[SRP] Any Cave In a Storm (Incorrin & Ancorath)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Prompt:
Wintertime in the Kawani is in full swing, and February is no exception! A strong snowstorm and cold front has blown into the lands, blanketing much of the land in white. Some areas have completely been overwhelmed by snow--and places that are typically warmer or never see the stuff have also been covered in the white stuff.

How is your Soquili handling this snowstorm? Were they caught unaware? Are they experiencing snow for the first time, or are they used to it? What do they do now that they're living in a winter wonderland?

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Total Word Count: 2056  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Folding his wings and angling his powerful body in a sharp dive, the night-sky stallion known as Incorrin followed his white-coated twin into a spiraling landing dive. Paws firmly upon the ground once more, Incorrin shook and folded his chilled wings to his back as he cast a glance at the mountain ridge they left behind, hoping against hope that the stormclouds chasing them would halt at the cliffs and be held back from the lands southward. He was quickly disabused of the feeble hope, seeing the broiling darkness slowly creep over the sheer cliffs and stretch toward them. “Rath, the storm is growing.”

Of course, he would get caught unawares in a blizzard with his combative sibling, like some green colt away from the herd for the first time. Foolish.

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”All the more reason to hurry along, then.” Was the offered reply, sharp and disinterested.

Ancorath would be the first to admit that he was not the sort to keep company, indeed with any sort of individual. He was of a solitary nature, more likely to brood than socialize, and beyond content in silence. The presence of another individual seemed to guarantee chatter, emotions, awkwardness, the sort of thing he’d rather avoid. It had always made him stand apart from his brothers when they were young.

He preferred the company of his creatures, the slips of sentient shadow that darted in his wake, night-black creatures that arose from the ink that he dripped as he walked across the lands. The slow drip from his rear paw became the sinuous twist of a serpent, like those represented on his foreleg. He had always been more than a little fond of them, perhaps even more open about it than any other emotion aside from his usual disinterest and anger. The shadows at his fore were even further along, a complex swirl of ink that gave way to the impression of a silky coat and fluffy tail. The fox was a bright-eyed creature, keen and clever, happy to scout ahead of his path in search of shelter. Whether such a thing could be found in time was another matter, but Rath had no doubt the fox would do its best.

The wind had shifted some time ago, biting and bitter from the North, it carried ice shards in each breath. Ancorath knew that before long the blizzard it heralded would be upon them, and more than anything he dreaded being pinned in a cave with his twin for the duration of whatever snowstorm was on the approach. He could only hope that his companion would find suitable shelter before such an unpleasant prospect became a necessity.

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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The building storm clouds were swiftly shifting from a dove to steely grey, from grey to threatening black. They roiled above, billowing and angry as they began spilling across the sky that sprawled over the Kawani lands. Like a starry shadow of his pale-pelted twin, Incorrin followed in his brother’s wake, treading the same rocky paths his twin left marked by shadow-ink pawprints as he stalked ahead. He kept one eye on the raging clouds and the other on his wrathful sibling, pondering their silent journey.

Incorrin found that Ancorath had always been somewhat ambivalent toward his presence, less antagonistic than with others of their family, but never any sort of welcoming. The toothy wind that nipped at their heels and clawed at their backs spurred him to even more withdrawn ways, his large wings folded as he led the way further South. Time and time again Incorrin considered breaking the silence, volunteering an opinion, but he was reluctant to break their silent truce. He had little doubt that as soon as he spoke up, their uneasy peace would boil over into yet another fight.

Privately, Inc rather expected that there was no way they could head South fast enough to outrun the harsh winds that had compelled them to land and walk rather than fly, but he dared not point such a bleak prospect out. It was Rath who had sent his shadow ahead in search of shelter, so any commentary about the encroaching storm would be somewhat redundant. (And redundancy was likely to prompt a fight, for Rath’s temper was short and always had been.) No, far better that he hold his tongue, keep the peace as long as he could manage it. Should they get trapped in tight quarters, there would be plenty of opportunities for them to fight.

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The winds were building rapidly, sharp claws that tore through pelt and skin and bit at muscles, gnawing to the very heart of a Soquili. Ancorath rumbled in annoyance and folded his second set of wings down along his sides, attempting to keep himself warm as he picked up the pace. In the back of his mind, he knew that Inc, still pacing at his back, was receiving an even harsher hit from the wind, and it made him lengthen his stride just a touch.

Before too much longer, a glimmer of shadow appeared around a corner and then the fox was back, streaking up the path to the relative shelter of his shadow, it twined around his foreleg chattering softly of what it had found. Good news, at the least. There was a cave not far ahead. But just the one, so it looks like he’d be spending time with his brother until the storm passed. Wonderful.

“There’s shelter.” He offered quietly, ears laid back to his skull as he turned and cast a glance over his shoulder before speeding up toward the blind turn of wind-twisted pines ahead. “Hurry, it is this way.”

