I Will Not Quit

Aresenn watched as Araxina took the leap, his heart pounding in his chest. His muscles were tense, ready to react if she misjudged her landing. His eyes narrowed as she stumbled, a growl catching in his throat. But of course, she didn’t disappoint- recovering with an agility that echoed his own, rolling and springing back onto her feet with a triumphant snort.

His stern face relaxed into a smirk as he nodded at her. "Good," he praised, his chest swelling slightly at the sight of his daughter's prowess. A half-sided smirk crossed his features before he composed himself once more. He turned and continued on, his gait steady despite the uneven terrain. "But don't let overconfidence be your downfall," he called over his shoulder. "This path is not forgiving."

As they wound their way further up the peak, their path became narrower and more treacherous. The landscape was a churn of grays and blues. With the sun glaring down on them, the stone beneath their paws turned hot, yet the air around them was crisp and thin. Aresenn's ears flicked back and forth, attentive to every sound - the rustle of a displaced pebble, the far-off squawk of a bird of prey, the constant rumbling of the waterfall that gave the peak its name. Despite its beauty, there was a constant undercurrent of danger lurking in the landscape around them.

Above them, the sun was relentless, its rays bouncing off the slate-gray cliffs. The roar of the waterfall was distant, a constant reminder of their ultimate goal: the unattainable peak. Aresenn squinted against the glare, his gaze attentive to any alterations in the landscape around them. The scent of the surrounding foliage filled his nostrils, heavy with a musk that spoke of a long, sweltering summer's day. The Waterfall Peak loomed menacingly ahead, its towering cliffs washed out in the bright sunlight. Aresenn took a moment to point it out to Xina, "See," he said, his voice low as he gestured towards the peak with his muzzle. "That’s where we're headed.”

"Aresenn Praetor"