The first entry point, Luminosa had decided, was this Cathedral. It sat lonely in its otherwise empty expanse. There was a large arch that led to the cathedral... or maybe away from it, Lumi couldn't be too sure. She wandered around a good bit in every direction before returning to this cathedral. It was odd to see something so grand in the middle of nowhere. It stood like a welcoming beacon at the northernmost tip of this new land- how wonderous! What the deer was really curious about was whether or not this large feature had an entrance. On wobbly hooves, the deer with the monkey on her back began to poke around the iced building.

Rannoch was using the time without his massive antlers to enjoy the greening forests of the north. There wouldn’t be much time before his head was once again decorated with the bone structures instead of the velveteen bulbs that were there now. However, this day his oversize cloven hooves brought him to an empty expanse. His verdant gaze found evidence of good forage, but what really caught his gaze was the towering structure. Even with the huge expanse of land around it, the cathedral still held onto a commanding presence.

The true surprise was that he was not the only deer out here with a curious heart. His eyes found the delicate form of a small doe examining the large building. He offered a friendly approach, feeling easy in the presence of his own kind. Or as close to his own kind as was possible in the land he was not born into. "I don’t believe you will find any good grazing inside of there.” He warned with a light chuckle.

"Speech"

Luminosa had no luck yet finding an entrance to the iced cathedral. Even with the fluff of her coat, the chill was not missed. It was a mild spring, it seemed, and yet the northernmost regions still retained some of their frigidity. The sound of other hooves on the ice drew Lumi's attention. A massive, yet not bulky, herbivore loomed two times her height nearby. Though stunned by his stature, the doe felt at ease in the presence of another Cervidae. His antlers were budding at his skull, still covered in soft velvet- a time when many a buck may feel self conscious. The man, however, seemed in good spirits. He suggested she wouldn't find any good grazing here and Lumi let out a light, soft bout of laughter. "Perhaps not for the stomach, but its plenty for the mind."

A golden glance flushed over to him before looking back at the marvelous cathedral ahead of her. It stood stony and still, unmelted by her warmth. "Have you been here before, per chance? I was looking to see if there was a way inside..."

Though their case of study was quite commanding the sound of his hooves upon the icy terrain caught the doe’s attention. Her golden eyes found his lush green, like summer meeting autumn. She was a bit young to have dropped a fawn this year, so she had the freedom to explore and use her mind for actions not pertaining to keeping her offspring alive. Besides, the season was one of bounty and plenty, there were no deer that starved in the springtime.

He couldn’t argue with her assessment, however little grass they would find inside didn’t matter when their curiosity was being satiated. To him it seemed like this place was in a state of perpetual timelessness. The area had to stay mostly frozen to have covered the small mountain structure with ice so thickly and for so long.

"No, I’ve never been here.” He admitted to her as his features lifted to the impossibly tall spires. "There isn’t much food even during the warmest of seasons. Perhaps in the summer an entrance will melt, otherwise I suspect it to be solid ice.” He had been wrong before though, maybe if they looked hard enough one would open to them.

"Speech"

The magnificent beast before her eyed her with a verdant green gaze that felt almost out of place in the grey whites of the terrain around them. He appeared to be older, somewhat, maybe wiser than herself, or perhaps she simply felt very vulnerable and naive on her own, without the crutches of her mothers to lean on.

Lumi prodded at the ice with a needly hoof, moving around the structure at a pace that welcomed the other to join her if he so wished, though she had a feeling ever if she were to canter, he would be able to keep up easily. Ice, ice, and more ice encased the building. The buck speculated that the building was solid ice and that perhaps the summer heat would melt an entrance. "Does a place like this really have a summer?" she looked up... and up father to quizzically eye the other. "And how would something just... freeze solid like this?" Her voice dropped a little as she looked back over the building, a small shiver running through her at the idea of being able to become frozen even so far above ground.

It wasn’t the season for deer to be grouped up in their giant herds that formed during breeding season so he wasn’t so concerned she wasn’t part of one. However it was a little odd that she was not with a small group of hinds for protection. Only the Eurasian Elk were likely to be on their own, and well himself. He’d never really fit in with the bachelor stags during off season so he didn’t say anything.

His gaze swept over the towering pillar of ice again as the pair of them searched for an entrance inside. The more they looked the more he was certain they would find nothing. Perhaps if they wished to put enough effort into making an entrance there would be something inside, but he wasn’t certain such drastic measures would be worthy.

"There is indeed a summer, but it's nothing comparable to the southern lands.” He on;y knew that because when he tried to migrate south the heat had been absolutely unbearable to him. "I could guess that it is much like the landscape. Over many tens of years the wind has solidified the water in the air around an already standing structure.” He offered his hypothesis with a bit of thought.

"My name is Rannoch, by the way.” He added warmly, uncertain if this would be the last he saw of the young doe.

