{A Mysterious Find} When there's not a lot of warmth left to go around

Koma couldn't sleep.

He, Scout and Temper were all still yet to regroup with the rest of the expedition. Staring at the glowing coals of their fire, still burning feintly in the chilling winds of the mountain. They had to stop upon nightfall much to the despair of both nyulops, the conditions were just too dangerous to continue in the dark... let alone the state of the pairs injuries being a cause of concern. The scars down their arm were still painfully raw to the touch, regardless of how long since the bloodflow dried up and stained his soft and pale fur.

They had done everything but pack medical supplies, their mistake of course. All his anxieties of Scout missing the expedition entirely had consumed every thought of what if either of them got hurt, dare I say what if they both got really hurt. The scene from just barely a few hours ago plaguing their mind every time he even dared try to close their eyes; the bird appearing, Scout getting hurt, his arm being torn up, the bird leaving. Rinse and repeat, if you could even call such a cruel trick as such. 

Their only company was the Vertois curled up beside his teammate, finally growing into her adult coat as if that frightening experience was enough of a trigger for such a late-blooming bond. She was just as awake as they were, alert for any sound or movement that'd dare approach their pathetic little shelter for an easy meal. Temper's bright eyes staring at him in a way they've come to understand as worry, and in this case an offer of consensual comfort through the means of a head-pat.

"You can't sleep either then?"
Koma doesn't know why he talks to her.
"Hah... that makes two of us, doesn't it?"
Quietly ruffling her soft white fur as Scout slept, keeping an eye on the rise and fall of her chest.

The world felt a lot bigger than it used to, and Koma a lot smaller. They thought when they were younger that he'd feel braver once they grew older, but honestly; all this had made him feel more terrified than they had ever imagined he would. Sure Teles said it was for a good cause, to go investigate her dreams of monsters and save the island no less, but they can't help but feel an overwhelming regret about it all, to not only go and put one's self in such danger but then go ahead and drag their one true friend through with them?? What a great friend he was, if they never dared ask Scout then maybe she'd not be in this mess in the first place; leaving on him up here wounded and facing their own consequences alone.

....He needed to get up. 
He needed to get up and get out of his head.

That's what Scout would tell him, isn't it? Every time they had some anxious spiral on the way up, she'd just shake him and tell them to get out of their head. The pair of them would go off and wander some weird and undesirable path off the beaten track for the sake of it being something else to think about, that's how they managed to get so lost from the main group after all.

But Scout was asleep. Scout was asleep and he shouldn't leave her.

Until there was a gentle prod at their thigh, the soft butting of horns from a Temper who had spent enough time watching to know all too well that this was yet another spiral. Accompanied by a noise of encouragement of sorts, a quiet whine and nudging for him to stand up. Koma didn't really get it, was she asking for something? Their questions of why were only met with more harassment not even ceasing when he asked if she'd seen something out there in the dark.

She only really stopped once they awkwardly shifted onto his feet, slinging their quiver back over his shoulder and grabbing the bow with a wince. Clearly, Temper wanted them to get up; perhaps out of wanting to fulfill Scout's role whilst she was still out cold? Pointing her snout in the direction of the unknown, whining again with a little more snap to it this time.
"Over there?"
"...You want me, to go over there?"
Temper nodded, shuffling closer to Scout as the wind grew louder again.
"...Alright, sure. I-I'll go."

"...Keep her safe, y'hear?"
Trekking off in the direction the noble bond had given him, perhaps giving an awkward little wave before leaving the sight of their companions entirely. This was for his sake after all, its what Scout would have wanted them to do. Go off walking into the dark of the night, in the snow and the gales with only a bow and his own hindered senses to guide them through it all. Flinching at every sound that wasn't his own and staring deep into any eyes they could have sworn had been watching him the whole time. At complete unease with it all, an odd way to break out of a spiral but they had no real other choice in the matter. It was Koma vs the world tonight...

That was, until he tripped. Tripping over something cold and hard.
Going face-first into the snow with a thud, but thankfully not breaking a toe to the head of a statue they sat up to find stood there solemnly in a heap of white. That must've been what caused his stumble, definitely looked like it did anyways, why was that this far up the mountain? Its barely even on the outskirts of the village, no wonder it was left to freeze up here with no upkeep...

Staring at it with wonder, every thought of panic gone from their mind and replaced with confusion and awe at its very presence. Who left you here, do you even belong here in the first place? Gently reaching out to brush the snow off its face to get a closer look, perhaps he'd recognise if it belongs to any spirits or creatures from near the village? No? No... They couldn't recognise it at all, just that it felt... it felt divine in some way, he couldn't describe how just that it did. Oh Scout is gonna think they're mental once he tells her...

Imagine that, I went off in the middle of the night and found some divine statue in the middle of the snow. She'd bloody kill them.

Well... He can't leave it without giving it some attention, just a little clean wouldn't hurt right? It does often clear their head out well enough when he gets to clean things back home, surely a little here and there dust-off would do some good for the both of them! Beginning to carefully and delicately dig the snow off the statue as he zoned out; no more worries of what Scout may think about their restless wander, no dread of how the rest of the expedition will react to their tardiness and the wounds they've failed to treat, just cleaning up this statue with a weary but well-meaning paw...

It wasn't long till the dawn began to break, just as he finished up the final touches no less.
Turning their head to the faint and fleeting rays of a dull but well appreciated sun, casting a subtle orange tint despite the heavy storm that raged above. Watching as the darkness around him began to slowly fade from pitch black to a cold blue, thankfully more bearable for travel than the intense nightfall they had endured earlier. Speaking of travel, it was about time for Koma to make his way back to his companions for what they hoped was the final leg of all this; no longer knelt by the side of the stone statue that stood proudly in the snowflakes. 

It was time to head back, they felt lighter than when they left.