Mountain of Dire Mountain climber

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>The morning was fully awake when Gladius reached the first bump on her way up the giant monster of a mountain, claws scrambling against the uneven ground as she paused to catch her breath and look down to where Relic Lore had slowly started to spiral away. She breathed in the fresh air, the ice blue sky hard and bright and promising of the spring that was to come. She wagged her tail with excitement and continued onward, climbing up a narrow path that zig-zagged past large boulders and scraggly trees. She was leaving behind the safety of the pines, trekking forth onto the blasted lands that would normally be cleared by early winter snow and ice and had not allowed the tall giants to keep root. The ground was hard packed, the air getting chilly as she walked farther and farther. The sun was a distant ball of warmth beating a rhythm on her back, and she reveled in the cold that greeted her like a well known friend.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>She stopped again, standing on a ridge that was cutting too sharp for her to climb further, forcing her to search for a softer slope up the mountain. Her paw pads were already chaffing, growing raw from the rocks and dips that she was not used to down in her forest dwelling, but offered new experience that would surely help hr if ever she made such a climb again. She looked around, and seeing a boulder that would offer something of a view to where she might start her journey again, she padded over to it carefully. She sniffed it, and placing a paw against it's jagged surface, pushed to test it's stability. It didn't move, and satisfied, she bundled her limbs under her and leaped upon it. Her shoulder strained, the thick scab not at all pleased with her powerful movement, and the boulder shifted under her threatening.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>"Whoa." She breathed, like a rider trying to soothe a skittish mount, but the boulder did not listen. It wobbled and shook, and then started to rock. She gripped the edges wildly, leaning back to try to weigh it down into the earth. It shifted forward, towards a ledge that slanted down into a field of broken rocks and gravel. Slowly it started to skid downwards. "Whoawhoawhoooanonono- No! STOP!" She push back hard on her hind legs, and panicking, sat down hard on the very back of the boulder. It clawed at the earth and halted as it caught on thicker rocks and soil, pebbles and dust streaming around it as it's movement ceased. Gladius started to laugh, panicked breaths streaming out of her lungs, but a look of childish wonder and exhilaration domination her fear and adrenalin. She carefully rose to her shaky feet, and turning in a quick movement, leaped off the boulder and scrambled back up the rise. Her feet were cut on the rocks, the stinging sensation only spurring her on as she reached the lip of the ridge and heaved herself up onto it, panting and looking around with a wild smile. </font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>"Haha!" She shouted and rolled onto her back, falling against the ground and staring up at the sky. "Blessed is thee who challenges the mountain, and the mountain yields!" Gladius breathed, curling her paws to her chest and thumping her tail by her side. Even with her near-fall, she felt alive and welcomed on the mountain's merciless peaks. It was gripping her in it's icy embrace, and she returned the gesture happily. Perhaps she was crazed, or maybe just having much too much fun. It did not bother her that her final moments could have been there and then, in her opinion, it would have been a worthy death.</font>

-do you mind if Yela takes to this?

Yela was sure she had heard something a head of her. Placing her paws carefully she was scolding herself for ever going up her. Little by little she figured out where the best places for her paws where. Continueing her trek up the mountion side she slipped and was saved only by the chance of a tree root. Pulling her self back up onto the safety of the small trail she had found. Yela was panting, not that it was hot, because of the strength it had taken. Lifting her self to her feet once more she regained her footing and started again. This time more aware of her surroundings.

Yela was breathing heavely by the time she had reached the ridge. She noticed a small trail of rocks, that of which a rock had slid, and wondered how it had happened. Turning slowly and gently she looked behind her making sure nothing dangurous followed. When she was satisfided with her look out she continued on. Hoping no more near death sutuations happend she was more careful now than ever. Up the slope she went her back legs working her up the mountian side. She stopped and looked at the new ridge infront of her, and froze.

Yela froze her legs stiff as she saw the wolf, not even two wolf leaps away. She gulped hoping the wolf was at least freindly. Making herself even smaller than her size she was able to squeak out her voice,<b>"Hello there,"</b> was all she could muster.

"I'm not here to fight, just to say goodbye."
-Yela
Lone Wolf

- Not at all!

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>In an instant the cinnamon and cream wolf was on her feet, ears erect and body poised towards the stranger that stood below her on the ridge. Her tail was held high, as was a natural position, as she regarded the wolf carefully. A smile snapped into place when the greeting was spoken, and although her dominant stance did not change, she relaxed. "Hello stranger." Gladius could tell that the ginger and brown she wolf had a year or two on her, but this did not intimate the two year old. She respected her elders enough to treat them as equals, which meant that age did not give them the upper hand on her. She waved her tail and turned on her pads, pointing up, up up up to the very tip of Dire Mountain. "On your way up?" She tilted her head, giving her face a playful look as she leaned on her toes and stretched, shaking her ruff in a flowing movement.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>She turned back around and in a fluid movement, jumped and stepped down the ridge till she was almost nose to nose with the female. Gladius was taller than the wolf, and she looked down at the stranger with a curious raise of her brow. "Why so small sister?" She noticed her shrinking appearance, as if the girl was trying to hide herself in plain sight, and she leaned down and nudged the female's shoulder. She never did under low esteem in the face of strangers, Gladius always thought it wiser to be confident and strong in the face of unknown, then weakness could not be taken advantage of. If she kept it on the inside, then the only one that had to know was her.</font>

Yela watched the she-wolf with tense muscles. Yela shook her head in reply to the female's question.<b>"No, I don't really know why I came up here,"</b> Yela squeaked. The wolf seemed so big, and Yela kept shrinking. Finally, she was in a low crouch. She smiled a bit when a playful look crossed the female's face. Yela stood still frozen and was shocked when the wolf began to descend towards here. As the female came closer Yela's eyes whipped around looking for somewhere to run. Yela shut here eyes tight and felt the breath of the female on her.