"Speech"

The doe knew little to nothing about standard herding practices other than from a few relatives she had met. Herding patterns were as ingrained in deer as forming packs was for wolves, however, in both cases there were always opportunities for exceptions. The stag himself didn't seem to be part of a herd either. Briefly, the idea of forming one with him flitted through the young doe's mind, but she didn't know what all that would entail and the idea that they would have to start a family flushed her pale skin.

Lumi shook the though out of her mind, bringing her warmed face closer to the ice to peer into the cathedral. The buck offered an explanation for why the building might have solidified in ice. "It really does look solid," she murmured into the ice, her breath fogging up the view from her golden eyes. The man offered his name and Lumi turned to face him, honey eyes searching evergreens. "Rannoch," she repeated with a smile. "It sounds like a strong name. I'm Luminosa." The girl did her best steep bow, trying to exude the grace of a swan.

Looking away from the cathedral, there really wasn't much to see. "You've lived around here for a while?" Lumi asked, tentatively adding, "Are there more like you? Like us?"

Rannoch was only just reaching his full potential, the very beginning of the prime of his life. Already though, he was bigger and more impressive than any American Elk, Moose, or Deer. He was one of a kind, a fact he wouldn’t forget for the rest of his life here. He didn’t know that she was unique much like him, having been raised not in the traditional way a faun would be. Unfortunately he missed the gentle blushing of her cheeks as the thoughts of creating a herd together brought.

She agreed that the structure did indeed seem solid, maybe not always but right now it certainly was. Perhaps he would make his way back here to explore once the weather turned warmer, but maybe he wouldn’t. Their eyes met again, and she repeated his name, committing it to memory, before she gave her own with a graceful bow. The giant stag lowered his own uncrowned head in return as she offered her own name in return.

"Luminosa, that’s beautiful.” He returned in kind before she asked about him instead of the structure before them. "I’ve been here… Four winters now. I don’t remember my birth place but it was far far from these lands.” He told her candidly. There was a bit of sadness to his voice and his face as he went on. "There are more deer yes, though none who can hold a conversation like you.” He smiled as he complimented her. "I am the last of my kind, however.” Rannoch looked away in hopes of hiding the emotion in his eyes. "The rest of my herd returned to my birthplace, and I was left behind.”

"Speech"

The stag thankfully did not appear to see Lumi's flush and she silently thanked the stars. That would have been so embarrassing! He said her name was beautiful and the young doe gave a small thank you in the form of a head tilt that cause her bow to ripple lightly at the fringe of her neck.

The man told a story about himself, that he had been here for four years now, and that he didn't remember his birth place, but like hers, it was far from here. "I'm sure you can tell, but I'm also from somewhere far away," she offered, feeling the need to support him somehow as his voice dipped into sadness. He also said there were more deer, but none that could hold a conversation like her. Lumi gave a small, warm smile, taking it for a simple compliment and not meaning that the other deer of this land couldn't speak at all. He said he was the last of his kind, that the rest of his herd returned to his birthplace. Lumi thought on that for a while, her eyes downcast. "My mothers want me to return after a year," she admitted. "I'm... not sure about it yet." Her eyes lit up to the staggering stag. She debated for a moment on whether to voice what was in her mind, but eventually gave in to her curiosity.

"I'm not sure I have the right to ask, and you do not have to answer, but... what made you stay here?"

She listened to him prattle on politely, though he was sure he was divulging far too much information for a stranger. Still, he hadn’t talked to one so similar to him in a very long time. Living among the herla he sometimes felt as if he was losing his wits. Devolving into a creature of pure instinct. Talking to Lumi now, he felt invigorated and renewed. "I wouldn’t have guessed.” He offered with a light chuckle, doing his best to overcome the melancholy. She went on, mentioning her parents wished for her to make a return after a year. However she did not seem so certain that was the path she desired to take.

"You should follow your heart. There aren’t enough deer that are able to do that.” He offered his snippet of advice, thinking to himself that he should have followed his own advice. She turned her honeyed eyes back to him, brimming with curiosity as she asked why it was he did not return to his homeland.

He frowned slightly, but not at her. Rannoch shook his heavy head to clear his thoughts and once he was finished there was the hint of a smile on his lips. "I was a young, curious fawn. The simple truth is, I was late.” He sighed at his own folly. "My herd returned to my homeland over an ice bridge and by the time I went to follow them it was gone, and I was forced to remain here.” He looked away, but tried to keep his smile. "The last of my kind.” He said again, realizing he was being far too open once more.

"Speech"

As she waited, hoping for some sort of guidance from the figure she had decided must be wiser than herself, Luminosa's golden eyes trailed over the finer features of the man. His maple leaf marking, the velveted antlers. So alike and yet so different from the stags she knew. She was only a little sad her brother wasn't able to see the massive buck.

