Svala worked her way up the mountainside, heaving her small frame up the rocky terrain. It was a point in her life where she wished she had Kiela's height. Longer legs would definitely help navigating through this terrain. They were still low on the mountain range. Tangled, twisted pine trees grew all around them. In some ways it was like a maze trying to navigate a way to the top of the mountain. Svala paused at one point to dig her claws in a nearby pine tree, hoping to leave a mark they could reference later. "This is a real workout. I wonder if there's still snow at the top or if it all melted off for the summer." The sky was still cloudy but the clouds formed a thin film over the sky. They didn't seem like the kind that would cause rain, which was good. She didn't want to encounter a mudslide on their journey. "Talk" "You" Think

Moving up the rocky mountainside was proving easier for Kiela than Svala, but she was in no real hurry to climb the peak quickly. When it came to exploring and navigating harsh terrain she was often content to enjoy the journey as much as she did the destination. The sights alone were worth her taking her time, as far as she was concerned. Though the sights near the top would grew infinitely more breathtaking, there was beauty to be found in all living things, so even at their lower elevation Kiela was enthralled with the surroundings. She studied one particularly gnarled pine tree, teeming with vibrant green needles, before redirecting herself toward Svala, who was marking another tree. Getting lost didn't bother her personally, but Svala seemed to be more concerned with knowing her path, and Kiela wouldn't argue that.

"Yes, a workout," she agreed with a faint smile. There was little she could think of that was more rewarding than a good rest after an adventure like this one; after such a climb it was impossible not to sleep soundly, given how vigorously your muscles had been working. "Is hard to say," Kiela speculated, reflecting on her question. This particular peak seemed to be a smaller one but she'd often been surprised to find snow at the top of even smaller mountains. She heaved herself up, taking a shortcut in the terrain and using her longer limbs to her advantage to leap onto a rocky outcrop, temporarily passing ahead of Svala. She had no intention of staying in the lead, merely scouting ahead for a moment while her smaller acquaintance caught up.

Svala leaned against a pine tree before continuing again. She found herself along a natural trail with a steep drop off on one side and a large stone wall on the other. This was some what precarious and she secretly hoped they didn't run into any bears on this journey. There certainly weren't many options if one needed to escape. The trail started to flatten out and Kiela leapt up to an outcropping. Svala's legs coiled and she sprang up to join her her companion. "Wow, this is a great view. What was the landscape of your home like, Kiela?" Svala watched the clouds drift by, feeling the cool, northern breeze on her fur. It was a nice contrast from the heat of summer in the lower regions of Boreas. She spied another pine tree and tipped back onto her kind legs to pick at the bark with her claws. She worked until she had another little marking they could use in case they got lost. She trusted Kiela's sense of direction but she didn't trust her own. She had a tendency to overthink where she was going and where she'd been. "Talk" "You" Think

This was where Kiela felt most free, and most alive. This kind of terrain was the sort of place she didn't expect a pack to attempt to claim and settle down in, at least not in any permanent fashion. As she continued to explore Boreas, it became increasingly obvious to her that these wolves were not like the ones she had been born into. They viewed land (and sometimes even wolves) as property, to claim and to rule over, a thought that Kiela detested. But there would always been mountains and other equally treacherous terrain that weren't suitable for permanent life. Prey was scarce up here and hunting in such terrain was a dangerous feat at best.

What had her home been like? Kiela considered the question for a moment, glad for the temporary reprieve in the way they were heading. She paused as she stood on the little outcrop, taking in the view before her. "Like this, a bit," she explained, glancing sideways at Svala. "Mountains, and much snow. Cold." Though she had arrived in northern Boreas in the midst of winter, it had hardly been the worst winter she'd encountered. "What of yours? Your home?" The beauty of the world was that there was so much to explore. Even from her position she could see the variety of landscapes that stretched before them, from mountains to grasslands to forests. Further west the world appeared more desolate, though in an entirely different way than the far north had been.

After a brief pause she was content to move along too, letting Svala make her marking before loping along beside her. The terrain was growing harsher, despite the decent path they'd been on. It continued for a short while up ahead of them but as the altitude rose, the vegetation grew scarcer, and the rocks more treacherous. This was hardly the most dangerous climb she'd made but it wouldn't stop her from being acutely aware of her surroundings as they started forward again.

Svala soaked in more of the view, watching the clouds drift by on their way southward. The clouds that had brought rain to the steppe had moved on now and likely wouldn't cause any more disturbances. The rocky terrain of the maw looked like it housed several options for caves. If she could find a suitable one she'd be set for the night. Kiela stated that her home was a lot like the mountains they were exploring. She couldn't imagine growing up in such rough terrain. "I grew up in a tall grass prairie, along a river that ran through the terrain." She was used to seeing the horizon and miles in either direction. The higher they climbed the rougher the terrain. Svala continued to mark trees as she felt would benefit them, until at last the trail resulted in a dead end, leading to an outcropping that looked out on western Boreas. They were so high up that for a moment Svala felt dizzy. "Wow, we're so high up. I wonder if this is the highest point in Boreas." "Talk" "You" Think

This sort of terrain made her miss Kiela miss her homelands, but she knew such feelings were just that - feelings. At the end of the day, exploring new lands and getting her footing here in Boreas was far more important than her personal comfort. Before long she would be tending to the herds as they prepared for winter, and those fleeting feelings of nostalgia would be carefully swept aside. At least she could find some reprieve in little mountain climbs like this one, and she was grateful she'd found a good, albeit temporary, travel partner. Svala wasn't overly talkative, something that Kiela appreciated. "That sounds nice," she spoke after a moment, her words genuine. what was suitable for some wolves was not suitable for all, Kiela recognized as much.

By the time they reached a higher altitude Kiela was definitely beginning to feel the burn in her limbs from their climb. It was a rewarding feeling rather than a completely uncomfortable one. Living an idle, stagnant life wasn't suited for her - she'd much rather sleep soundly knowing she'd fully exerted herself on any given day. Today would no doubt be one of those days. "Could be," she commented, taking the moment to pause and look out across the west. She had yet to go very far west and wondered briefly if she ought to spend the latter part of winter there. Only time would tell where her journeys would lead her, though. It wasn't a decision for today. "Do you like? Being so high?" A very rare smile touched her lips as she glanced toward Svala, hoping she enjoyed the altitude even a fraction as much as Kiela did.