All About the Aesthetic

Aesir sat hunched over the carcass of fat hare. Stumbling across it had been a good start to his morning, and the prospect of beginning the day with a full belly put him in high spirits. His teeth crunched down on a haunch and tore it away. Aesir sat upright as hew chewed, looking out over the rocky landscape. The weather was clear and calm, at least for it being the ass end of autumn. It was cold and the wind was persistent, but that was no real inconvenience. He tentatively planned to spend his day seeking out high ground, hoping to get the lay of things and start piecing together his mental map of these lands. As it was, he felt woefully bereft of any useful information, and that was never a comfortable position to be in.

He made quick work of the rabbit's remains, and once it was reduced to little more than bones and tufts of fur he set out on his way. Aesir liked this region so far. The field of stones set amongst peat and springy moss felt familiar to him. If he happened to stumble upon a forest of dark pines and firs, it would begin to feel like being home again. Aesir quickly shook those thoughts away, nipping the bud on any potential wallowing. He wouldn't waste his energy moping over the family who had turned their backs on him and his brothers. No, he was going to have a great time purely to spite them.

The well-muscled brute had an easy time hefting himself up onto a nearby boulder, and then up to a larger rock yet. Aesir grinned to himself, and quickly began bounding from stone to stone, enjoying the feel of his body straining to accommodate the sudden burst of athleticism. Before long he was panting, muscles twinging from the abuse. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he huffed, feeling much more content than before. He paused, contemplating putting an end to his sudden game, then caught sight of one final stone. It was a fair bit larger than the others, and set at such an incline that getting to the top would be more of a fight than the others had put up. Aesir steered himself towards it, sizing the boulder up for only a heartbeat or two before leaping with all the force he could muster in his hind legs.

His claws scrabbled against the stone, fighting for purchase. The rock itself was unforgiving, and he felt a sting in the pads of his paws as they scraped across the rough surface. But at last and with a colossal heave, Aesir surged forward and pushed himself to its peak. Truly worn out now, he sat and panted, looking out far over the steppe as the land gently sloped away from him. Definitely worth it. A small flock of birds twittered overhead, and he watched them pass. He wasn't sure where to go from here, but it had been enough of a pain to get up there that he was in no rush to get down any time soon.

"Aesir Speaks" "Aesir Listens" Aesir Thinks