Summer Days, Drifting Away

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