A pair of lips brushed against the back of Rath's neck followed by a brief puff of hot air. The person's mouth was dry, and breath hot. It was almost as though they were purring…or trying to at the very least. Warmth buzzed off of his invader's body as did the scent of soil and vegetation. A lopsided grin began to form on the hunter's. "I knew that was you," he said, cocky. Rath didn't hesitate or force himself away as the other's arms coiled around his hips. Looking back over his shoulder the nomad found the person to be Yarne. "Is this how you're to greet me from now on?"
"Er, I…s-sorry! Did I overstep your boundaries? I di-didn't mean to!" the taguel stepped back, removing himself from Rath and placed one hand behind his head, the other up to his lip to bite down on his nail. "I guess I was just trying to…t-take some initiative? I'll just say hello next time." Yarne's body shivered momentarily. Elibe's winters were harsher than anything he had experienced in any timeline of Ylisse; even with his fur he could still feel the immense drop in temperature around them. Snow, though soft, stung the bottom of his feet, making his toes curl. He was cold, and really just wanted Rath to share warmth.
They had been like this for only a few months, now. After getting caught up in the outrealms, the taguel had crossed paths with the hunter and almost ended up his dinner until he shifted back into his human form. It hadn't been the best first impression for either of them. Even now, every time they showed affection to one another the taguel would hesitate, still learning limits and personal space. Yarne hadn't completely come to terms with what it meant for himself and his race more importantly, but for the moment he was trying to enjoy whatever happiness he and Rath were experiencing together. Until he returned to Ylisse, the sole survivor was happy.
Seeing his chance Rath tackled Yarne down into the snow, pinning the taguel's arms and legs and locked eyes with him. "Yes, you did," he said as sternly as he could, his face masking the enjoyment out of seeing Yarne's worrisome habits. The nomad earned a yelp from the taguel as they plummeted into the earth's frigid embrace. Yet after a moment, like a dam bursting, a smile cracked through Rath's angry façade and he was laughing. He released his captive's limbs and rolled off beside him.
It felt gross as the powder began to melt and sink into Yarne's fur, making him wet. While Rath was on top of him he tried to struggle, only to find the other's grip all too firm and heavy for him to even squirm. Yarne stared back at Rath but wasn't afraid like he used to be. A smirk was wide across his face, in fact. He was used to this and knew the other was just playing with him. In the past they had even gone so far as stage hunts for each other with fake arrows; some light wrestling in the snow was nothing to him, now.
A gentle, whiney whimper escaped his grin before he began to laugh with the hunter. With the opportunity of his own, Yarne rolled over while shifting into his taguel form and piled ontop of Rath with as he began to purr. Snow had already made its way into his fur, causing it to clump up around his backside. Already, he felt slimy and gross. He would have to dry is fur off later, he decided.
Rath grunted as Yarne's weight suddenly near doubled and then sighed, smiling up at the beast's beady red eyes. "I guess we'll need to think of a new game, seeing as you've caught on to this one," he declared. With it being clear that Yarne wasn't about to move, the nomad tossed out his arms and began vigorously moving his limbs about in an attempt to make a snow angel. Feeling like he had made a decent one the nomad wriggle under the beast above him to get comfy. "Laying on top of me won't keep you dry, you know?" he teased. Yarne's beast form was certainly bigger than Rath's entire body, and it showed with half of his body still slumped over in snow around them.
"I know, but I don't have much options, do I?" he teased back as he shifted his own body so that as little of his fur was touching the earth. It didn't help much. "We can just dry off when we get back to the hut after all, right?" Yarne grinned as best he could in his beast form and watched as Rath mindlessly made his snow angel. "You look like you're having fun, for once," he chuckled.
The nomad only chuckled back. "True, you don't have any other options. Can't have your fur getting too wet, now can we?" Rath had learned early in their time together how much Yarne hated water and any variations of it such as ice or snow. It was actually a surprise to him that his comapnion had agreed to enjoy the winter time with him at all.
A nod was given at the tent question. Even in the winter time, a fire wouldn't be that hard to start so long as they had dry wood, and they usually kept a stock pile at all times. He thought for a moment before answering. "I…wouldn't say fun. I just never got to do this as a child, and figured I would see if I liked it." Shrugging he continued the pointless task of the snow angel looking from side to side, inspecting the wing spans.
Yarne blinked as he tilted his head to the side, surprised and confused by Rath's answer. "How come? Does it not snow in the plains where you lived?" It was a logical enough assumption to the taguel seeing as he hadn't spent much time in Elibe. Just a few months ago it was late summer and he had remained beside Rath all through autumn. This was his first winter in a new world.
Rath shook his head before answering "No. The plains I grew up on never got snow. Winter was usually very dry." Hesitating, he slowly shrugged again. "Was winter this calm back in your world? Did you ever get to enjoy snow like this?" Since leaving the plains to service in Lyn's guard, Rath had seen many people playing in the snow, but then again the vast majority of the people seem were children.
