Sierra Hills relentless

This is not a good post, but it's all I got. lol RUSTY.

The cold months of winter and eventually even the damp, lingering days of spring passed he and his companion easily. Though the wood that they had temporarily chosen to claim as their home was often wreathed in hazy fog and the perpetual drizzle that seemed to plague the entire area was irritating both he and Hush had managed to thrive. The relative safety of a cozy den and a familiar territory beneath his paws had given him the ability to hunt and put muscle back on, the thinness that had plagued him since the days he had traveled hard and far at Siku's side finally passed, leaving him back in peak physical condition – or as close to as he could hope with his mangled shoulder, anyway.

The decision to leave had not been easy but it seemed to be inevitable as well. Saying goodbye to his father had been the most of the reason why it was difficult to leave the wood and move on into a new place in the world. The familiarity of the woods he and Hush inhabited had never held the weight of a true home to him and while his practical side frowned at the idea of leaving behind a safe place he acknowledged that the place he had settled into was not the one he wanted for the rest of his life. There was something better, something new to be had and he hungered for it.

He didn't know, not really, if Jazz approved of his choice to go wandering out into the wide world again – but at least this time they had parted ways without bitterness and anger – at least this time he had said goodbye before going. A small lingering nag worried that those words might be the last ones he would ever say to his aging father. He knew well the possibility that if he was gone enough years this time that Jazz would not exist for him to ever find again. Still, he had swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed aside the lingering doubts and told himself that he'd made the best decision he could for himself.

He wasn't entirely sure how Hush felt about moving on to a new place but she'd wanted to come with him and he had obliged this willingly enough. In the past he had moved through the world often times alone, the road had been his companion and he had trekked tirelessly through lands he didn't have names for and couldn't have found again if he tried. It was different to have a companion but now that they were more used to working as a team living the harder leaner lives of packless wolves it went well enough for them.

Summer was coming on in truth and he found himself panting as he climbed upward over treacherous mountainous territory that he did not have a name for. As he went up in altitude the territory became more barren and even less welcoming to his paws. He relished the challenge and forced himself on. He'd left Hush safely behind in the valley to settle and rest and perhaps hunt for a meal while he went out to scout. He wasn't sure if they would stay here but the lure of the scent of their kind was enough to make them decide to hold over here at least for a couple of days and see what the draw of this place was.

With his breath coming hard he finally stopped at a ridge over looking the surrounding territories, surveying the area as the thumping of his heart slowed and eased back into it's regular rhythm. It was a fine, clear day with a soft breeze made only slightly more sharp by the rugged cliffsides and jagged mountain peaks and his blue eyes could see far and wide into the heart of the unfamiliar place laid out before him. Would they stay here, would this sight someday become familiar to him as the Seahawk Valley and the Salvajes and Neve before it had been?