Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn left the oasis only to find herself in more desert. The sky was still a dull, steely blue but she could see clouds starting to gather. They were white on the top and dark gray underneath which made her hope for rain. Her dismay of the desert soon turned to awe for as she reached the edge of the sands she found herself looking into a gorgeous canyon streaked in golds and rust tones. Strange stacks of rocks seemed to climb up from the floor and into the sky. It was one of the strangest things she'd ever seen but it was also really beautiful. She settled down next to one of the rock pillars and just took in the sights.

While the red rock area wasn't nearly so high and challenging as the mountains of the north it still made for a difficult climb, especially as they started downward into a small canyon. This area was just as dry as the rest of the desert had been but the clouds gave him hope. If they didn't drop their water to the west of here then perhaps they would spill it to the east. It was hard to say for sure. If anything gave him comfort it was the sites of this canyon. The rock here was vibrant in colors of rust and sienna. Striped rock swirled throughout the canyon walls and the strange pillars that rose from the floor made this area worth a visit.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

As they reached the bottom of the canyon they were enveloped fully in the shade provided by each of the walls. It was amazing how much cooler it felt in the shade, almost like autumn in the east. The cooler temperatures provided a welcome break as they began to climb up the other side. The sun was slowly moving westward and Jynn felt confident they could reach the top by evening. After that they'd just have to see what was on the other side. If it looked equally inhospitable they could probably find a cave or something in the canyon wall to den for the night before starting again in the morning. Probably very early in the morning so they could get in a good amount of travel before noon.

Álarr turned his head from the sights around him to the path ahead and focused on where he was putting his paws. While the initial climb wasn't too bad he knew it would get more perilous the farther up they went. One misplaced step could send him careening to the bottom of the canyon and almost certainly ensure his death and if not that then serious injury. Sight-seeing was fine when he was standing still for a break but active movement meant focusing on the trail ahead and only that. He was so deep in focus he didn't really care to endure a conversation as well, thankfully Jynn was quiet and focused as she climbed.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn was panting pretty heavily by the time they reached the top of the canyon and were able to see the other side. But first she had to gaze back down into the canyon of the redwater rocks to see just how far they'd come. It was truly a breath-taking sight. She grinned down at Álarr. "Hey, you're close, keep going." With the encouragement given she turned around to see what lay before them. Alas, it looked like nothing but more barren land! What luck. She gazed northward as well as southward and saw there were more hospitable looking lands in these directions but it would be quite a trip to make it before nightfall.

Álarr would have to remember climbing up a canyon wall for endurance training. He was really getting a workout trying to make it to the top but eventually he did. He sat down on the canyon lip and gazed back down the way he'd climbed, but only for a second. Álarr turned away quickly as he felt a touch of vertigo at the sight. Instead he turned his attention to the surrounding landscape and was disappointed by the barrenness that stretched out to the east. Well, that direction was out at least for today. Heading northward or southward seemed more palatable though he was willing to bet the richer lands had already been claimed by packs. He knew there were a few of them out here.