Summer in the northern mountains was divine, if you asked Aesir. Fresh crisp air, beautiful vistas, towering forests and fertile valleys. The volcano's wrath seemed to be less felt in this region, and for that the antlered male was endlessly grateful. He had filled his belly that morning on a yearling elk, and spent the rest of his afternoon lazing beside a fast flowing stream, belly too bloated with his spoils to move. It was a lazy, blissful existence. So much so that he could almost forget the predicament he had found himself in. Aesir veered sharply away from that train of thought. Was it an all-encompassing, overbearing weight on his already fragile psyche? Well, yes but even in the lowest of times he would always have denial by his side. Those were painful thoughts for another day. For now he was fat and warm and happy, and that would have to be enough. Resting as he was perhaps twenty yards from the narrow stream's side, nestled in a deep valley bordered on either side by towering peaks, Aesir was as content as he could remember being in all of the moons since leaving Boreas so long ago. He hummed to himself, wondering if he had digested enough to risk standing. It took a long minute for the large male to muster the will but at last he rolled to his feet, slowly and not unlike a turtle methodically tipping back over after being toppled onto its back. He groaned as he stood, and then stretched. He wouldn't be running any sprints for an hour or so, but he seemed fit enough to wander aimlessly, so that was what he intended to do. "Aesir Speaks" "Aesir Listens" Aesir Thinks

Ever since the volcano had taken it's wrath out upon the land it had seemed like adventure and exploration were impossible. There was only so many times a child could wander their birth-land, only so much variation in the rocks and trees and grasses. Aryn was easy to please for a pup, though she still felt the monotony of it all. When she turned one it seemed like life opened up to her in a multitude of ways, and with barely a warning to her father the young lady always seemed to be out and about away from pack lands. With so much to see and do, the brand-new navigator had made herself a mental list of the wondrous sights she might seek out first. Waterfalls landed near the very top of her list, and as the yearling bounded north she pictured how the water might arch over the rocks and the sound it'd make when it crashed below. It wasn't hard to find such a place, she needed only to follow the rushing river as it weaved through the dancefloor of the gods. Upon arrival the yearling let out a pleased yip, the most gleeful smile plastered upon her lips. Without caution she leaped into the the base of the falls, kicking and splashing and echoing mad giggles off the cliffs that surrounded her. The land was so pleasant and new, each sense working over-time to take in the beauty of the world. A scent reached her then, and she realized she was not alone. Uncharacteristic shame flooded through the yearling, and she bit her lip to stifle her giggles. Drawing upon whatever dignity she had left she stepped out of the water towards him, bending her lithe form in a respectable bow of greeting. "I didn't see you there." She admitted with a warm smile, a trace of her laughter still within her voice. "I hope I didn't interrupt your relaxation." The man was a handsome one, and as Aryn grew into maturity she'd spent more and more time dreaming of a gentleman to sweep her off her paws. A soft blush entered her cheeks, and she turned her head away shyly. Really, she couldn't help it. This was to be the first new wolf she'd met since growing up in Lirim. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

I have toured the endless starlight…

Well, shit. She'd really stepped in it this time. Aerndis balanced precarious on a steep ridge with a mountain goat between her jaws. The creature seemed far heavier than it had any right to be but she wasn't going to let it go. Not a chance. She'd worked her tail off to catch the goat and add yet another hide to her collection, but the question was now how did she get to the base of the mountain in one piece. She was so close but one miscalculation had her in a situation. Aerndis carefully shifted her jaws to get a better hold. She still had yet to find Legion and a lone wolf had to eat. Either they both got down the mountain safely or both were going to be shiny new decorations for visitors.

She moved first one paw and then another. Going down was definitely worse than going up. She was making good and steady progress but just as she was getting close she slipped on the last leg and landed with a crash right into a pile of bushes. "Son of a giant hog's ass hair!" She stood up forcefully, bits of foliage clinging to her fur. When she turned her head she froze. Shit, shit, shit…. there were two other wolves not too far off. Had they witnessed that disaster? "Umm… hi."

Aesir hadn't noticed the youngling approach, mind buzzing with pleasant fullness as it was. It wasn't until she began splashing and mucking about that his ears twitched her way, and by the time he managed to slug his head around for a proper view she had noticed him as well. Aesir noted with mixture of mild amusement and approval that the young thing had some vestige of manners, returning to her the bow she had given, though it was more of a nod on his part. "Ah, nothing to fret over. I fear that if I relax for much longer moss will begin to grow over my hide." He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by an entrance that was... well, a bit harder to miss. "Son of a giant hog's ass hair!" He barked out a laugh, both at the colorful language and the sight of a spectacularly plumed wolf plummeting out of the sky. She landed gracelessly in a bush, but at least there had been something to break her fall. As long as she hadn't impaled herself or anything, it probably helped. Probably. "You break anything? I'm a shit healer, better at giving wounds than mending them." Hell, at this point he would probably turn his gut over if he had to seek one out. Aesir doubted the youngling would be able to do much either, but who was he to assume? "Aesir Speaks" "Aesir Listens" Aesir Thinks