brigid, had been the healer and around this time she couldn’t help but wonder where she had wandered off to after they had parted ways.

She glanced around once more with a soft hum before an idea struck her. “Perhaps there’s some kind of stream that feeds into the lake? It’s likely frozen over as well, but the ice would probably be easier to break and we’d be able to drink from it.” She suggested glancing between the two to see if they had any better ideas. All they needed was enough to tide them over. If they made their way further south, then perhaps things would be warmer, if only slightly, and water would be easier to access.

"Eirnan"

(Thoughts Speech)

Quinn gave a shiver as he watched his big brother step on the ice, seeing a flash of him falling in before his eyes and began to move in, sighing when he saw that it didn't give way under the weight of the russet man. The tawny male then looked around at his surroundings and started to take them in, they'd been moving for some time now, and Quinn was getting tired. and knew the others had to be too. Caedmon spoke, and the tawny male listened to his brother and mate, as they threw suggestions around, and began to think on it. after a few moments, and countless things running through his head, he realized: "Water is the most important thing right now, and besides, if we find the stream, we likely find a way around the lake anyway." However, it seemed unlikely, just yesterday he had seen coastline, and any water flowing from there would be brackish, and unsafe. He looked around, and spoke to his mate: "You're the best navigator. I have an idea, see if you can climb to the top of one of those peaks of ice, and get a better vantage point, see if you can find anything that looks like fresh water, in the meantime, Caed can watch you and keep you safe, I'll go where you point me, being the lightest here, I'll be the least likely to break any hidden ice." He looked at his mate and brother, looking for signs of approval...

Caedmon curtly nodded at Eirnans' words, stepping back from the edge of the lake until he was standing back on the snowy ground. He agreed with her; there was no point in taking a risk that could easily end up with one of them dead. Turning himself around to face her as she spoke again, the russet male made a hum of agreement. Finding water that was drinkable was a high priority right now as they could find time to hunt at a later point when they moved further down south where, hopefully, the climate was a little less frigid and inhospitable. His gaze shifted to Quinn as he spoke, brows furrowed as he thought over the suggested plan. Caedmon was not in favour of the trio splitting up, there was no telling what ferocious creature could be lurking behind any pillar of ice or mound of packed, icy snow. But his brother was right; using a higher point as a lookout would serve them well in finding water. The russet male finally nodded after mulling over his thoughts. "Alright," he said in agreement. As long as they were all safe and did not stray too far from each other, the plan was acceptable. Caedmon gently bumped his muzzle against his brothers' shoulder, a silent plea asking him to stay safe. He did not like being too far apart from his younger sibling, especially in this unknown and potentially dangerous place. It was his job to keep Quinn safe, so that their family bloodline and traditions could continue for generations to come with his brother as their leader. But the russet male knew Quinn to be level-headed and focused when it was required of him. Caedmon stepped back and glanced briefly at the lake before looking at Eirnan. "We should find one of those icy pillars close to the edge of the lake, I don't want either of us venturing too far out on the ice." He did not have to finish that thought, they all knew the dangers of what falling into the icy waters could mean.

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you

They went back and forth with their plans, though she was pleased to see Caedmon agree with her in regards to not testing their luck. The last thing they needed was illness or death. Family was everything, and they were her family now. She turned her attention to her mate, listening as he imparted his wisdom. She knew he was right too. Eirnan was the navigator of the group, in charge of tracking the lands they travelled through and using nature and the sky to find their way for them… whereas he was the healer to keep them all alive and Caedmon was the fighter to keep them safe. It was a diverse range of skills that she relied on.

She hummed softly in agreement, a quick lick to her mate’s cheek before she spoke. “Of course, Love.” The words floated easily off her tongue as she often adored sweeter names to express her affection. “Stay safe, and if you feel the ground beneath you starting to give, run back to safety.” The words came as a soft plea. She cared more about his safety than finding water instantly. She nodded softly at Caed’s suggestion, moving towards the icy pillars as she eyed them warily. She was going to have to be incredibly careful of where she placed her paws to avoid slipping and falling.

She started her venture, climbing up onto the icy pillar close to the lake, digging her claws into the ice as best as possible to maintain her balance as she carefully traversed the perilous landscape until she reached it’s peak, taking a look out over the lands and surveying them for something that they could use. “Love, if we circle around the lake, it looks like there is a thawing to the south.” It could provide them some of the relief they needed in that moment. It didn’t help with the current water problem however. With eyes narrowed, she continued to look around. “It looks like to the south and east, there is a water source. I don’t know if it’s fresh or not.” That would be impossible to tell from her roost.

