The Mountain was as unkind as ever today. Summer sun beat down upon her black hide with few winds to divert the heat, despite the altitude at which the Poisoned Second-in-command was climbing. The easy path she had found in the springtime had been blocked by some recent rockfall. Ava considered merely taking the time to scale the blockage, but the strain would not be enough to satisfy her ache for hard work.

Ava had worn her depression like an integument before and while it did not make her weak, it certainly had grounded her to the Lost Lake. Her adventures had been far and few between, and border patrol consisted of just that - patrolling the border around their packland, which was just a sizeable selection at the bottom of the valley, not the mountains as she did like to pretend was their bounty as well. Her muscles, lean and solid from the constant mountain romps, had gone unused for too long. They desired to be tested once more, and an easy fall of rocks would not do the job. She turned her dark head to size up the unbeaten mountainside with hungry amber eyes, though it did not take long for her desire to become needy. An almost jovial snarl tore from her lips as she launched forward, away from the easy path and on to the treacherous terrain that made the high-rising Mountain of Dire.

With each push of her paws she felt the pull of physical limitation in her limbs but denied it. Mind over matter; and all that was on Ava's mind was regaining what she had lost in the weeks of drowning. No longer did she soak herself in such misery; now was the time for her stone-loving truth to fully shine. In all honesty there was no where Ava would rather live than the Lost Lake. No home could be more welcoming. No mountain could be more challenging. No water could be more sweet. This was where she belonged, always and forever. She was a shadow no more; now a black wraith, a tangible being that thundered through the protrusions and skeletal trees. A fiercer fire had never been lit in the depths of her stare as she wove through the mountainside, each step undeniably proud. This was what she lived for. And that, she would not forget again.

The sensation of stone beneath her paws and wind against her dark face was almost overpowering enough to drown out the sound of her packmate's voice, but not quite. Through the mountain top she heard her name, shouted with an urgency she could not ignore. She swung her head to Ash's voice, squinting against the beating sunlight to try and find his brawny figure approaching. Her ample bounds came to a quick halt, tall legs trembling from all the effort she had miliseconds previously exerted. The rage of her muscles was easily ignored as her dark ears twisted and she fought the worry that began to knot in her chest.

Ava could smell him - he was certainly nearby - but there were rocks and protrusions and all kinds of winding loops on the path she had been taking. Her footsteps had been anything but consistent, so she understood that if he was trying to find her it would take quite some time to track her leaps and tumbles and spirals and turns. As much as she felt the magnetism of the unbeaten path on her black-pelted back, Ava could not ignore the call of her pack-mate. To make it easier on the both of them, she planted both feet firmly in the ground and angled her maw to the sky. In a clear, calm tone she called to him in response - making her location entirely clear and the status of her safety similarly so.

Then she dropped her head and awaited him, a quizzical gleam in her bright amber eyes.

It did not take the male long to find her location. Ava stood in wait for a short few minutes before the figure of Ash broke at her line of sight. He moved casually, now, as opposed to the urgency of his call, which struck her as odd. What had been so important before that was now of next to none? The confusion did not run her ragged, though, which lead her content to watch his approach in one of her first days free of depression. The easy wag of his tail was returned by Ava, a slim smile falling across her maw as she maintained composure while the heavy beating of her heart slowed. Then, just as kindly as he had come across her, he asked,

Are you alright?

It was a question to which she would have lied without a second thought, had this been any day in the month prior. It was the easiest to slip a false answer to - yes, such a simple word. One syllable, almost programmed with a monotonous tone to fly from between her teeth whenever the question was prompted. A lie, it had been, most always. The first law of survival was not to show weakness and admitting one's defeat was especially harmful to a lone wolf - and following that, Ava had desired with all of her heart to prove herself to Rhysis and Naira, and therefore she expressed great digression before divulging any of her problems. The Lady Gang was quick to form and it was easily dropped - but such a habit continued with those whose acquaintance she did not have well enough, such as Ash.

Amber eyes studied him closely for a moment, recalling how eagerly she had distrusted him before hand and how little Athena had cared at all for his familial relations. Whatever oddities he had displayed on their first meeting seemed to have disappeared. He seemed genuinely willing to work for his place in the pack and his question, simple question - are you alright? - had seemed honest as well. Ava had finally given herself another chance at this life - Ash would deserve the same.

Her pale smile growing, she nodded firmly and responded, "Yes, finally." Her tone lacked the kind of attention-needy invitation to ask her what had been wrong purely so she could complain about her problems. Nor was it entirely a sound of absolute and utter relief. Rather, Ava's words came calm - she had accepted the tragedy and the sadness and lived through it and now, it was simply behind her. But the itch to move hadn't quite been quelled like her blackness had, and she turned away from the male slightly. With a raise of her chin and a little eye contact she begged the question - walk with me? and began again on the untamed trails of the mountain, though this time she adopted a leisurely pace.

Providing that he followed Ava would glance at him from the corner of her curious eye and return with a sly grin, "And what of you, Ash? Enjoying the Poisoned life?"