The taguel shook his head, slightly embarrassed. "Snow was really common in Ylisse. In fact, there is one nation locked in an eternal winter because it's on the mountains, but I never played in it. The snow would always melt and make my pelt all soggy. One time, my friends, Cynthia and Owain tricked me into a snowball fight and I swear I almost died because the pelted me with so many snowballs!" The taguel rested his head on Rath's chest and let out a heavy breath, blowing into the hunter's face. "Maybe the whole point of snow angels is that it's like embracing winter in the face?" he theorized.
"Hmm, almost died? They must have buried you alive, then!" he taunted. Rath had come to accept Yarne's exaggerations without concern. After mulling over Yarne's answer Rath replied with another shrug and light grunt. Moving his hands into the snow he began taking little bits and placing it teasingly over the taguel's snout. "I guess you don't have to actually do it to know if you don't like it…But I have something else I wanted to ask you." The nomad announced speaking slowly as he figured out how he wanted to word his next question.
"Yes?" Yarne cocked his head to the side and shook the snow off his face lightly.
Giving another shrug he shook his head "Never mind, it passed." He said trailing off slowly as to pique Yarne's curiosity. Rath allowed his hands to settle under a tuft of his lover's fur to keep them from freezing solid. By now almost his entire body was soaked with slush, seeping through the cloth of his tunic and reaching his skin. He shuddered.
The taguel pouted for a brief moment but let the issue go. Whatever it was, if it was important he knew Rath would ask him eventually. Yarne sighed and shifted his body and stretched his hind legs. He could see and feel Rath shivering underneath him and took the hint to shift back into his human form. "Should you get out of there soon?" he asked as he stood up, arms holding tightly around his own body. "It's freezing out here. Let's go h-home."
Home. The way Yarne said that gave off a small sense of warmth in Rath's chest. He smiled at the taguel before standing on his own and shaking off any snow still clinging to his body. "Yeah, let's go home…." The nomad gave a whistle to call his horse over to them, and climbed on to his mount. Once Yarne had followed they rode off. A day of play would have to end short thanks to the cold, but that didn't mean they would be parting just yet. Rath had grown used to having Yarne around, always favoring animals more than humans. The taguel was a special exception.
Fish were roasting on spikes at the fire's edge as an iron pot sat in the middle of the pit, cooking vegetables and broth. A heavenly scent of smoked salmon, potatoes and carrots floated around them. The fit pit cracked and cackled randomly as Rath and Yarne gathered themselves together. The silence between them was calm and welcoming. Their armor and clothes hung on thread over the flames to dry, leaving one naked save for his fur and the other in only his loin cloth. Yarne's hair hung down to his torso with his ears, heavy and wet while Rath's was untidy, tangled, yet tied up in a small bun. The taguel was continuously trying to use his claws to comb out knots and bits of earth, to which Rath sighed before motioning for Yarne to sit in front of him.
He began sorting through the other's hair slowly, picking out frozen blades of grass, twigs and leaves until finally only specs of dirt were left. "Keep still," he muttered as he gathered Yarne's hair together while avoiding the long ears. "You...said your mother braided her own hair, correct? Nomad's have a similar practice. It's to symbolize people joining together as one." Rath's voice was calm as he worked and in a few moments, a long braid was crafted and tied together from blue fibers he had woven and string, reaching down to the center of Yarne's back.
The taguel felt lighter and grinned as he listened to Rath. "I'm surprised you remembered," he mused. "She did, but she'd always braid her ears in with her hair, too. It always looked so beautiful on her, something that only we taguel could do..." We, being he and his mother as the only two taguel left alive. His voice trailed off as his thoughts drifted away. There was a lot he hadn't told Rath yet, fearing his reaction. "I thought you were banished from your tribe when you were only a child. How did you learn your own customs?"
"I was still taut about nomad customs when I was young. Even though I was branded an outcast, I still held pride in my origins and learned what I could to preserve our Sacaean practices." Rath was now just sorting the threads of hair, making sure his craftsmanship was clean and neat so that the braid would hold for a few days. He paused in his speech, choosing his next words carefully. "I don't recall you telling me much else about your own. Do..."taguel" have something similar to this?"
Yarne wouldn't have known, and either would Panne. He let out a forced, nervous laugh as he brought and hand up to stroke his ears, scrambling for an answer. "Y-yeah, of coarse we do! B-but uh...its k-kinda complicated and um c-can't really be done like this. I-it's a huge secret." An obvious lie that Rath could see through without even trying.
"One day you'll have to tell me," he said with a cocky smile and short chuckle. The nomad was used to hearing these kinds of excuses from the taguel and knew there was no point in forcing the truth out. Yarne had already shared plenty of detail about his life, but at times even seemed more private than himself. Given time, Rath was certain they've come to be more honest with each other.
