and the reason that i do not fall into this street is love

@Thraximundar

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There was very little that could draw Olive from her birthing den, nonetheless Frostfang Vale itself—
 
but her tiny, fragile daughters were sleeping, being watched over by the Titan himself. He was tireless in her pursuit of excellence for his family, but even a work-horse such as he deserved to rest alongside the tiny pile of similarly snoozing pups. Olive had done nothing but sleep, and though she loved and reveled in the opportunity to steep in such slowness, it felt so contrary to nearly everything she was before. Olive was nothing close to a homebody, and being so closely tied to a den was stifling; even if the den was filled with the most precious, radiant treasures life could offer.
 
It was a complicated feeling.
 
When she had been relieved from child-rearing duties for the moment, Olive surfaced from the nursery and blinked at the sun as if it were a long-lost friend. She engaged in a brief stretch, pointing her toes and reaching out each leg in turn. She ventured forward, not certain where she was headed as her only intention was to find movement and take deep, belly-full breath of the fresh, late-summer air. It all smelled of sun and grass, and the greyscale mother found herself following her nose to the border; she crested the entrance of the vale and ventured just beyond, forced to travel slow and gingerly as her convalescent body would allow.
 
Soon, she would have to turn around and return to her brood. It was never long before one of them began to squall from hunger, and what a beautiful curse it was that only she had the ability to feed them.

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 "Lady Olive!" The old man bellowed out to the woman cheerfully. He had been getting on well enough, wandering hither and thither. He still held a limp but it was usually more pronounced when he was tired. He was not at the moment and was quite in the mood to talk. Especially with old friends like Olive, the sweet maiden.

 He was also very inclined to speak more when he neared and smelled the scent of milk on her. "Please, my dear, you must share with me any news that you have!" The friendly white bear approached her, quite clearly excited to see her again.

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Olive hadn't needed to travel far before perceiving that there was another nearby; a friend, if one could judge by the friendly words and tone they were spoken in. Though initially surprised by such a sincere greeting, the woman quickly recognized the voice to belong to the great Thraximundar. Pure sublimity blossomed on her face as she stopped moving forward, and lifted her head up high to look and sniff in all directions before padding around to face his alabaster, lumbering form in his final approach.

"It's been quite a while, has it not?" she greeted him warmly, striding to meet him up close, pressing a black nose into the dense fur of his behemoth shoulder. If there was one thing about being a healer, it meant that one tended to get quite close and personal with their friends' bodies. Thrax's was no different, and from this small embrace, she could perceive that he had healed well all these months — or, at the very least, the bone-break no longer bothered him as it once had.

He spoke endearingly, like an old friend. Very quickly and all at once, Olive realized just how long it had been since they had last seen each other. Not that it was any true incredible length of time, but the sheer amount of significant, life-altering events that has occurred in the past few months made it feel as if it had been a year, or more! "I suppose it's obvious, but Tiberius and I have four new puppies!" she sang with an endearing ring to her voice; there was nothing she was prouder of in the world. "They were born only two weeks ago, just over this ridge."

But there was something else that Olive realized had likely been outside of the bear's radar. "This is our home, Duskguard," she introduced the land itself. Olive was aware that the Vale had somehow mysteriously appeared in this place and was settled by Tiberius not long after, so it was likely Thrax had never been here. "Oh, please! Won't you come inside?" she asked, tail wagging, knowing that she should be turning around anyways; and now, she had a friend in tow.

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 "Far too long!" He said with a booming laugh. She came in close to show affection and he felt the urge to pull her into a bear hug... but resisted. This was not Kuhn or Tiberius and he did not want to hurt her by accident. So, he would lower his head to try to brush his chin against her nape in an affectionate greeting. He was so happy to hear the good news and he grinned, breaking his craggy face into an excited expression. "Congratulations to you both! Ah! How very exciting!" He always loved to hear about new children birthed into the world, they were truly exciting times.

 "Wonderful, simply fantastic! I'm so glad that you both have done so well for yourselves here! Please, please, I would be delighted to come see!" He could truly think of nothing better than to visit their home and to see their puppies! He came up alongside her, ready to be lead back to their home. "You've no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you both have been doing so well!"

