Stonewatch Timbers in my mind like parachutes

AW with a special mention to @Minkaela. <3

They'd been walking for some time. He'd wanted to make it to the Crest before resting again, but as Gent continued to maneuver the forest's brush he could feel the burn of exhaustion in his old muscles. Clouding blues looked up to the sky to gauge the time, while he tried to plan the next step. Keep pushing, or take a breather?

He glanced sideways next, looking upon his granddaughter's dial as though she might help him make up his mind.

"How ya feelin' Minki?" his gravelly voice asked of her.

"Still got all your paws? Two ears? Yer tail attached?"

(This post was last modified: Sep 09, 2021, 08:05 PM by Gent.)

(Aww, cuute)

Minkaela followed behind with a spring in her step that did not match the long journey they had been on. Instead of complaining or asking are we there yet, she busied herself with daydreaming of the lands her Pop-pop often described. She imagined them to be beautiful, with all sorts of interesting new friends to make. She was so wrapped up in the imaginary in her mind that she paid little to no attention to their surroundings. "Huh?" Her voice came out soft and confused accompanied by a dazed look on her dainty face.

"Oh! I'm fine!" Minki replied with a sheepish smile, but the look in her eyes gave way to her tiredness. The silvery wolf smirked at his question and gave a soft giggle. One at a time, with a bounce in between, she lifted her front paws up, "Yes and yes!" Then she wiggled her ears and wagged her tail, sticking her pink tongue out at him. "All good!"

She assured him she was fine, but he could see the lethargy lurking behind her eyes, ready to overtake her one the guard was down. Unceremoniously, Gent stopped walking and lowered his haunches to the ground all in one fluid motion. That settled it; he was done. For now, anyways.

"We should rest," he informed her of the decision while his head twisted back and forth, looking over the little impromptu campsite. The roots of a nearby tree formed a natural cradle, with soft, verdant growth reaching up between the fingers of bark. Gent huffed and pointed to it with his muzzle before heaving himself back onto his paws and trudging the short distance to it.

"Maybe Sin will catch up."

He wasn't really sure when the last time they'd seen his eldest grandchild was, memory fuzzy and blurred each time he tried to sift through it. It was clear the man wasn't very concerned, even if he should have been. His daughter certainly wouldn't have appreciated his losing one of her only two sons. At least she had the spare.

With a big ole sigh he collapsed into the makeshift bed and got his aching bones comfortable.

"What would you like, Minki? A story or a game?"

Minkaela cocked her head to the side, ears pressing forward while her brows creased. Her tail wagged slowly behind her in mild confusion as she watched the aging male find his way to the ground. The girl remained standing for a moment after he spoke, processing the decision somewhat hesitantly. They were out in the open, were they not? She looked to the sky and scented the air, curious if the weather would remain nice enough. The huff pulled her vibrant eyes back down from the endless blue abyss and she followed his snout to a makeshift den. She admired it briefly, a smile forming on her lips. How clever was her pop-pop! She bounced after him with a shake of her silvery pelt.

His words caught her off guard, faltering in her step to a sudden stop. She peered over her shoulder with thoughts of doubt slipping into her mind, with a deep breath she figuratively blew them all away. Minki had faith in her big brother, "I know he will." There was a force behind her words that left no room for uncertainty.

The girl returned her attention to the present, taking the last few steps towards the tree. Gently she tugged on Gent's ear before plopping down onto him and rolling around. She squished her tiny body into his frame, moving about until she was perfectly comfortable. Then she peered up at him with excitement. Both! Both! She wanted both! Her face contorted into that of concentration, with the tip of her tongue peeking out between her front teeth. At last, with a childlike gleam in her eyes she declared, "Storytime, please."