Sun's Dawn

High Hrothgar

The ragged sounds of panting and whimpering filled the cold, quiet air. Qa'nabi stirred, ears flicking towards the sound before she moved or opened her eyes.

The scene in front of her was like something from a scary story. Svali was hunched over, hands or maybe paws, buried in the snow.

She was naked. Mostly. She'd traded in her armor for furs to sleep in a tent they'd pitched part of the way up the 7000 steps. It seemed at some point she'd torn the furs from her body too, but there was a prickling of fur spiking up along her exposed spine.

Qa'nabi crawled out from under the tent and towards Svali, who didn't seem to notice her. She made a sound like a strangled sob, which devolved into a howl. The wolf-woman pressed her pink face into the snow and made the sound again, louder this time.

They were close to Ivarstead. Far enough that they wouldn't hear the sounds, or if they did, they would possibly just mistake it for the regular kind of wolf. But close enough that if Svali went on a rampage...

Qa'nabi shuddered. She didn't know that Svali was prone to that. But Beowulf would know.

She called his name a few times until he moved. Heavy sleeper. In the time it took him to move, she'd crawled back to Svali, and tried to gingerly reach out to her. She only recoiled, pressing hands, that were definitely more akin to paws, against her face, sharp claws digging into her forehead.

"Cat. Get back."

He was wearing almost as little as Svali. Did they not feel how cold it was? Even she was shivering.

The wolves did feel less of the cold. But right now, Svali burnt. Her blood was boiling. She tried to bury herself in the snow and her back made a sickening crack as her body contorted into a new form.

Beowulf looked up at the sky. The moon was full.

"She has a worse time with the moons. I've been doing this a lot longer than she has. Just... She might, snap. And she won't want you on the other end of that."

He sat in front of her, pulling her out of the snow, holding her head in his hands. Qa'nabi saw first hand what he meant when rows of glimmering silver teeth snapped down on his hand. He didn't even flinch, and the khajiit finally pieced together where the puncture scars all over his arms had come from.

Beowulf tutted and stuck another finger into her mouth, pushing her upper jaw up enough for him to slip his hand out.

"No biting, my moon." He cooed, gripping her chin and cheeks tightly. She whimpered and scrambled to get him off.

"You're hurting her!"

He didn't respond to Qa'nabi's cries, and instead pushed Svali's head into the snow firmly, holding her there as she scrambled for a moment.

When he let her go she gasped for air and howled again, curling up for a moment before lashing out, dragging her claws along his bare chest.

He only sighed and took her hands, paws, whatever, shaking his head and cooing softly at her.

"My Moon... Svali... You're alright. Calm down," he gingerly takes the necklace with the ring from around her neck and pulls it over her head, "you were born and raised in Whiterun. Your parents had a manor in the plains. You were a member of the Companions. Your favourite colour is orange, like a sunrise, and the crunchy leaves that fall from the trees in Riften."

Qa'nabi catches the ring as Beowulf tosses it to her, and gingerly holds it between her fingers. It's silver in colouration but not made of silver. It's a metal she doesn't recognise. It has a wolf head carved into it, and just holding it fills the cat with a sense of dread. She threw it in into the tent and edged towards Svali, certain she could see her calming down.

"Your favourite mead is Black Briar. Your favourite meat is goat, you can't eat rabbits because you find them cute and had one when you were a pup. You named it Flower. You snack on juniper berries when you're sad. You love the sound of Nirnroot chiming, and I'd sit with you and listen to them even though the sound makes me want to grind my teeth into dust."

She makes a strangled laugh sound, and looks up at him, her bones cracking back into shape, gold eyes no longer overtaken by her pupils.

Gingerly, she reaches out, careful to mind her still prominent claws against his skin.

"Did I hurt you?" She croaks, "or Qa'nabi? Or anyone?"

He shakes his head, "your Khajiit is fine. And you didn't hurt me worse than normal, surface scrapes."

She looks pained, wrapping her finger around the blonde braid in his hair, "mine?"

"Yeah. Who else?"
"I don't know."

He scooped up a bundle of snow and pressed it against her forehead, cradling her in his arms, "you're burning up, moon sugar."
"Gods damned moon."
"That's how I feel when I see you."

She closes her eyes, and Qa'nabi now slides closer, taking one of her hands. Svali smiles, "hey, Cat."
"Hey, dog."
"You okay?"
"Worried about you."
"I'll be fine. Just a little hiccup. I'm sorry you had to see that."
"No more secrets?"
"No more secrets. I'm... I'm getting better."

It sounds more like a question than a statement. But she says no more, falling quiet, her breath steadying. Qa'nabi pets the back of her hand, brushing away the fur that was falling from her skin.

"We need to get moving soon..."
"I know, Qa'nabi. But she needs rest."
"I know. I'm not heartless. But she'd also be furious if she slept through the day. And the sun will be rising soon."

Svali lifts an arm, and flaps a hand in the air, "Nabi's right." Her eyes flutter open, lashes heavy, a few flakes of snow in them.

Her eyes soften when they focus on Beowulf's face, for the first time in a long time, "let's go hunting when this is all over." He chuckles, and nods, easing her into a sitting position. She rolls her shoulders and leans forward, watching as the moons lowered, and the first beams of sunlight streamed across the horizon.

Svali's breath caught in her throat, she always loved the sunrise. Bey knew her better than she realised, maybe she had the space to let him back inside her heart. But as for now, she didn't have the space in her head. She turned, looking up at the looming building on the mountain.

Qa'nabi was looking in the same direction, maybe they did share half a dragon soul or whatever nonsense the Greybeards were going to sell them. Svali took one of her paws gingerly in her hands, smiling.

"I see you."
"I see you."