A cold wind blew across the sand, causing Miw-sher to shiver and glance up for the first time in hours. It was the first time she had traveled so far and come so close to the mountains her hunters generally avoided. She had learned not to glance up and try to gauge the distance by the mountains, as they seemed always to be looming over head but never really seeming to come any closer. Setting her jaw she upped the pace and began to run in long easy lopes that ate the miles away.

The cold breeze began to come more frequently the closer she got, and ill prepared to venture into colder territories, Miw-sher had to stop. Unpacking a thick blanket, she lit a fire and warmed up a small vial of liquid in a glass bowl, dropping small chunks of dried meat she had ripped from a larger stash, and finally cutting bits of root with a glitttering green glass blade. Content that Ashkii and her meal would soon be ready, she ducked under her covering and watched the flames dance around her kindling; desert brush glowing red hot and golden as the tongues of fire greedily ate up its fuel.

Runa carefully made her way down the steep rocky path as she descended to the lower part of the mountains. She looked to the sky, frustrated at the small amount of progress she had made that day. Holding her small leather pouch, she looked at its contents: two pieces of chipped bone, a few gems from the caverns, and a small root. This would never be enough for the project she had had in mind. Picking up her pace, she scoured the mountains for more specimens she needed to acquire.

Hours past and night was approaching quickly. Runa was near the foot of the mountains by now, and had made little progress in her findings. With Calamus at her side, she glared at the blazing sunset in frustration as she realized how far she would have to travel in such short time before nightfall. She was about to turn and go home, when she saw a dark figure not too far from the mountains. The person was huddled by a fire with a furry creature near her.

Intrigued, Runa crept closer to examine this new stranger. Keeping her distance, she hid behind two boulders and watched the person shiver in the cold. This girl was definitely not Delvati; she had tanned skin and dark hair and did not have enough clothing to keep her warm in the freezing weather. "An outsider," Runa thought to herself, "what could she be doing here?"

Curious about the mysterious figure, Runa decided to stay the night to see if she could learn more about this young woman. When it seemed the lady hadn't changed her position and the fire had begun to dwindle, Runa curled up next to Calamus. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about talking to the stranger and finding out what her mission was at the mountains.

Miw sat pensively staring at the bubbling concotion in front of her, idling wondering why she had to suddenly come to this place. Never had she traveled so far and the unexplicable urge to do so now seemed foreign to her. Prodding her fire genty with a stick she was dismayed to see it was starting to go out. Not wanting to waste more fuel then was neccessary she let it die, slightly morose as the flames flickered feebly before going out completely.

The cold crept closer and even under her thickest blanket she felt cold. Shivering she cuddled closer to Askii, trying to share her warmth and hide under his thick grey coat. Cursing her curiosity at having to "touch" the white of the frozen lands and see what it tasted and smelled like.

Half-way through the night, Miw realized that she had rolled a short distance away from her wolf, and crawled slowly back to him, shivering violently the whole way. "A pox on the froven wasteland" she managed to say between chattering teeth before she collapsed next to Ashkii with a groan.

Runa shivered in the cold. Even though she was acclimated to the cold weather, she was unused to the nip of the biting winds. With nothing other than the protection of Calamus and the furs that she was wearing, Runa fell into a restless sleep as she tried to warm herself.

The sight of the mysterious lady filed her curious mind with questions. Runa imagined what this person might be like and it filled her with anticipation for the following day. As she was thinking these thoughts, she heard a low sound fill the quiet night air. Runa slowly rose from her position and saw the lady shivering and crawling back to her companion, cursing under her breath. After watching the figure for a few more moments, she exhaustedly lay back down on the rocky soil beside her leopard and closed her weary eyes.

Hours later, Runa woke to the grumbling of her stomach. She realized she hadn't eaten since daybreak that previous morning and she hadn't brought any meal with her to eat. She peeked out from behind the boulders to make sure that the stranger hadn't left while she was asleep. The lady lay still next to her creature and Runa saw it as a perfect opportunity to hunt for a quick meal as the sun began to rise for the coming morning.

A deep growl emanating from low in Ashkii's chest woke Miw-sher with a start. Stiff-limbed and sore she slowly uncurled herself from her sleeping postion and tried to get some warmth into her muscles. Satisfaction curled the edge of her lips in a tight smile as Ashkii stood and bared his teeth, his lips curling back in a menacing snarl at something in the far distance.

Untying one of her precious few spearheads from her back, she began to lash it to the spear shaft; her fingers deftly tightening the leather bonds as they wrapped around the bone securely. Once it was firmly in place she stood with her jaws clenched against the aching pain and stared in the direction Ashkii was facing. Using his superior sight and hearing as her guide she began to trot at first slowly and then gaining momentum behind her wolf.