Rannoch said Lumi should follow her heart, and that there weren't enough deer that did that. The girl nodded, "Not enough deer..." she echoed, slightly differing in the meaning, but decided not to dwell on it.

At her next question, Rannoch paused, a complex expression Lumi couldn't quite read crossing his features. When he finally spoke, the doe drew closer. He explained he was late, trapped, forced to remain here. A tentative ivory hoof reached out to rest on one of Rannoch's massive ones, slow enough he'd have plenty of time to pull away. She meant only to offer comfort, her eyes searching his. "You are one of a kind," she agreed, light smile on her lips. "But you do not have to be alone. you do not have to be the last." There was hope in her words for a future where this stag would stand proudly, happily at a legacy of his own, with those he loved by his side. "That is a future all herbivores fight for."

She wasn't sure on this man's perspective on carnivores, being so large. Lumi had seen both, been raised by both, and yet in this unfamiliar land, she found herself timid as a fawn yet again in their presence. "It's a future every creature fights for," she amended.

Rannoch lamented his mistakes like he had known Luminosa her whole life, he would have never been as candid were she not a sweet innocent little doe. She looked up at him with understanding as she moved closer, and as he wove his sad tale her little white hoof reached out to his own dark cloven hooves. His head tilted slightly as she spoke up softly in return, trying to be supportive. He had long come to terms with the fact that he was alone, many years had passed and he had made his life here.

A slight smile pulled at his lips as she spoke, he may have been the last of the Irish Elk but he was one of a kind. Unique. He wasn’t so certain that it was a consolation prize but he wouldn’t argue with her. She went on, telling him that he didn’t have to be the last or that he had to be alone. For a time he had found a herd, a strange herd yes, but a herd nonetheless. At least until he had come of age.

"You aren’t wrong, I suppose I’m not near as unique as I claim.” He chuckled softly. Again he tilted his head curiously, "You sound as though you have a mission.” He offered an opportunity for her to speak instead of him continuing too prattle on.

"Speech"

Ivory hoof on cloven ones, her support strong as she could manage it to be. He seemed to relax a little, or at lease find himself in his story. It was a little sad, imagining such a stoic creature all alone for the rest of his days. There was so much more to find in life, Lumi was sure. Maybe she was just naive, she thought briefly. He mentioned that he perhaps wasn't as unique as he claimed and Lumi shook her head a little, "Unique, yes, but not alone."

Rannoch said she seemed to be on a mission and the doe thought for a bit, "Maybe," she said almost as if she too was wondering. "Where I'm from, we call this place the Wolves' Land. I grew up with many beings intermingling. My mothers were a doe and a wolf respectively... My brother is a Rhino..." Lumi shrugged, but searched emerald eyes for understanding. Their group knew they were the minority, even in the lands they came from. "There's a council where the heads of packs and herds and murders all get together and discuss... important things." She went silent for a while, her eyes flickering to different parts of the ground as she remembered the raised voices, the chaos, the threats... She shook her head to clear it, honeysuckles eyes traveling back up to look at Rannoch, "They think the Wolves' Land is a threat. That it's too populated with predators... Unsustainable."

Luminosa's eyes fell back to the ground. She could hear her brother's scolding. He thought she was too young to attend the meetings. When she said she wanted to go to the Wolves' Land, he was the most hesitant. By hesitant, he was really outright opposed. They thought the lands needed a purge, a reset back to the natural order. If there were too many predators, they'd run out of prey, wander, eventually leave the Wolves' Land. The doe blocked out all of the thoughts, the consequences, what was at risk.

She looked back up to Rannoch, a smile on her face, but her eyes fiercely determined, "I'm here to show them that this place isn't what they think it is... That it's worth saving. That those here... we're all fighting for the same future." The counsel had no right to take that from them. "I have one year... maybe less." There it was, her truth, one she needed to tell to someone, anyone on the outside. One that most predators may laugh at, but one that maybe, just maybe, Rannoch could understand.

Luminosa’s words were sweet and comforting, but they were only words. Rannoch didn’t know what she could do for him in the future or provide comfort with anything more than a tiny hoof and supportive words. Still, the giant of an elk gave her a small smile. He had divulged his own history now she would give him her own.

She too was from a land far from here that was just as different as his own. A place where predator and prey called themselves family, one she was from personally. Rannoch would keep the thought of this oddity to himself and just nodded softly as she went on. His verdant green gaze widening in surprise as she mentioned her own brother being a rhinoceros.

The animals of her homeland worried about this place here and the huge population of wolves that lived here. Though there were a great many, even Rannoch could see that they lived mostly in balance with their environment. As many wolves as their were there were also deer, among other herbivorous species. Well, at least in the northern reaches where he ruled.

"I see, a noble journey.” He commented easily. "You have a year, and then what?” He asked, wondering what she had not said in the worry on her features.

"Speech"