Caniri regretted being so stupid. He had gone out with the intention of exploring the area and looking for food but sometime during his trip he had moved more into the exploration category and less in the food. Somehow he had ended up heading south east of Magnolia Glen. He didn't know where he was until he finally came across the red mountains. He must be in the place that they called Sierra Hills. He had heard of the place before, although the stories didn't do the scenery justice. Even through the snow, the sandy hills glowed scarlet in the sun, the afternoon light rebounding of the maroon soil. The sky looked pale in comparison to the ruby snow, and the trees stood in stark green contrast.
So why was he stupid? Upon seeing the majestic hills, he decided that he wanted to see what the world looked like from the top of them. He set out, working his way through the narrow passages and up the steep slopes. While it was a lot of work, it wasn't impossible. Had he been well fed and not feeling the harshness of the winter, Caniri probably wouldn't have had much trouble, but as it was, he found his weakened muscles fighting to do what they used to be able to. He had made it to the top and the view wasn't what he thought it would be. It was better. He could see the snow covered land of the Lore stretched out before him. Trees dotted the landscape, clumping together to form forests. In the distance was the misty form of the Mountain of Dire. Cold Water Creek wound through the forests and over the rocks, sparkling in places where animals had broken through it. It was breath taking.
So he was at the top now. The problem was getting back down. Caniri's muscles already protested the energy he had spent. In all reality, he shouldn't have. He didn't have the energy to spare with the food shortage but he couldn't resist the urge. He had felt a desire, a strange pull taking him up the hills. He had needed to see his new home like this. Sighing, Caniri resigned himself to the task ahead. He painstakingly picked his way over rocks and between cliffs as he slowly made his way back down. At one point, his paw punched through a layer of ice that he thought was over rock and really spanned over air. He was forced to scramble back in order to keep himself from plummeting into the space beyond. When it came to the smoother slopes Caniri found that if he was careful, he could just sit and slide his way down, using the snow to his advantage.
He was less than a hundred yards from he bottom and had decided to take one last slide to the end. Taking a small hop for momentum, he started down the side. Sitting in the snow, he slid, but rather than riding smoothly down the side like the other times, a hidden branch caught his foot, pulling his ass out from underneath of him and sending him head over heels. He tumbled down the side, the world swirling in whites and greys as it went from sky to snow. He tried desperately to right himself but it was in vain. Once he reached the bottom he crashed into a snow drift, causing him to be completely buried in snow. Without it, he no doubt would have broken something on the way down. He groaned. "Well, wasn't that just fan-fucking-tastic."