"Eirnan"

(Thoughts Speech)

Quinn gently returned his brother's nuzzling, he knew that his brother was asking him to be careful, and so spoke "I will, don't worry." as he turned to listen to his dearest Eirnan as she spoke back to him. He smiled as she gave him her agreement, with the embellishment he loved, it was childish, yes, but so what? As she continued, he gave her a soft look of care and understanding, hoping that she wouldn't worry too much about him. "Of course love, you know I'll be safe, the last thing I'd want is for you to have to see me hurt." He spoke with confidence, but try as he might, the gnawing doubt in his head about the situation simply couldn't be pushed away, and it was all he could do to keep from grimacing at the idea that he might not be uninjured by this whole ordeal.

As the trio turned to go in their own directions, Quinn looked back at his family, admiring them as they walked off. echoing in his head he could hear his father's words of anger "And their blood will be on YOUR conscience!" and he growled under his breath with determination, he had to lead, and that meant he had to learn how to... fast.

The tawny male's paws were frigid against the icy rocks and snow, and he stepped lightly, to keep from breaking anything underneath him, his heartbeat quickening with every step he took, until finally he heard his mate call out that she saw a thawing in the south. "About how far do you think?" he shouted back. However, in his excitement over the idea that they might be getting to warmer weather, he forgot to look where he was going, and his paw slipped on an ice-covered rock and sent him tumbling downhill, a crack of ice sounded as he smacked into sheets of it that weren't supported by anything solid, and behind them he heard the distinct sound of running water after he regained his composure. He stood up to check if he was right, and shouted with joy as he saw that he was, but no sooner had he celebrated, than he noticed where he was. He was far from the shore of the lake, and he guessed that he must have slid out there when he fell.

He gulped and looked at his paws, seeing tiny little cracks form at the ends of his claws, and praying that they wouldn't get bigger.

"Oh dear..." He spoke, giving his brother and mate the most fearful look he'd had in a long time.

The russet male followed Eirnan as she lead the way to an icy pillar, feeling an uncomfortable feeling settle into the pit of his stomach as she began to climb. He could not protect her up there, but he could catch her if she fell at least. Neck craned backwards to watch her carefully, Caedmon stood at the edge of the lake, ears pulled back slightly to show his displeasure at the events happening. When she spoke of multiple water sources Caedmon would have normally been overjoyed at the news, but as of that moment he was far more worried for her safety. "We can go investigate," he said with a quick glance in the direction she was looking at. But first, she needed to get off that ice pillar without falling. Caedmon heard his brother call out, asking how far away it was, and turned to look at him just in time to watch him slip, fall, and slide out onto the lake. Panic rose up in his body, hackles standing on edge as his head quickly snapped back and forth from Eirnan to Quinn multiple times in quick succession. Deciding Eirnan was in a safer position - he trusted her to be able to climb down safely enough - the russet male broke into a sprint toward where his brother was. He came to a sliding halt right at the edge of the lake, spraying flurries of snow onto the ice. Caedmon pawed nervously at the snow beneath him, hesitant to go out onto the ice to rescue his brother for fear that the ice would crack even more than it already had. "Q, don't move!" He cried out in distress, not knowing what to do that would not make matters even worse. The russet male forced himself to take multiple deep breaths, trying to calm his mind enough to think clearly. Panicking would not help. The only course of action to take would be having Quinn make his way towards them, but with the ice cracking already, walking across the ice could just make it crack even more. He would need to spread his weight more evenly across the ice if he was going to make it. "Lie down on the ice and crawl towards me," Caedmon called out, resisting the urge to pace along the lake's edge. There was nothing he could do from his position to help his brother, but if Quinn got close enough to the edge the russet male could reach out and help pull him onto stable ground.

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you

Eirnan could not bring herself to dwell on the fact that he might get injured during this, or that she might from the icy spire she was meant to scale. She knew they were all simply doing what they had to do, and that they would all make it through this together. Her ears perked as he called back to her with a question, looking it over with a soft hum. “Maybe a quarter day’s travel? It’s hard to tell from here with how the snow and ice will impact our speed.” She offered, looking back down. Her heart leapt into her chest when she saw him start to slide. “Quinn!” She called out, taking a deep breath as she looked down at Caed who was in a better position to help him than she was.

She motioned with her head towards Quinn when Caed’s attention snapped back and forth between her and her love. She carefully started to make her way back down the spire, intent to help as much as she could though with how precarious it could be, she wasn’t sure that was the best idea. The ice would already be fragile enough. Once she had made her way safely down, she moved towards them. She reached the edge of the lake, not putting her paws on it. Perhaps she could move closer, but she doubted the ice could support the weight of two wolves on it so she just had to wait, anxiously, for her love to make it to the safety of the shore. They could not afford an incident. “Try sliding your paws instead of stepping; it will lighten the impact of your feet.” She encouraged with worry in her tone. He was not allowed to fall into this lake and die on her.

