nearby, he wondered how Nava had survived on such a seemingly meager food supply.

"No, I do not wish to be alone in this fate." He finally resolved verbally. Although he still could not bring himself to accept Nava's offer directly.

Nava smiled to himself in the darkness, he admired Niju's independence and vigor- even if it did make him rather bullheaded. "Come brother, and we shall lie together." Nava offered generously again.

Niju scowled and turned away from Nava with his head again, feeling his cheeks burn up with the same anger that he, notably, hadn't felt in a while. An icy breeze blew into the cave- carrying the hint of large globular flakes that the sky scattered relentlessly now. Snow. Niju tightly balled himself into a furry looking black and blue-tinted-silver ball, but he still felt the breeze penetrate his stubborn fur. It took all that he had to keep him from snuggling up with Nava, he didn't know why, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He could not bring himself to warm himself and another when they needed it most, was it that he was not ready? Why he not bring himself to change, when he needed to, in order to survive?

Niju sighed, and his breath rose in familiar clouds before him. Nava, who was much more feeble than he, may very well freeze to death, but Niju just wouldn't bring himself to help the elder. He couldn't.

"Goodnight then, Niju. In the dawn's light- we shall hunt." Nava murmured to Niju's prone for from his spot on the stone floor. Niju couldn't help but wonder what in hell there would be to hunt, now that the caribou had run across the ice, along with his pack being led by that godforsaken mutt female. Here he went again he thought. As he drifted into sleep, his mental image was burning with her face at the center of it. He literally had dreams of her. Dreams of fire.