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Olive could not help but brace herself for his incoming welcome; the bear was such an immensely large creature, that is was impossible not to! However, the first time she had met him, he was nursing a broken leg. This time, she was nursing, well, puppies — perhaps she had no reason to flinch, since they had been nothing but gentle with each other; and still they were now, and Olive pleasantly leaned into his affections and touch, nuzzling him in return, feeling her body grow flush with gratitude and happiness at seeing the old bear again.

Reigning backwards from their embrace, Olive smiled up at him and then began to walk next to him, her ginger gait almost a snail's pace compared to the length of his strides. Despite her apparent weakness, she still gleamed and uttered "Thank you, my friend! It truly is one of the most glorious times of my life," as she navigated them up and over the ridge that served as a border. The path was obvious as it lay before them, but it was not easy by any means; and therein lied the allure of a place like Frostfang Vale, hidden away from the rest of the tundra by guardian of the fiercest, mountainous nature. 

"Have you any children, Thrax?" she questioned, glancing at him, assuming the answer to be yes. The bear has certainly lived a full life up until now, and had survived to tell the tale. Such creatures always bore progeny of the strongest kind.

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 "Oh yes, I'm sure you'll look back on this for years to come with immense joy. There are certain times and events in your life that you will never forget and it's always good that those events are filled more with the joyful and happy moments." As opposed to terrible and unhappy events. That was one of the joys of life, building life full of wonderful memories to reminisce about.

 Their home was a beautiful one.. and treacherous if you were not careful. He would be sure to keep a slow, measured pace to not fall and go tumbling down the mountainside. Now, that wouldn't be very dignified.

 "Hmm?" He'd been, daydreaming a bit. Thinking of the walk down and what a fortress this was. "Oh! Ah, children. Why, yes, a great many. Probably as many as the hairs on my back!" He said with a booming laugh. Was that true or not? One was likely to never know. "However, I never really stuck around after the fact to see my children after they were born. In polar bear culture, the boars do not usually stay with the sows after copulating..." There was a tangible unspoken "but" there, however, he did not initially go into it although it was probably clear that it would take very little prodding for him to divulge what he was thinking. The thoughtful expression on his scarred face was quite the tell.

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It was ever-fascinating to learn the many facets of nature, and how each creature somehow morphed to fill whatever specific niche is was destined to fill; by the looks of a polar bear, Olive might have guessed that they would have made one mighty family unit, and she was relatively surprised to learn that the males did not stay to support the mothers of their children, as Tiberius had done for her. Were bear cubs somehow not as demanding as wolf pups?! Olive suddenly had a deep desire to know, but figured asking Thrax would be a fool's errand; he had been clear enough that he did not know any of them. She'll have to find a "sow" to ask, one day.

The woman simpered upwards, but only for a moment, quickly returning her gaze to the path before them. "That's why I always love running into you, Thraximundar," she commented. "You always find ways to keep my mind flexible and supple." Glancing towards him again, Olive noticed the look upon his visage that denoted perhaps her had more to say on the matter. To that, Olive return his look with a twisted brow of her own, then a giggle. "Out with it!" she japed lightly, taking a double-step that allowed her to nudge his elbow with her own.

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 "Ha! I am most delighted to have such an effect. I must say that I'm happy to have found someone so easy to talk to that enjoys hearing what all I have to share." It wasn't as common as one would think. Heck, to have someone to encourage his ramblings and stories, he was quite appreciative of that.

 "Well, there was this one particular sow that I nearly eschewed the laws of polar bear culture to stay with." He gave a rueful sigh, clearly as they walked he was not seeing the path laid out before them but instead the face of his long lost love. "She was as sharp-witted as the ermine god Starshine and as beautiful as the bear goddess Icethorn. She had a coat as white as the brightest of snows and eyes as dark as the deepest of nights." If only he could see her once more... what would he say? What would she say? Could he apologize and say that he was a dim-witted young cub that shouldn't have been so quick to answer the call of nature elsewhere? Ah, if only they could turn back the tides of time. "Anyway, when I was with her, that was the closest I ever came to settling down. She was a woman that made me feel right at home and I stuck around a bit longer than normal, right up until she went into hibernation before giving birth. Then, I went on my way." He could have waited for her, to see the cubs... he wanted to but his want to roam and see the world was stronger because of his youthful hotheadedness and wanderlust.