She heard the female and opened her eyes slowly. Looking up at her she said quietly,<b>"Habit I guess. But I guess it depends on if your going to use me,"</b> it wasn't a question but she left it hang in the air. When the she-wolf nudged her she took a step to the area in which she had pushed her towards. Yela relaxed a bit and came out of her small stature. She was still standing yet her fur was relaxed and she now looked like her medium self. Still Yela was not sure of the female and was not yet open to talking that much. "I'll let here talk first," Yela thought.

"I'm not here to fight, just to say goodbye."
-Yela
Lone Wolf

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>"Ah, what use would you be to me?" Gladius asked simply, yet not unkindly, as she raised her tail and moved her chin to rest on top of the she-wolf's muzzle. It was less a thought and more an instinct, some deeply buried need to assert her dominance over the timid wolf, and an act that was surly just practice for when more aggressive wolves crossed her path. Glad stepped away, back up the ridge, turning her back on the wolf as she looked back up to her destination, her goal now remembered as she admired the jagged peak. "Well, if you don't know, then it is probably best to follow me little sister. Wouldn't want something wicked to come along and eat you up, eh?" Gladius joked, her good nature showing as she slowly started back up the rise, glancing behind to see if the she-wolf would indeed follow her.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>When she was back where she had previously stood, she looked around again for some way up the mountain, and seeing no straight path, vouched for one that crookedly started and wound it's way out of sight. "What is your name?" Gladius shouted, her voice carrying over the ridge and having a slight echo as she padded up that path, not bothering this time to look back and see if her companion was on her trail or not.</font>

Yela pulled back a bit knowing what the motion ment. She lifted her head under the younger wolves chin acknowledging her. As the female bounded away Yela followed not that far from her. Lifting herself onto the ridge she followed her. As the voice floated down to her she said loudly,<b>"Yela Whitetree lone wolf. How old are you?"</b> Yela almost fell backwards at the sound of her own voice. It seemed to loud for her small body, and to deffensive.

She bounded up to where the she wolf was last at. She swiftly dug her claws in as a a blast of air whent past her. She looked ahead of her and bounded after the female after a couple of breaths.

"I'm not here to fight, just to say goodbye."
-Yela
Lone Wolf

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>The air that almost toppled her companion made Gladius smile ferociously, she opened her jaws and breathed in the blast of mountain air, her tail waving happily. There was nothing like breathing in the breath of the gods, she thought as she continued upward, flicking her ears curiously at Yela's inquiry. "This will be the third winter I have witnessed." Gladius shouted back, looking at the snowy peak and feeling the cold, almost for the first time, as she actually considered how own age. It seemed she was fully grown, at her peak and prime, and this idea made her chest swell with power. At last, nothing would be able to hold her back. Not age, not her stature. She was now at the mercy of her own capability, and how wonderful that was.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>"And pray tell, how many have you seen, Yela of Whitetree?" Gladius barked, scrapping her claws against rough gravel as she kicked hard against a rather uneven patch of ground. She sniffed at the air, and the smell of snow caught her attention even before her paw pad toughed a clump that had survived the chilly sunshine. She batted at it, and looking excited, she jumped ahead and anticipated the taste of mountain frost on her tongue. It had been a while since she'd last seen snow.</font>

Yela leaped up the trail hooking in her dew claw when needed. She listened as the female ahead spoke,<b>"Um, I'm three?"</b> she spouted. Clinging to the montain like a berr she followed the female farther.<b>"You never toold me your name stranger,"</b> Yela stated trying to catch up with her.

When her paw touched the cold snow a vibration went up her back. Knowing spring was coming wasa very good feeling for her. She sniffed the air and a new energy took her. Bounding up faster than before she soon was right on the tail of the younger female. She bounded behind the young female as they continued.

(This post was last modified: Feb 29, 2012, 09:51 PM by Yela.)

"I'm not here to fight, just to say goodbye."
-Yela
Lone Wolf

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Gladius slowed and caught her breath, panting as she stumbled against a steeper part of the trail and looked down. Her eyes widened in joyful shock at how far up they were her tail high and waving in the cold mountain air. The fall that she looked upon landed directly on jagged rocks and edges that would surly claim the life of even the hardiest wolf. Looking out from where she was, she could see the whole of Relic Lore, the forests great green teeth and the rivers swirling between them like spittle on a rabid mouth. She looked back at her companion and grinned.</font>
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>"I am Gladius of The Blacksea!" She cried, ending her words in a hearty howl that rang down the mountain side and was lost in a blast of wind that roared to challenge her song. She rocked back and forth, so dangerously close to the edge of oblivion. Looking at Yela wildly, she turned her back on the view and leaped up the mountain again, as if she were a cousin to the leggy goats that called this place home. Speak of the devil, she spotted a trio of the beasts a ways ahead of her, not at all concerned by the predators that tailed their trails. For this was their domain, and the wolves were simply tourists on the rocky peaks.</font>

Yela followed the female intently, now knowing her name. She spotted the goats, knowing how hungry she was. Yela was not a dare devil and she keept asking herself why she had come her in the first place. She knew of the risk she was doing now and did not dare to go after the fleet footed goats higher up.

She watched below her, slipping a bit but used her dew claw as a pick into the rocks and dirt of the mountain. The female bounded after the other her tawny fur swaying in the breeze, knowing one mistake would end up a deadly cosquence.

"I'm not here to fight, just to say goodbye."
-Yela
Lone Wolf