Across the Threshold

Mograg smiled widely as they crossed the ridge. With his free hand, he pointed into the distance. He squeezed Milanna's hand lovingly. "There it is, Nayeli." His tail started to move a little faster than usual. Pride and excitement welled up in him. He knew she would soon see the fruits of his weeks of hard labor. He looked over at her and grinned, anticipating her reaction.

Milanna squinted in the direction he indicated, her own tail twitching in anticipation of this surprise. After a few moments, she blinked and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Is that... is that a lodge, way up here? I wonder who lives there..." She peered at it again in curiosity.

He chuckled and squeezed Milanna's hand once more. "Us, my love. Us." He watched her face, the grin still on his. She turned her head slowly toward him, eyes wide again. She stared at him for a few moments before speaking.

"U-Us?" Another pause. "Did you... did you... did you build it?"

Mograg chuckled again. "Don't sound so surprised, Nayeli." He grinned at her playfully. She laughed, shortly but heartily, before smiling up at him.

"I didn't mean it that way... I meant... gracious, way up here! How did you keep such a secret from me?" She giggled, squeezing his hand in both hers.

"It wasn't easy, love, believe me. Any part of that, actually. Once I brought the materials up here, it wasn't so hard, though. I've spent the bulk of our time apart on this. While you were away visiting Emlyn, I was, well, up here. Or bringing things here, or gathering things to bring here." He chuckled again. "Little by little, for a long while now, I've been building this for you, love. For us." He smiled lovingly into her eyes. "And by the look in your eyes, it was worth every effort and more." The druid grinned widely, just a hint of moisture in her eyes, and she threw her arms around the hunter for a tight hug.

"It's... it's amazing," she whispered into his good ear. "I know it's not the best word for it, but, I'm not sure there is a word, for what I want to say..." She pulled back just enough to give him a soft peck on the muzzle and smile coyly at him. "Can we... can we see it up close?"

Mograg smiled, "Of course, my love." He squeezed her hand gently and walked with her across the ridge and down the easy descent to the plateau below them. They stood side by side, looking over the camp. Mograg and Milanna had only reached the plateau when an overly friendly wolf darted out from the inside of the lodge, yapping and barking as if he had not seen Mograg in ages. With a chuckle he patted the wolf on his head. "You'll have to wait until we eat, boy. And don't pretend you haven't been hunting anyway. I can smell it on your breath, Hollowgut." He returned his attention to Milanna and smiled, "Welcome home."

Milanna giggled and knelt to give Gunnar a good scratch behind the ears when he bounded up to them, standing when Mograg spoke to her again. She smiled lovingly at him before looking slowly over the camp that was Mograg's handiwork. "Home..." she said softly, a distant look in her eyes. Finally, she reached for Mograg's hand with both her own once again and stretched up on her hooves to give him a soft kiss.

He met her kiss softly and sweetly. After a lingering moment, he spoke once more, "Come, Nayeli. Let me show you around." He pointed out several of the large vessels that surrounded the lodge and told her the contents of each. He had stocked the camp well with various foods and large barrels of water. He lead her past the stack of wood, already prepared to be lit into a bonfire for their first evening, to the door of the lodge. He pulled back the covering of the door and secured it as he let her take her first peek inside.

The lodge was a bit over-sized for just the two of them. Mograg had wanted it that way, even though it had cost him considerably in time, effort, and materials to make it so. The parts of the lodge furthest from the door were dedicated to storing various provisions. Smaller barrels which presumably held dry goods accompanied all the basic domestic tools, as well as several luxury items. His eye had certainly been more for functionality and less for form. While well stocked, the lodge was sparsely decorated. The few items of any aesthetic value that he had brought were largely limited to blankets and rugs that he had bought from the artisans on Thunder Bluff.

The young druid poked her head in and looked around before taking a step inside. Slowly she made her way around the lodge, peering closely at anything and everything she spotted. None of the barrels were safe from her curious gaze as she peeked inside anything with a hollow middle. After every inch of the dwelling had been scrutinized, she finally turned to Mograg with a bright smile, her ears perked and tail swishing happily.

Mograg returned her smile in kind. He took both her hands in his and leaned down to kiss Milanna. "I'm glad you like it, my love." She giggled softly, then looked up at him with a glint in her eye.

"Did you ever think I wouldn't?"

"You never know," he grinned playfully. "But I had a feeling you might like it." Milanna giggled again.

"Well, you were right!" She stretched up once again on her hooves to give him a kiss.

Mograg smiled lovingly into her eyes and held her tight. "It's been tough not telling you about this." He grinned. "So many times I wanted to bring you up here. You remember the night on the Bluff when I was staring off into the distance?" He chuckled lightly. "This place is where I was looking. I thought I'd take a peek to make sure that everything was where I left it." She smiled warmly.

"I remember..." Suddenly the druid looked curious. "If... if you can see this spot from the Bluff... can you see the Bluff from here?"

Mograg nodded his head and smiled. "You can, love. I'll show you in a moment. I want to light this before it gets much darker." Mograg knelt in front of a copper fire pot in the center of the lodge. It already contained a small supply of kindling ready to be lit. He took up a nearby piece of flint and a steel striking plate and made short work of starting the fire. A warm, orange glow filled the lodge. He placed a domed grating over the fire pot. A trail of smoke drifted lazily upward and out of the lodge.

He stood up again and took Milanna's hand in his with a loving smile. "Come, Nayeli, let me show you the view." With a gentle squeeze of her hand he lead her out of the lodge and toward the edge of the plateau. A short walk down the plateau from their camp the land rose up in a small mound of stone. They walked up, the way lit by Mu'sha over their shoulders. At the top he pointed off into the distance. "The Bluff is easy enough to see, but the details are a bit obscured." Holding tightly onto Mograg's hand, Milanna leaned forward just a bit, squinting into the direction he indicated. After a few moments, she returned to his side with a wide smile.

"I see it! I think I can just make out the windrider totem... maybe..." She peered into the distance again, to make sure.

"That was one of the reasons I wanted to make our camp here, love. It's both close and far enough away." He grinned. Milanna wrapped her arms around him and gave him a soft kiss, before resting her head on that favorite spot on his chest, his arms wrapped around her.

"It's perfect..."