Mountain of Dire hidden - Printable Version

For some reason, Indru had really wanted to go up the mountain.

Ice was a very curious wolf by nature. Most things intrigued him, new things fascinated him - but the Mountain of Dire wasn't new to him. He'd never climbed it, true, but he'd spent a whole summer living in the range. Of course, the view would be spectacular, but Indru didn't ask him to go up there just so they could take a look at the lands of the Lore spreading out below them. There was something else to him, something that was reminiscent of urgency. That, and a deep loyalty, was what made Ice agree to go along. Likely he would've done it just for the adventure anyway, with the pups being somewhat older and the pack introduced to them. He doubted Rhysis would chance an attack anyway - he had no reason. It should be safe. Marsh was there - Marsh fought like three wolves. They were safe.

The path up was long and winding, steep in places, narrow in some. It took them dangerously close to the Lost Lake, and the knowledge that he had a relationship with a certain black-furred friend to vamp up. It would have to wait a little, though. He ground his teeth together, ignored the proximity to her, and followed his leader. The Aesir male had no troubles with making his way through mountains, since he'd lived in them for quite some time. True, it was a long time ago now, but the body did not really forget. It'd taken him about half an hour to remember all of it, and it felt natural again. He moved with a hircine sort of grace and confidence, splaying his toes wide to get a better grip when the trail was steep and stony. Indru's tawny figure flashed golden up ahead, illuminated by a stray ray of sunlight. The sky was blue, but covered in clouds; sometimes the world lit up, though, and whenever he turned to look across his shoulder, it took his breath away.

"Almost there I think, Ice," his friend and leader called out. Ice nodded mute agreement. It had been a strenuous thing to climb this high, but luckily he wasn't cursed with weak lungs. The thin air made him breathless when it was the most exerting, but not dangerously so. Here, though, it was steep. He stopped for a moment, tongue lolling out between his open jaws. Indru perched on a rock, then leaped off it to clear the edge of what seemed to be a plateau. The mountain's shape told him it was so. He glanced up at the peak, sighing softly. "Here I come, old friend," he muttered to it, before bouncing up the slope to where Indru had disappeared. Being a generally energetic creature, he had a fair amount of stamina and strength for these exercises, but still it was with relief that he powered over the edge and flew up on the flat surface, scrabbling on some loose pebbles before regaining his balance. Still panting he padded over to stand next to Indru, giving his shoulder a comforting nudge.