 "From what I've seen wolves seem to be much different than us bears, eh? It is nice, having a whole family around, is it not?" He thought it was nice and he wasn't even officially part of the family. The cubs were delightful and the friends were too.

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Oh! Olive was delighted to receive to warm story that the giant bear told about his life prior. Thraximundar wove a colorful and wonderful tale; but the true entertainment was watching his face emote. It seemed as if he was almost back with said female, but only in mind; his physically body had been inconveniently left behind the reverie. Olive knew the feeling well, to miss someone so dearly and to know them so well that you mind could conjure their image at any moment, brought on by the slightest of triggers — memories that felt so real, that they were essentially works of art. 

Olive only became aware of how she watched Thrax (when she should have been watching the path) when she tripped over a small rock, catching herself with a double-step before completely she completely spilled over. Grinning sheepishly, Olive regained her composure and kept walking. "Oh, Thrax... That might be the best bear love story I have ever heard," she allowed herself to gush. "What did you like about her, that made her stand out from so many others?" It was the only bit of the story he had left out, and she simply needed to paint a more vivid mental picture of the woman who had the great Thrax so enraptured. 

The bear talking about his children, elicited something else within her as well. "I find that I've been leaning on family now more than ever before," digressing backwards towards his original point, of how different bear partnerships were than wolf ones. Her next thought made her beam, "...but I also have come to learn that I have more family now, than ever before." She had an entire pack and family behind her back, and a new generation before her. There was a distinct lack of the golden mountain lion (a wound which smarted, and healed, daily) but she was, for the most part, surrounded by love.

Still, as most thing did, even this had a shadow-side. "The past few months have not been easy. I feel so aware of the risks and the dangers of the world," Olive wondered if Thrax resonated with this; if not for his own children, then for his own self-preservation. She had first-hand seen him take on the walrus king, so he certainly did know the horrors the world could offer. All it took was having bad luck. "...anything that might hurt my babies." If nothing bad ever happened to good people, then her children would have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, that was not the way it worked.

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 The best bear love story? He laughed, glancing over at her. "Lass, is that because it might be the only bear love story that you've ever heard?" Unless, she was in the business of talking to other bears... or maybe there were wolven legends of bear love? Now that would have to be another topic that they took up if it was true. "Ahh, let's see... Besides her striking beauty, it was her personality, wit, and the effect she had on me." He thought back to his wild, youthful days. "You see, back when I was a much younger boar, I had one of the most savage tempers and an intense wanderlust that stirred my spirit. I wandered hither and yon, searching for the next fight to be had. I truly lived up to my name back then, Thraximundar Rose-Eyes." He could remember it, how he always felt a burning in his soul. A rage that was barely contained and something that stirred him to moving that never let him settle for long, lest he grow restless and even more foul-tempered.

 "But she, she was the only one who could hold me still and tame the fire. Whenever I was with her it was like a breath of fresh air, or taking a dive in a deep cold lake after being scorched by flames. She was so very insightful and passionate about the world, always curious to how things worked... she sort of sparked the same feelings in me." Oh, bother, he hoped he was making sense. "I didn't realize there was another way of being until I met her..." He sighed wistfully, thankful that she showed him that he didn't have to be a beast. She was the one who'd helped him to overcome the rage that was seated in his spirit. And then, he was quiet, as the melancholic memories took hold once again.

 It was Olive who pulled him back from those memories, to focus on what he had now in the present. He was silent for a beat, listening to her speak about the good in the world... as well as the bad. "And that is why you have so many friends and family, they are who you can lean on and trust to help you keep your young ones safe." He said to her with a gentle smile. "And being aware of the risks will help you be more prepared to navigate them. It might not feel like it but you have weapons in your arsenal to help you protect all those that you love to the best of your abilities." She was different than him. For most of his life he'd depended on only himself and had cared little for others. It was only after he'd gotten older had he realized that his chosen way of life was... unfulfilling. Oh how he wished he could have done things differently but he supposed it wouldn't have given him the insights that he had now.

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Thraximundar Rose-Eyes? It was had for her to believe that the placid gentleman before her had, ahem, anger issues. However, everyone had their own unique past — and, so it seems, a rebirth; whether at the hands of the merciless gods in these strange lands, or at the hands of a pretty polar bear lady who had awoken a new part of oneself. Insightful and passionate... Olive wondered if that's how Tiberius described her, behind closed door. She suspected that he did.