A short time later she nelt, tracing a thing outline around a still warm indent in the ground. Something or someone had been watching her while she slept. Picking up a long stray blond hair and then a shorter white one she examined them in the light; it appeared there had been two things here that night. Warily she watched as the hackles on Ashkii rose; it seemed as if they weren't far off. Jumping to the top of the boulder she crouched and waited for what was next to happen.

Runa was just finishing her small meal when she heard Calamus growling beside her. "What's wrong?" She asked her companion. She followed his gaze and noted that it was in the direction they had come from. "The stranger must be awake," she thought to herself, "I should see what she is up to." Runa slowly picked herself up off of the rocky ground and went to look out from the brush.

She walked on toward the bottom of the mountain and soon she found the lady on the boulder that Runa had been hiding behind that night. The lady looked as if she were searching for something, or someone. "She knows I have been here," she thought, "no use hiding now." As Runa drew nearer to the stranger, she noticed the spear in her hand and wondered if she should draw her dagger in case the woman decided to attack. Instead, she stopped where she was and declared, "I bring you no harm, I was merely curious."

Far in the distance, two specks could be seen moving steadily closer to the boulder. Gripping her spear, her hand flexed instinctively a few times to get a strong grip on her weapon. Vaguely she wondered if she would have to use it as stared almost forlornly off into the distance. Whatever was approaching obviously knew that she was here now, or they wouldn't be coming with such purpose.

A woman soon appeared out of the swirling air-bound snow and at her side a creature Miw-sher had never seen before. Gracefully it prowled at the womans side; the snow seeming neither an inconvience or a hinderance. Enraptured she stood their silently watching the creature that seemed to be made of living snow pause in front of her. Horrified, she watched as Ashkii made his presesnce known and stood his ground between the boulder she stood on, and the hunters in front of her, his head bent low to the ground, hackles raised, with a low growl emanating from deep within his chest.

"I bring you no harm, I was merely curious." said the woman before her.

Jumping down from the boulder gracefully, she placed a hand on Ashkii's neck calming him and pointed her speartip to the ground, "We come in peace as well" she said with a small smile as she took in the womans more fitting clothing to the cold. After several moments of ackward silence she nodded her head towards the creature she did not know, "what is that? we do not have those in my home land".

As the woman studied her, Runa stood awkwardly before her in silence. She thought about what she should say to this stranger. A few moments passed and the lady asked, "What is that? We do not have those in my home land."

Runa stole a small glance at Calamus, who seemed calmer now that he realized the lady was not a threat to them. She pet him gently on the head and said, "He is a snow leopard. They do not live anywhere but the Delvati mountains, though they tend to stay away from humans." She paused and said, "I am Runa Sigrid, and this is Calamus."

She looked at the creature beside the newcomer. "Is he your companion?" she asked, "I have never seen one of his kind either."

Smiling she took a small step tentatively foreward only to have her sandal-clad foot sink into the soft snow. Jumping backwards at the sudden change in temperature on her foot she stared down at the offending white stuff for a few minutes in scrutinization; "this, home of yours, is not very hospitable" she said wryly.

Miw's head snapped up at the sight of Calamus' twitching tale and a smile once again tugged the corner of her lips, "your companion is beautiful" she said with feeling as she appraised the lithe hunter. "My name is Miw-sher" she started, "and this is Ashkii" she said as she placed a hand on her counterparts back, "he doesn't take well to strangers". As if on cue, Ashkii curled his lips back bearing his teeth, a deep growl rumbling from deep within his throat; he made no motion to move.

Mournfully she looked up at the snow covered mountains in front of her, "you live in this forsaken place?". She couldnt fathom a life surrounded by harsh winter and the biting winds without the flat plains to run across where the sky stretched for miles.

As the woman jumped back from her advance in the snow, Runa chuckled. "It may seem very harsh to you, but if you are adapted, the cold doesn't feel too inhospitable." She looked around her and smiled, "I would probably think the same of your land. I would not be able to survive the great heat that is present there."

Runa looked up to see the young stranger staring at Calamus, who then commented on his beauty. "Thank you, you're companion, Ashkii, is very lovely as well." He let out a fierce snarl, and Runa took a small step backward. "Even if he doesn't take kindly to strangers," Runa replied wryly. "Welcome, Miw-Sher, to the Delvati mountains."

As the young lady looked up forlornly at the mountains, she asked, "You live in this forsaken place?" Runa looked at her surroundings, "Yes, it seems it is a very different place from where you come from, but it is not as bad as you think. I can show you what Delvati is really like if you can stand the cold long enough to make it to the village," She paused and looked at the woman's ill-acclimated outfit, "If you decide to come, I can get you some warmer clothing when we arrive."