An Aimless Expedition (Open)

[Vivid]

Ciel was glad that Frost hadn't gotten angry with his pushing to keep going. This wasn't his climate choice, and he was beginning to get achy and tired. He kept cool though, not wanting to become cranky at his new found friend. Especially when he was apologizing. Instead, he bared through it, knowing they would get there sooner or later, hopefully somewhere with at least some shelter.

"It's alright, really. It isn't your fault that I decided to come here, now is it? If anything, I should be thanking you for knowing a place to go that's out of the way of too much snow." He replied with a wolfish smile, briefly looking to his side where Frost walked. His ears were beginning to chill uncomfortably and the ice between his paws was clumping more... Something he was almost glad for, as it gave him a little more traction.

"Superstitions?" He asked, his curiosity piqued. That was new to him. What kind of superstitions surrounded magic? "I haven't heard such a thing, I just know some basic facts about it, and that there are dozens of wolves who can use different types." He replied and turned his head again, thinking for a moment. "I think there were also stories of wolves gaining magic, who didn't have it when they were born. I... I don't remember how that goes though." He admitted, a frown coming over his maw.

"Showing you is no trouble though, however, unless we eat first, I can only show you the basics. The other skills I have take far too much energy to pull off on an empty stomach, especially if we're to go hunting after." He picked up his pace a little to catch back up, feeling bad for lagging behind.

[Wolfalisk]

Frost was relieved to learn that Ciel did not overtly blame him for their predicament, appreciative of the wolf's continued patience with him. He smiled, even, which in all honesty could have just been him being nice, though given Ciel's words, it was hard not to assume it was genuine. Perhaps Ciel thought he couldn't handle the cold well, and indeed perhaps he preferred not to, but from Frost's perspective he seemed to possess more dexterity than he credited himself for despite an apparent struggle.

Frost listened carefully to the galaxy male and found it especially interesting that a wolf could gain magic as opposed to simply being born with it. It wasn't a component of any story he'd ever heard, and for some reason it intrigued him. He couldn't put his paw on why. Ciel seemed to desire elaboration on something else, so he didn't dwell on it long.

"The superstitions revolve around what a wolf is capable of, generally. Sometimes it revolves around magic, though there were no such users in our group. You might say they almost worshiped some supposed magic-users from the past, and condemned the rest." Frost stopped talking for a moment to catch his breath, his lower jaw parting briefly to take in a large breath. As his pace was quite fast in order to facilitate Ciel's request to find warmer weather, it was a tad difficult to talk and move. "Though at times their reasoning was far more fickle..." he trailed off and twitched his ears as he considered.

Frost, at that point, realized that he hadn't given Ciel the full story of his banishment, just simply that the fate had in fact been visited upon him. It segued well into their conversation about superstitions, so why not?

"...For example..." Frost began, his wind having returned to him. "Suppose there existed a harsh and extended winter one year, and the group hierarchy needed something - however ludicrous it might be - to blame. Suppose there is a wolf among the group who seemed immune to winter's effects, and looked the part. Wolves wanted an answer, and their leaders wanted to give an answer, so they fabricated one." Frost explained with heavy insinuation, sighing at the upwelling of thoughts from the past.

"We shall wait until we find food for your demonstration; I do not believe it would be good to over-exert right now, and I can certainly wait. Your gift is not a commodity to be wasted upon a fool like me in the first place, and definitely not when it can hurt you." Frost chuckled, lightening the mood from his previous words.

As they moved, Frost noticed the snow beneath his feet begin to thin. Each step became progressively less laborious and his legs started to not sink as far into the white powder. He felt happy, oddly, as the snow was his home. Quickly he realized the good feeling came from the prospect that his new acquaintance might at last find some relief. His features betrayed approval.

[Vivid]

The male listened intently to Frost as he explained the situation regarding the superstition, intrigued that some group of wolves thought so highly of those with magic. Throughout his known life, Ciel hadn't met a wolf that shared his magic ability, however, he also hadn't met a wolf that was surprised by it until Frost. It seemed to him, that magic was just something that happened, and that most were accustomed to. Or maybe it was something worthy of being worshiped, and he just didn't realize it. He could only remember bits and pieces of magic lore, and the new information that had struck him so suddenly minutes before, seemed confusing and frustrating, as he didn't know the rest of the story.

He turned his attention to the intake of breath, feeling the same winded problem just trudging through the snow, never mind talking so much. Before he could reply, Frost seemed to have caught his breath, letting the male in to a bit of his past in a brief explanation. Ciels' ears lowered and his lips showed an unhappy frown, pitying the wolf beside him silently. What kind of pack did that? Especially to a wolf so young! He snorted out a breath to vent his frustrations, twitching his tail and flicking a paw to try and clear a little build up that was becoming more uncomfortable than the rest.

"That isn't a way to treat anyone." He remarked. "And you aren't a fool, Frost. Never believe yourself to be one." Very serious for a moment, the males bright eyes focused on his traveling companion, his voice stern unlike before. "Magic or not, you are no fool. You're a fine wolf, especially given your past. You're only a fool if you let that consume you; and you haven't." He smiled briefly and lolled out his tongue, tucking it back into his mouth after just a second, the cold scolding his playful action.


Ooc: Wao, late reply is late and kind of forced. My apologies. I hope you can work with it!