"Eirnan"

(Thoughts. Speech)

Panic swelled inside Quinn's mind, his heart racing like a bird's, eyes glancing back and forth at his paws and his family, the cold of the ice seeping into him as he stood there, watching as his paws made the ice weaker and weaker. All the worst thoughts were coming to mind, "What if I fall in and they try to rescue me? What if they pull me out and I die of the cold? What if they fall in with me?!?! What if-" "Q, DON'T MOVE!" he suddenly heard his brother call out, and looked up to hear Caed and Eir telling him what to do. Suddenly, his mind sharpened, the panic dulled its fangs and he looked straight ahead at the shoreline as he lay down to slide forward, he had to survive, he had to live, for them...

As he creeped along, he could feel the ice give ever so slightly under his paws and elbows with every move, but he kept moving forward, trying not to let the fear set back in and slow him down. His breathing was difficult, having his stomach flat on the ground like this, and the ice was so cold, it dug at him as if it could shred his fur and touch him directly, leaving him shivering and tired as he moved.

when he was just a few yards from the shoreline, he heard a *CRAK* as his back left paw fell down, into the ice, he didn't feel any water, but that didn't help him calm down any more. He grimaced and slid backward, saying: "Watch out and be ready to grab me!" and he used his now gained leverage on the hole made by his paw to push himself forward as fast as he could, breaking into a sprint on the pads of his feet which stung with each impact on the hard sheet below him, and with each impact, he felt the ice crack under his paws again, leaving a dent where he last stepped.

He barreled forward until he hit the shoreline, bracing himself for impact and trying to dig his claws in to slow himself down, but he realized one second too late that that was the wrong move, and he slid sideways into his brother, amazed that he didn't knock him down with the impact. "I'm sorry, Caed, did I hurt you?" He asked, before glancing out to the lake again and seeing, as he heard a loud crunching noise of ice giving way, the ice falling down in a thin sheet to reveal what had been a pocket of air, just under the surface, where he had just been, and more, thicker ice beneath it.

Eirnan's advice for Quinn to slide instead of step was a good idea; anything to help stop the ice from cracking any further would improve his brother's chances of making it without falling in. He stared with a worried expression at his brother as he began slowly sliding on his stomach towards them, his own body tense and jittery at being unable to physically do anthing to speed up the process. Caedmon felt as if his stomach dropped out of his body when the ice cracked beneath Quinn's paws, his breath hitching as panic coursed through his veins. He nodded encouragingly at his brother's words, digging his paws into the snowy edge so he would be ready to reach out to grab Quinn so he could pull him back to safety. The russet male watched with trepidation as Quinn began sprinting towards him and Eirnan, wincing with each crack of the ice. However the ice was slippery with little traction and his brother tried to slow down to no avail. Without enough time to move out of the way Caedmon braced himself as Quinn slid right into him, allowing his momentum to push both of them backwards into the snow. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of his lungs, but spared no second as he immediately brushed his side against Quinn's, rubbing his russet cheek against his brother's face face in relief. A soft whine left his lips when he stood back, ears still pulled backwards as the fear had yet to fully leave his body. Caedmon shook his head when his brother asked if he was hurt. Would he be sore later? Probably. But for now with all the adrenaline in his body he could not feel any pain even if he had been hurt. "Don't ever do that to us again," he said in a worried tone. They could not afford to get hurt, not when they had no idea where they were and with no one around to help them. But he felt relief knowing Quinn was safe, and spared a glance with narrowed eyes at the empty pocket of ice that had been revealed when the top thin layer crumbled away. He wanted to get away from the icy lake as soon as possible.

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you

Eirnan saw her heart leap out of her chest in that moment, hearing the crack from the distance as he started to make a run for the shore, trying to outrun the fracturing ice to make it to the safety of their embraces. He pushed off of the ice, managing to make it to shore and only then did she let out a sigh of relief. She started to sniff for any kind of injuries. Sure, he was the healer, but he was also the one she was looking over for injuries. Despite not having a specialty in these things, she did know quite a bit, things she had picked up since she had met him.

She caught Caed’s worried tone and hummed softly in agreement. “Are you alright, Love?” Her concern was whether or not he had twisted or torn anything because his pelt lacked the stench of blood as far as she could tell which was good. “Don’t ever do that to us again.” The words echoed in agreement with the other Kearney, nudging him softly, lightly nipping at his ear in display of affection. “I think for now it’s best to follow the shoreline towards the south. The sooner we can get further south, the better I think it ought to be for all of our health’s.” She asserted because she was not afraid to take charge right now. “And perhaps water will be a kinder resource further south as well.”

