fly away with me >> ice floe expedition

[teef]

[table][tr][td]

[/td][td]

THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. formerly blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. courting halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, laeglin, sloan and colwyn. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette. (strike is deceased/unknown status)

[/td][/tr][/table]

a trip that had been long planned and long awaited, the kingpin waiting for the ice to set and the snows to drive the ice in towards the shores. recent the wicked winter storms, slamming the coast and making travel harder than ever. rumbling deep in their throat, the kingpin hunched close to the hearth, recently prepared hides laid out over their shoulders. shuddering under them, the kingpin stretched with a deep groan, standing up and shook their head, as warmed as they could be. "alithians! gather here for some words!", they called as they went outside, hoping to gather everyone to the inn, shuddering under their pelts. gods almighty, the cold was already making them dread this trip. "alright everyone. we are going to be going out onto the ice fields you can see out over the coast. if you are afraid of water, i suggest that you don't make this trip, or if you're sickly and weak. i want every one of you, to pick up some pelts and wear them, especially the children.", they started once everyone had gathered.

taking a deep breath, they continued, kneading the wooden floor beneath their paws, "okay. you're probably wondering what i'm talking about and why i want you to wear furs, and why in the world i'm talking about the ice. we are going to be going hunting, to take down some well needed big animals to last the winter. this is the one and only time that i want any of you to be holding a weapon with the intent to kill. we need to find out more about how far out the floes reach, but i can assure you that they are really thick, and they extend a far ways from our land. if there are any minor islands out there, we very well might come across them. the ice is still dangerous, and i can't stop you from coming, but i want you to be aware of the dangers. always test where you're putting your paws, i don't want any of you plunging in because of an air pocket under the ice's surface, or a place where another animal has come up for air. stay close, and travel in pairs or groups." they rumbled, motioning to the packs set at the front of the inn, lined up neatly along the wall. the packs carried simple knives of bone and stone, wires, minor first aid kits for emergencies, bandages and some salted meats and dried fruits. this was going to be interesting, to see who would be going out on the waters with them. they had missed the chance for a fresh whale in unfrozen waters, but the waters had begun freezing some time ago, no doubt thanks to the harsher winds coming in from the sea. yes, they had a lot of inland prey, but such sources could not always be depended on for long time survival, and it was better to hunt the fatty animals of the cold sea for their valuable resources. the whale that they had found so long ago only carried a portion of the things that they could use, for it being a calf. shaking their head, they waited for the others to make a move, drawing the heaviest pack to themself, relegating the duty to carry it.