fine I'll spend time with the damn bird

Zephyr pushed off the ground hard as he called for the race to start, giving heavy beats of his wings to ensure him enough propulsion to keep pace with the direwolf who had already pulled ahead. The mountain winds were becoming more familiar to him after spending a week in the Col, and while they were not as easy to fly as the ocean-side cliffs were, he managed to stay on path easily enough as they rounded the first corner up the mountainside.

Azure disappeared into a cavern just ahead and Zephyr slowed, throwing out his talons before him and hitting the ground in a run. His wings were forced to fold slightly against his side to fit, but height-wise the cavern was comfortable enough. Running as hard as he could (which wasn’t very well) he did his best to keep pace with the direwolf, but fell further and further behind.

And then he ran into a wall.

The crossroads had come suddenly (and Zephyr was sure he left a few feathers behind from his crash) but it was time to choose a path. Without the nose of a wolf he could not determine which way Azure went, and he had no idea which one might lead further up the mountain. Trusting his gut, he chose a path and continued down it. A bruise felt like it was forming beneath his face feathers, but determination won out over pain any day.

Zephyrus vs Azure for Race
Round 2/4
Age: under 1 year
Size: Paleo species
Build: Light
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Expert Navigator