cold as fucking ice

She was a quiet thing, fairly unemotional for her young age, seaglass eyes abnormally sharp and watchful. It made her a fantastic pupil but at the same time, it made her a difficult child to connect and relate with. Even in her young age, Katja was a serious little thing, and seemed as cold as the ice upon their mountain's peak.

True to her solitary nature, this moment found little Katja off by herself, her still puppy-fattened form a touch ungainly as she stalked a lizard that roamed too close to the rendezvous site. Every time it moved, she moved, careful and trying to be as quiet as she could. When it's head turned suddenly, the little ice creature froze, her eyes widening as she wondered if it would take this change to run off, or if she had enough time to pounce on it.

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The roan mother's youngest had finally been moved to the rendezvous site, but that hardly meant her job was over. They were big enough to begin navigating this world properly, but there were still dangers. The Summit was an excellent home, but it was one that took time to grow accustomed to. Those with soft paws struggled, and one misstep could end your life. Even still, independence was something that must be learned and no amount of hand holding would give her children the experience they needed.

Katja...especially, or so she learned from Rea.

Ira's paws itched to hover her shoulder, but she held back, finding the girl crouched over the earth. Something small and harmless had caught her attention. It was safe to stalk with childlike innocence, so Ira waited. The mother could chime in after Katja tried things on her own.

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Slowly, the girl crouched, trying valiantly to escape the reptile’s immediate attention. It’s head cocked to the side, eye roving as it tried to catch sight of it young stalker. She waited too long to spring, and moments before her tiny form crashed into the undergrowth, the creature fled, slipping away to live another day.

The iceling frowned as she opened her paws, finding them empty and unsuccessful. How had it escaped so fast?

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It wasn't until the lizard skittered away that the mother saw what had captivated young Katja. The girl stared at empty paws, clearly confused by the void left in between. “Not every meal will lay in wait to fall by your fangs.” Her voice was gentle as she approached, pausing only once her shadow hovered the girl's head. “Slow movements do not make you invisible. Once you have been spotted, you must move quickly, especially with such small prey. They are easy to fell, hard to catch.” Ira waited to gauge her daughter's reaction. Her curiosity taught her new lessons by the day, but that did not mean she would understand everything so easily. She hardly understood how her body differed, but it would not stop the Queen from pressing that constant reminder until her voice was Katja's own. “Unfortunately, you will come to learn, unlike most of your siblings, you have been given a disadvantage.”

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Mother explained, drawing a small expression from the girl, part consideration and part determination. Of course, she did not know the words to these feelings yet, instead only looking from Mother to where the lizard had disappeared. She was a quiet little thing, thinking internally rather than out loud, until she reached something she couldn't understand. Why smaller creatures were harder to catch was one of them. She understood that she was not as fast but was not quite connecting the dots on the lizard's smaller size equating to its speed. “Because we bigger?”

Katja looked to her again, head tilting in a true puppy like fashion, still fluffy ears bobbing a bit. “Disabvange?” She did not know this word.

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Ira sat in wait as her daughter seemed to process her words. She hardly minded, Cleo was much the same, and Ira herself had been a rather quiet child. Once her walls had been hardened to all but her sister, but even she and Willow differed, and now she was without her. Katja would speak if she saw fit, and soon enough, a question begged her lips. “In part, yes, but there is more than raw speed at work in a hunt. Terrain, such as our mountain, or the woods below can affect how we travel. A fallen log or jagged path may prove to be obstacles for a wolf, but a hare or lizard will make use of these obstacles to place more distance between a hunter, or even take shelter where our fangs may not reach.”

She paused considering her daughter's second question before continuing, “Disadvantage— yes. You share a difficult trait with your father and eldest sister, if you recall our warnings. It is why we check your body often and keep careful watch. Most creatures can feel pain, aches, warmth, chills... whereas you are likely only familiar with pressure. We must remind you to eat where your body will not. Ensure you have no injuries that need tending. The only time you would notice would be when it is too late... Beyond that, I can not explain what struggles you might face in depth. That is a conversation for you to have with your father.”

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Her mother spoke many words, and little Katja's still soft ears rotated to listen, leaning back to sit on her rump unceremoniously. While her developing mind could not entirely wrap around all of Mother's explanation, she still understood a great deal, and eventually looked to where the lizard had been to compare it to what she was learning. There were lots of trees. The laying down tree that had the lizard had been perched on. Lots of leaves and shadows. “The lizard got away 'cuz of all the turrain? The fallen tree and the little places I can' fit?”

Everything else was... a lot. Overwhelming in a way. Her short attention span could not quite keep up with it all but she tried, valiantly so, to hear everything that Mother said. In the end, she could only understood some of it, but had enough sense to ask a question rather than just accept it all. “Why? Am I not... good?”

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It had all been too much, that she knew, but repetition and familiarity early would help solidify these concepts as the girl grew. Frustrating perhaps while there was still much to learn, but it would make her a better woman in the coming years. Katja most of all needed these lessons earlier to prevent her from unknowingly testing her limits as Rea had. “Correct. Even had you been large enough to follow, it could use its surroundings to take other paths and hide out of sight. A good nose may keep one from being fooled, but you will need to rely on your eyes and ears. Listen for the shifts and disturbances while keeping a careful eye for tracks.” Ira took in a deep breath as she considered her daughter's next question. “No, it is not that you are not enough. That will never be the case. Simply put, the gods have another path for you.” A wary smile pressed her lips as she dipped her head to nuzzle Katja, “You are strong, perhaps too strong for your own good. For one reason or another, you must be challenged. But you will find your way and your father will guide you where I can not.”

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The gods had chosen another path for her. She was to be challenged, because she was... too strong? That was what she understood.

Her head tilted, and she looked up at Mother with those sea glass green eyes, intelligent and full of questions that were far beyond her age and maturity. Katja was a different creature than her littermates, an iceling, a wolf that was born encased in the frozen world that was all she would ever know. She would never feel the warmth of the sun on her pelt, never smell the scent of her siblings, never know the pain of a bite or a cut across her skin.

“What are gods, Mother?”

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Ira weighed her daughter's question. It wasn't bad by any means, but there was much to explain and Katja's mind was still developing. Already she pushed the girl with knowledge beyond her comprehension, but not answering at all would do little to satisfy the girl's thirst. “You ask for more than you realize. I'm afraid that lesson will come another day, but for now I shall share this. The gods are mighty beings who watch over us, so long as we stand by them with words of praise and tokens of gratitude. It is best to listen to what they are telling you. For now, that means watching your body for signs.” The roan mother placed a kiss atop her daughter's head and nudged her shoulder with her nose. “Come, let us find another lizard for you to practice what you now know.”

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fade close here?

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