Every once in a while, his wandering paws would lead him back along familiar trails. Almost without noticing, he would strike up a well-used path and find himself in the same surroundings where he had spent his youth. It was a welcome recurrence, and he would often rejoice as much in reexploring the old, well known places as discovering new ones. Laced with memories, everything from the towering Kingsfall where he was born, to the bubbling brooks of Cedarwood where he’d learned to fish, brought a nostalgic smile to his face.

Today it was the mountains that drew the interest of the seasoned adventurer. He balanced with ease on the uneven and rocky surfaces, rivalling the curvy-horned sheep in both skill and confidence. He’d been climbing these very hillsides since before he turned yearling, and any changes that had happened since, he took in stride; with characteristic tenacity. The blonde wolf was quite the daredevil, an inclination which had let to more than a few scars, scattered throughout his off-white fur. But none of his stumbles ever cooled his unquenchable thirst for thrill, and even as he reveled in the joy of his nostalgia, he couldn’t resist the urge to also make a game of jumping cracks and skirting the very edges of deadly drops.

As he traversed a particularly wide gap, goldenrod eyes spotted the shimmer of trickling water at the bottom, making his tail twitch in excitement. However the move put him out of balance and he landed wrong, sliding backwards down the, surprisingly smooth, bolder, claws desperately digging for purchase. Perhaps this last risk had been one too many.

Word Count: 272

Kyrios was not the type to see his life pass before his eyes – with his thrill-seeking nature he might waste his whole life on that otherwise. Rather, he was a man for action, and he didn’t waste a moment in scanning for another way out of his predicament. Unfortunately, he had chosen to perform his stunt in the most challenging spot, meaning the surrounding rocks were much smaller, and none within easy reach of his scrambling hind paws.

So, it was his luck that he had not been the only one drawn to the winding mountain paths on this day. Glancing back up in his frantic search for purchase, golden eyes caught sight of the tawny figure racing toward him, too small to be a mountain lion, and yet one could have mistaken the two by the apparent viciousness with which she pounced on the preoccupied wolf. Kyrios gritted his teeth when he felt sharp canines piercing the skin of his scruff, but he recognized his saving grace and continued to dig at the rock with his own claws until they finally gripped and he could push himself up with the younger wolf’s help.

He staggered onto safer ground, giving his mangled mane a violent shake once it was free of the girl’s grip. Only then did he look up at her, just as she spoke with distinct inflection. A grin spread on the Captain’s face as recognized the voice, and gave his little sister a once over, marveling at the change from when they’d last met. “Sure did sis! If ye’d nae been ‘ere I’d be down with ol’ Davey.” Despite the seriousness of the remark, his tone was light, tail waving quick and high behind him; “Makes ye me lucky star!” His eyes twinkled at the lass, though his expression grew softer as he stepped towards her; “But ‘am no worse for wear. How ‘bout ye? Out adventurin' too?” His muzzle stretched to brush against hers, affectionately: “Ye’ve gotten right big! Look jus’ like ye ma.”