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Incorrin had spread his wings slightly, splaying them out in an attempt to buffet some of the wind and keep it from reaching his core so fast. The splay of white and night-sky feathers could only do so much in the path of an oncoming blizzard, prompting him to hope they truly would find cover soon. The approaching dart of darkness from ahead caught his attention, the black shape resolving itself to Rath’s fox a moment later, and raising his hopes for somewhere warm to bed down before the storm hit.

When Rath spoke, Inc’s ears swiveled forward, and he offered a cautious nod. “I am with you, lead the way.”

The increase in pace was something of a relief, as was the prospect of shelter on the metaphorical horizon. Inc, and Rath, were not creatures of the deep snows, and this storm had the feel of something beyond what they were used to or prepared to withstand in the open. At least in a shelter of some sort they would stand a chance, and there was still a slim hope that the mountains would hold back the worst of it. (Unlikely, but still a glimmering possibility.)

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The first of the snowflakes were already falling when Ancorath wound his way through the scrubby pine forest to the cavemouth the fox had found in its scouting. He could feel each bite of ice as it struck his back before melting into water, the heat of his body melting it instantly. Soon enough, Rath would guess that the flakes would be full-on snow, and then a roaring wash of white as the clouds finally vented their fury. Thankfully they’d be under-cover by then, though who knew how long the storm would last.

Halting at the mouth of stone, Rath turned his head and gave an impatient gesture of wing, encouraging Incorrin to hasten along. “You first then,” he instructed as the fox wrapped around one of his forelegs and shivered. “They say there is a suitable amount of room and something of a sharp turn after the entrance, so we should not end up with too much snow inside with us. Go.”

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Incorrin was truly steaming by the time they found their way to the cave, the melting snow and heat of his body casting faint whisps back into the sky. He’d likely catch a chill if he didn’t get under some sort of covering and walk to cool and dry off, but today seemed the sort of day one picked a single battle (or task) at a time. First get out of the snow, then get dry and settled.

The mink that was his companion seemed to agree, a faint skitter of claws meaning it had stirred from the warmth of his mane and wings to get a look at their surroundings. Inc paid the creature no mind for the moment, nodding his thanks at his brother as he trotted past Rath and stepped into the dark of the cave. Perhaps it was just the suddenness of the storm, or the heat of Inc’s own body, but it seemed the cave to be trapped in the more pleasant, spring temperatures that they had been seeking rather than the furious last bite of winter that had found them. It was warm, if only for the moment.

“A good find,” Incorrin complimented as he walked around the sharp turn and stepped into the deeper belly of the cave. It was rather like a crevasse that had opened inside the living stone, for there was a decent open area and a slightly narrower path that continued on into the dark. “It doesn’t seem to be anyone’s den.”

The mink at his shoulders chittered in delight, swarming down his foreleg and disappearing into the dark with a flick of its tail. “But I guess we’ll double-check, to be sure?”

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Ancorath gave a dismissive snort out of reflex, shaking his head faintly as he followed into the cave after shaking his wings dry just outside. He could see the darting silver-smoke shape of the mink scuttling further into the cave system and resolved to give it no further thought. If there were something denning here, Inc’s little messenger would find it soon enough, and they’d deal with it then. After all, there’d be little satisfaction in eating the smokey construct of dreams; just like his own little shadow fox would be an unsatisfactory meal. If anything, Incorrin and Ancorath himself were likely to end up on the menu, if whatever denned in the darkness wanted a meal.

“They would not have brought it up as a viable place to hide if it were already occupied.” Rath pointed out idly, folding his wings to his back as he defended the little creature. “Though I suppose we should prepare ourselves for others to find this place, if they were caught out in the storm. The trees will not offer enough cover, and if the snow gets harsh, I imagine someone is likely to need this place as we do.”

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Incorrin gave a shrug as he folded his wings smoothly to his back, sufficiently cool and dry now that he was out of the melting snow. He had backed himself into one corner of the empty space better able to keep an eye on his sibling as he waited for the mink to return. “They’re welcome to share it, as long as they’re not some of the demons said to roam the lands here… I’d rather not become lunch, not when I’ve just managed to dry out and find a place safe from the storm. Then again, if the snow gets that bad, it’s more likely we’ll need someone to dig us out of here, once all is said and done.”

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Ancorath gave a sneer, watching as the smoke colored creature returned and basically swarmed up Incorrin’s leg, returning to its perch on his shoulders. “If it comes to that, I’ll happily dig my way out, regardless of if the blizzard is continuing or not. Better the killing cold than too much time spend with company, I think…”

He paused a moment, giving a thoughtful tilt of his head. “Besides, isn’t there some mare you’re crazy about? Quality time with a mooncalf is not my idea of a pleasant day well spent.”

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Wincing as a biting wind made its way into the cave, Incorrin grumpily fluffed his feathers and eyed his twin sulkily. “I’m not a mooncalf.”

It was less combative than pointing out even Ancorath seemed fond of Freya, in his own way. Rather than continue the argument and make their time in the cave more unpleasant, Inc shrugged it off, resigning himself to silence and biting cold.

Maybe the snowstorm would be preferable to too much time in a cave with his twin. Only time would tell, at this point.