Over the Cloudy Sea

Hah! Cairo staggered out into the moonlight and the courtyard he’d been promoted in. It was deserted, and he took a good long while to sit and catch his breath in the thin air. He’d followed Aurielle’s instructions that should any of them decide to visit this place again that they take it slowly on the climb up, and follow the glowing hairs she’d left tucked in the stone crags along the whole tunnel. It made it a lot easier to navigate alone.

He’d actually had to douse the torch he’d lit with the coal horn he’d brought along, because it made it harder to see the glowing hairs his mentor had placed.

There were resting spots she’d pointed out the whole way up, and he spent at least an hour in each, letting his body acclimate to the altitude.

Now that he had his breath back, he rose and padded forward, gazing around with a sense of contentment. The place was buried in feet of snow, but the temple inside was clear, and he wriggled through the doors, setting about building a fire with the supplies he’d lugged all the way up.

He’d wanted to come here, to meditate on his life and explore the place more fully. But first, a meal. He meandered out to gaze down at the sea of clouds below the temple court, then settled, snacking on strips of venison.

He had a long way to go in his bid toward Sentinel, but if he set aside his personal tendency to short-change his achievements, he could see getting there sooner than age six. If he kept training hard, fighting hard, he might make it by four years of age.

Maybe he could train with Lia and they’d both reap the benefits. Funny how she’d come to mean so much to him. The girl was easily becoming his best female friend. Nolan would always claim the best guy friend slot in his life. His lips quirked in a grin, then a twinge of worry fluttered at his heart. What if, one day, the Armada chose to raid Valhalla, and not in a friendly mutual training way? He couldn’t see attacking the girl for real.

Stretching, he lowered his chin to his paws, watching the clouds below as he sank into thought.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think