have some patience for the part of me that’s lost

Waking up was no small feat.

With a groan, the man peeled open tired eyes, and could see nothing. Had he not felt the pressure coating him like a blanket, he might’ve thought he’d gone blind. But taking a moment to shift around and adjust himself had the encasing of snow falling from his body and freeing him enough to lift his head.

It was cold, but that was nothing new. The biting chill felt familiar against his skin, even if his surroundings were not quite what he remembered. Even if he was alone.

But that was nothing new, either, was it?

The man’s head felt foggy and unfocused, and if he was anyone else, he might’ve felt fear at the idea of being alone in an unknown place.

But he was not anyone else. Krešimir was not one to allow himself time to fall into anxiety or despair. There was only this moment, here and now, and he would handle it however he needed to.

He got to his feet, ignoring the aches and pains in his body that suggested he might have just fought a gruesome battle, and picked a direction to walk. There was no point in sitting around, waiting for someone to come and find him, was there? The man had no clue where he was going, but he was getting no closer to his destination by steeping in the snow, awaiting his fate.

So along he trudged, head low and body tense with pain and caution.

the staff team luvs u

Lucian's mind slipped as the days passed. The man was without an anchor; not even his cherished cousin could save him. The waves grew violent and more wild as time passed, each time on the verge of overwhelming him. The cold of Risnjak kept the hounds at bay, and the winds silenced their barking during the night.

But this place. This place was too loud. Birdsong and the distant call of the ungulate herd swirled loudly within his head. The Everfrost was similar to Risnjak, but Gods, the noise was unbearable.

Luc shook his head, dislodging the thoughts from his mind. A somewhat familiar scent swirled in the area, but he could not quite pinpoint where he recognized it from. Whoever it was, it seemed the Gods thought it was a good idea to drop these loners near his home. Lucian was rather pleased they were never in Risnjak, but he was not enjoying how close they were to his borders.

As the large man crept along the ridge, he could barely notice movement within the sea of white. His fur lifted along his spine, and his eyes narrowed. Perhaps he should "visit" this stranger before they had a chance to step foot on Risnjak.

---

skill; outrider

the staff team luvs u

If he hadn’t been so watchful, Krešimir might’ve missed the fact that he had an observer. Rosy eyes flicked up to the tall wolf perched upon a crest, bristling and wary as he stared down at the guardian. It was almost enough to have Kreš’ own fur standing on end, his maw twitching as it tried to fall into its usual wrinkle.

But it didn’t.

Strangely enough, this individual didn’t spike the same level of aggression in Krešimir that most might. There was a level of familiarity there that had warmth blooming in Kreš’ chest. Not an affectionate warmth exactly, though that might have been part of it, but a sense of protective duty that Krešimir was intimately familiar with.

This wasn’t a wolf to fight. This was one to defend. It was the first thing so far that Krešimir was confident in.

Turning to face the other man, letting him know that he’d been spotted and acknowledged, Kreš whuffed out a greeting. His expression was flat, he knew, but there was no changing that. Hopefully this man would recognize him as well.

If only he could remember the silver man’s name.

the staff team luvs u

super short im sorry ;u;

---

Something about the wolf felt familiar, as if they had known each other in the past. However, he just couldn't remember their name. Something within him tried to remind him, but the name wouldn't appear. Maybe they were part of the rebels. Just the thought of it had the man bristling once again.

He had lost too many at the hands of the rebels: friends, relatives, her. He would not allow them to do it again, not when he had just begun to find the peace he had lost.

"You trespass on my lands." He spoke with a sense of pride, duty. Lucian stood tall among the sea of white, a ghost within the snow. He kept his head lifted as he looked down at the stranger, azure gaze locked onto their movements.

---

skill; outrider

the staff team luvs u

Trespassing? Kreš had just woken up here, not made any decision to invade someone else’s land. The other man’s defensiveness the fur along Krešimir’s spine rising instinctively - familiar or not, would there be a fight today? He wasn’t sure he was much in the mood for a fight, as sore as he was, but he rarely got a choice in the matter.

But something in the stranger’s voice had recognition sparking in Krešimir’s brain, flattening his fur once more and relaxing his tense muscles. Because he did know this wolf - he was confident in it now.

“Lucian,” he said simply, voice as steady and unaffected as ever, in spite of the protective warmth settling in his chest. He was duty-bound to this wolf - even if Lucian were to initiate a fight between them, he didn’t know if he’d be able to bare his fangs at the prince. His head lowered a bit before he spoke again. “I am no threat to you.”

the staff team luvs u