The climb uphill had been an unpleasant one. Why they were going up this hill it was unknown to Rosemary, even though she was currently the one at the head of the line. It was midday now and the trek had started early in the morning, where the cool wind whipped at her chocolate fur and sent it flapping around in a fury. It was painful at first to have her coat to be pulled around so violently, but the chill bite soon made her skin numb. Numb like her stomach, paws, and brain. Life had been turned around and upside down so quickly the Caselli brat did not know what to think just yet. The endless whining and complaining had ceased days after leaving their homeland, her kind hearted sister was more forgiving than Rose would have been. Had her sister been whining away as much as she had been, Rose would have tossed her off a cliff already. No, she couldn't do that? Her sister was all she had now.

Every so often she'd pause and turn around slightly just to see if her sister was still bobbing around behind her, Rosemary was afraid she'd disappear if she didn't constantly confirm. Crystal eyes would water at every sight of something gleaming in the cliffside. It reminded her of home and how diamonds were deposited loosely everywhere. The Clan didn't use them as a sign of wealth, they were so commonplace it was like finding deer dung. But now, Rose would have loved to have a piece of home with her.

The spring time sun greeted her at the top of the cliff. It was a bit foggy and definitely cold up here. Shivering and clanking her teeth together obnoxiously, Rose's weary eyes fell on the large patch of budding wildflowers. "Wrong fucking season?" she muttered, the sweet scent of flowers was fading from her roots. Back home Rose made sure to roll in a patch every morning, what was a Caselli princess without her perfume? An exasperated sigh escaped her maw and she sat down carefully, Rose didn't want to sour her mood by sitting in a pile of grime now too.

Quietly and obediently, Odessa had welcomed her younger sister taking the helm and leading them on in their aimless journey. For now, it seemed, they had no destination. Her most distant desire was to be back home again, back where the air was sweet and her paws knew the land, back in the place she had been born, the place she deserved to be. But that was a desire ill-fated for it would never be met, not now, at least. Odessa knew this, and had tried to conjure a solution. Still, regardless of where they went, it felt as if no place could fill the void in both her and her sister's hearts. Perhaps they wandered with the subtle hope that they wouldn't need to find a new home. Oh, she was want of the day she would see a messenger run to them and bring them back to their rightful kingdom.


Alas, Odessa could not trust anybody to fulfill her quest but herself. She would see it done promptly and perhaps she would be the one to send the messenger. All dreams; for now, she was faced with reality as her sister found the teetering edge of the cliff and sunk down among the grass, huffing about something. Tilting her head, Odessa swept up beside her sister, ocean eyes fixing on the yearling. "It's cold up here, Rosie. Why don't we head down to the beach?"
She suggested gently, shrugging away a vile gust of cold, salty air. "We'll be out of the wind."
Odessa added and peered out over the edge of the cliff. The honey dame inched towards its edge, craning her neck to look down.


Somewhere along the cliff face she could see a haphazard path beaten against the rock wall. It twisted and winded around boulders and ledges, but it was manageable if they were patient. It was cold and gusty up here - Odessa so wished to be somewhere warm, even if her small paradise existed in the form of an isolated little beach.

Rosemary approached the edge of the cliff to join her sister for a glance. The view was a dizzying one that clenched her stomach, pulling away quickly Rose's face scrunched in annoyance. Often annoyed these days, the girl wasn't overly fond of hiking, heights, dirt, birds, mud... the list seemed to grow everyday away from the Clan. Seabirds swooped around over head, cooing out songs into the wind they glided on. "Giddy bastards, aren't they, Odie?" she grumbled to the golden brown girl who's eyes were fixed still looking down below. "Get away from that, I'm not gonna catch you if you fall!"

It was obvious Odessa was cold, she never stopped shivering. Rose quickly adapted to the cool breeze but her nose was running and eyes were getting a bit irritated. The skin beneath the fur on her pale face would be wind burnt after today, the salty air would only make the sensation worse. Sighing, Rose nodded solemnly to her sister's request and started off towards the haphazard trail. The Caselli train was leaving the cliff top.


The trail was even more dangerous than it appeared at first. Tender paw pads were quickly torn up on sharp stones and loose piles almost sent the small girl careening down the cliff and onto the beach that loomed hundreds of feet down still. Tail swished frantically behind her, Rosemary felt like she was walking a rope here. Swaying side to side and watching for sharp stones the adventure felt like it would never end! Scantly throwing a glance backward to Odessa to make sure she didn't fall off the edge yet, Rose sighed loudly again. The long empty sighs never seemed to end, this peasant life was for the dogs.

Odessa's attention had remained nabbed by the sheer cliff face below them. The birds above had gone unnoticed until her sister made a snarky comment, prompting the girl to raise her head to meet shadows of gulls passing over. Their trills and melodies were sudden, as if only now she could hear them. "They sing of the ocean. It must be warm and happy, somewhere out there." She hummed, watching them spin effortless patterns in the air above their heads. Odessa shook out her pelt, only stepping back as the yearling expressed concern. She twisted forward her ears, a smile of amusement lighting up her visage. "Where's your sense of adventure, Rosie?" She teased lighty and wagged her tail, expecting her sister to interpret this as a challenge.

Before long, she watched as Rosemary took to the edge of the cliff and began to crawl down the perilous pathway that would lead to their quiet beach. Odessa never lingered too far behind, choosing to keep an eye on her sister as she climbed down the rocky path. Every now and then the tiniest slip would cause her heart to skip a beat and her stomach to twist into knots - but she had faith in her sister and her nimble paws. They wanted shelter, to be out of the cold, and the beach below was just that. There they could regain their strength, catch something to eat and figure out a game plan.

The girl held out her tail behind her, balancing herself as she clambered down the narrow pathway. Every so often she would bump into Rosemary, or steel her legs to prevent herself from slipping. "Do you remember climbing the cliffs back home?" She would ask suddenly, a bid to distract herself from the dangers they pursued by descending the path.