"Eirnan"

(Thoughts Speech)

As Quinn looked out at the open divot in the ice, he had his attention snapped back to his brother and mate as they scolded him "Don't ever do that to us again!" they said, worried and relieved looks on their faces all at once. "I know, I'm sorry, I swear I won't let it happen again. I love you both too much, and no, I don't think I'm hurt, love." he spoke, leaning in and nuzzling them before he stepped back onto his rear left paw. He felt no pain, but decided to check it anyway, turning around and sniffing at it. There was no blood, and scraping it on the ground didn't feel odd, so it wasn't scratched, he sighed a small bit and turned to look at Eirnan, her words of wisdom flowing like music to his frantic mind and ears.

He started to nod in agreement, but then suddenly remembered the water he had heard flowing when he fell. "Wait, follow me." he said, motioning for them to follow as he turned and moved around the edge of the lake, towards the broken ice where he had fallen, searching for the sound again. However, he scowled as he walked, cursing himself in his own mind, using words as sharp to him as any claw or tooth or shard of ice: "It took one wrong move, and I had no idea if I was going to make it out alive, I almost left them without me, because I couldn't pay closer attention... I didn't keep my word that I would stay safe." He gritted his teeth and then turned to hug his love again. "I'm sorry, I will be more vigilant from now on." He then removed his neck from hers, and said, jokingly "Besides, I can't just leave you two alone, what would you do without me?" and he nuzzled them both, feeling the warmth of their cheeks against his, before turning and starting his search anew.

It didn't take long to find, and he smiled as he looked at the other Kearneys and said: "At least we won't be thirsty much longer." then dove his head in to start lapping at it, figuring it to be safe, but spitting in disgust as he tasted it. "Shit, nevermind. It's brackish. that explains why the ice formed above it, the water was just fresh enough for the sprays to freeze." He turned and looked at them, apologizing for his mistake once again, and then looked at his brother, saying: "Well, I guess it's time to let Eir lead the way, now."

Now that Quinn was no longer in immediate danger the russet male let himself relax with a big exhale, ears finally lifting up from his skull. He could still feel his heart beating in his chest, but the fear lancing through his body was slowly disappearing with each passing moment. "We can only hope," he said in response to Eirnan's comment about finding water in the south. While not completely parched, he could feel a dryness in his mouth particularly as he spoke. Finding something to drink was definitely high up on his list of things to do, along with escaping from the snowy landscape they had found themselves in. Caedmon rumbled softly at his brothers apology, eyes closing momentarily as their muzzles and cheeks rubbed together. He had no idea what he would do if anything happened to Quinn: it was unimaginable even thinking about a world that he was not in, and he assumed Eirnan felt the same as he did but even more strongly considering they were mates. His mouth opened to tell Quinn to stop, but his brother had already started walking around the lake before he could get any words out, and so instead scurried forward to stay by his side just in case the ice cracked and crumbled again. The russet male could hear a soft trickle of water, and his ears pricked up at the sound. If there was water here then they had no need to travel south in search of some. A huff escaped from his lips when Quinn spat the water out and said it was brackish, lips curling downwards in a frown. Of course it was undrinkable, that was just their luck. It seemed they would be heading south after all. Caedmon stepped back from the lake and turned to Eirnan, swishing his tail behind him in slight annoyance. "We should start now before it starts getting dark," he said with a soft sigh. Hopefully they could reach it before night actually fell.

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you

He was apologizing and she just chuffed softly, listening as he said he didn’t think he was injured. She would be the judge of that. He spoke, testing his weight on his rear paw as she sniffed for blood but still found no trace. It gave her some comfort. He nuzzled softly at his neck once she had determined for herself that he was not injured. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulder, much like Atlas from myths of old, and she was there to make sure that weight didn’t crush him and wear away at the bits and pieces of him that made him… well… him. He promised to be more careful and she smiled with a soft chuff of amusement. “I know, Love.” She assured him before she let her maw creep up with a smile. “We’ll never have to find out.” She would not lose him.

She followed him curiously, moving to where the ice had broken with a frown, watching as he tried the water. Her frown only intensified when he spat it out. She hummed softly at his words. “It’ll be okay. We’ll eat snow if we have to.” But only if they had to, because she’d done it before and it was not a pleasant experience, at least not to her. “Follow me.” She hummed softly as she started to make her way towards the south. It shouldn’t be too far of a journey, she supposed… she had to hope. “Hopefully we can make it most of the way there by nightfall.”

"Eirnan"