Olive sighed at the bear's conclusive thoughts about the woman from his past. She felt much the same about her own stalwart Chieftain, and these feelings easily extended to her own children, as she was coming to find. Truly, she had never thought to be a mother, yet the five of them had done everything in their power to change that factor. Such beings were a blessing in their lives, even if they were only together for a short time, as Thrax and his woman had been. The brief thought made her breath seize, and she diverted her attention to her friend's reassuring words: everything was going to be okay.

and, why was it going to be okay? Not solely because of Tiberius, or because of the Gods. She had tools to work with, and she was resourceful, and because she had a strong vision and would work relentlessly until that vision was attained. "Thank you for helping me see that," she breathed, suddenly overwhelmed by her own power and autonomy, though at in such a weakened moment, she was neither power nor autonomous. The duality made her chuckle.

The next thing she had to ask him, was obvious. "Thrax, you are so sensible about the things which plague most others." It was true. Perhaps it was his species, his age, or his collective life experience. Maybe it was all at once, but his well-rounded perspective was something she was beginning to learn to rely on. "I have had a hand in creating a court of all the packs of the North, to convene about any bones of contention that affects the lands on a large scale." Oh, and there were so many happenings in the tundra, weren't there? If there were any tools Olive had to maintain peace, this was certainly the largest and most unwieldy.

— best she share the weight of it with those she trusted. "Your mind is strong, perhaps thanks to this she-bear, and your voice is well-respected. It would be an incredible honor to have serve on this court." They were steadily approaching the nursery, tucked away high in the peaks; soon their attention would be diverted to the treasure trove of cute she housed within. "The first convenance would be at the twilight end of the summer, if you are so inclined to have this influence." and then she glanced up at him with a raised brow and a smile, wondering why in the world he would ever say no...

Because they were of a kind; the kind that found law and diplomacy all a rather entertaining spectacle.

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 "Of course, of course. I'm always here to lend an ear or give advice where I can." He'd lived through years and years and had suffered hard times as well as good times. All sorts of things and he was always happy to impart his knowledge onto others where he could. He enjoyed helping his wolven friends, well, any of his friends.

 Olive continued on with what she had to say. He listened, turning his gaze to her as they meandered forward. He took her compliment with a smile and a nod of his head. Then, there was a blink in surprise when he heard of her endeavors.. "Now that, is quite an honorable thing! I am impressed, lass. I feel that this is the sort of thing that this world needs, something here to help provide some sort of law and justice to the denizens of the north." A court of the north? That, if run well, could help to stave off a ton of grief. He could think of another incident that could have been avoided if there had been a court to hear of the crimes. Heck, they might need something like this elsewhere! But, they would have to start small and not bite off more than they could chew.

 "I am honored that you would like to have me on such a court." It warmed him deeply, she could never know of the depths of his joy that she would consider him for such an important task. "And I, of course, will lend my knowledge to you. I strive to stay impartial in all matters and lend my wisdom where I can, as I will do for your Court of the North. Where would this court convene? Here in Frostfang?" He would have opinions if she wanted to hear them about where was best to hold this court.

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As she had expected and hoped, Thraximundar accepted her proposal with a grand sense of propriety. What's more was his approval of the court, heralding it as a great idea. If she had only known how closely their thoughts truly aligned in this matter; she too, intended for the concept of a 'court' which they practiced here and now to be a main governing body in all matters of this wide, vast world. Not only was it a means to safety, it was a means to culture,

The Priestess beamed, despite the tiredness and windy constitution that wracked her body in this moment. "The honor is the courts, to pursue justice alongside another so driven to help others and maintain a sense of peace. Perhaps she was gushing now, but if there was ever a moment, was this not it? It was a fascinating thing to see how she had been able to garner support for this idea from all end, even from Ragnar himself.

When pressed for details, Olive continued to walk to small distance to the nursery and explained as she walked. "The elsewhen," she clarified, "at the end of summer — the beginning of the harvest season." The timing was vague, but she was certain that all concerned parties would be able to find one another in the right moment. To further confuse things, she realized "It will already be snowing here, of course." and had to give a laugh, having never really been a 'tundra' wolf herself. Oh, the things one did for love.

At last, the nursery. "Come in, please." The woman beckoned him inside.

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fade here, or with your post?

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