With his work now complete, Rath re positioned himself to side beside Yarne instead of directly behind him, sharing the fire's heat. He smiled over at Yarne before reaching over to place a hand gently at the base of his ears and scratching. He had never been that great with words of appreciation. Soft touches, tiny kisses, a warm meal or gentle embrace; was how the nomad let his feelings come across.
"Hey…so about what I was going to ask you earlier…."
Yarne emitted a soft hmmm to Rath's actions, leaning into the scratches and moving closer. Ever since their companionship Yarne had found himself a lot calmer and happier. His tail swished back and forth behind him as he closed his eyes, body going limp and resting against Rath's side. When the scratching stopped he could feel his lover's arm around his shoulders, holding him close. "Yeah? What is it?"
Rath gulped as he kept his eyes fixed on the sleepy rabbit beside him. His heart beat in his chest, no doubt loud enough for Yarne to hear thanks to his superhuman senses. A deep breath happened as he finally shut his own eyes and began. "I've been…thinking about all this…about how one day you'll have to return to your own world…." Rath's free hand balled up into a fist on his knee where he sat. The sound of the fire cackling and fish sizzling was the only distraction from his nerves. "If it's alright with you then when that day comes I think I'd like to go with you…" he finally said.
The taguel's eyes immediately shot open. Rath…wanted to return to Ylisse with him? He hadn't expected this even a possibility. "W-what?!" Yarne sat up, shaking Rath's arm off of his shoulder. "R-Rath a-are you…s-serious?" The fire cracked loudly for a moment as silent shock came over them both. All at once every fear of his came flooding back. If he stayed with Rath then that would mean the end of taguel, but allowing Rath to return with him would mean…well Yarne couldn't quite say. What would his mother or father say about this? "I…I don't know how to answer that r-right away…."
The nomad's eyes flickered, taking note of Yarne's body. Fur stood up on all ends, ears twitching with excitement. His teeth were chatting, most likely from fear more than the chill, and eyes darting around from being lost in thought. Yarne was panicking, worried to give the wrong answer. Rath looked down at the ground before very slowly placing his hand over the others, and squeezing it gently. "Yarne…" he sighed as he cupped the taguel's hand in of his own, now. "It's clear that there is a lot on your mind, things that you have yet to tell me about…." He paused, trying to choose his words carefully before looking into the taguel's red eyes again.
"You may not ever be able to return home and if so t-then you're welcome to stay with me, but…if you leave then you might not ever be able to come back to Elibe. I want to go with you because I've…I've grown…f-fond of you, I suppose…." The hunter raised Yarne's hand up to his lips to caress the backside of his wrist in a tender kiss and hold him there until he finished speaking. "You don't have to answer right now, but just give it some thought…."
Just like that, silence returned to the hut. Rath had nothing else to say and Yarne didn't know where to begin. Both of their hearts were racing, and the taguel's mind was creating a multitude of scenarios and outcomes until he felt dizzy. "I…" he choked. Yarne didn't let their hands part right away. In fact, he held on as tight as possible even as Rath adjusted and stirred dinner together. "Rath I…" They ate in silence, and as it dragged on the winter winds howled without mercy around them, isolating them from the world. The same calming silence Rath had always created now felt bleak and heavy. A stone was in his throat as he started grinding his teeth and poking his fangs into his lower lip.
"I w…w-want to stay with you," he forced out after so long.
Rath's attention was snatched, but he didn't allow his excitement to show right away. Slowly, he tilted his head just so he could look at Yarne out of the corner of his eyes. "Hmm?"
Yarne gulped. "I w-want us to stay together. It's just…you're right. I-I'm not telling you a lot; I'm not r-ready!" His one free hand was digging into the dirt beneath them, clawing up frozen ground and dust over his own cowardliness. "Let's just…not think about this until I have to leave…please?" he sounded desperate.
There was a pause followed by a slow nod from Rath before he squeezed Yarne's hand once more. "As you wish," he grunted. "You've had nothing to fear from me…and still don't."
Night rolled through and now Rath and Yarne lay on their sleeping mats side by side. The taguel rolled over to put an arm over the hunter's body which was met by Rath taking hold of his fur covered hand. A kiss met the back of his neck like it had earlier that day. Yarne's entire body was heated against the hunter, who still felt cold as ice. Well that's one thing we share, he said to himself. Neither Rath or Yarne were best with words. Tiny kisses and little acts of affection were all they knew how to speak with at times.
Rath turned himself around and reached an arm around so that he could embrace Yarne's body into his own. They were both still naked under pelt blankets. "Yarne…" he whispered. There was no need for an answer. Their faces hovered close until they connected in a kiss as each held the other tighter as if trying to become one. Yarne's breathing was hot and Rath's actions slow. Steady, their hands began to wander, allowing their affection to provide all the warmth they required.
Winter brought them isolation, but isolation gave them each other.