Noctisardor Bypass petrichor

the sterling girl had peeled away from the others once again, much preferring to go on her own romp. there was so much to see here, so much new and exciting, and she didn't want to spend the day doing the boring things she probably should be. Her destination was clear- the giant hills that she was pretty sure were mountains. perhaps, if she were perched upon them, she'd be able to see everything!

her fast-paced gait was fueled by the excitable energy a child could possess, and her optics gleamed with the happiness of the sheer newness of spring. a damp, heavy, smell filled the air, -one she had dubbed her favourite thus far- of the damp earth shortly after rain had pummeled it. her pelt was still damp, the latest torrential downpour having not missed her, sky blanched. 

she noticed soon the earth turn to stone beneath her paws, and that it took more energy to move now than it had before. realising that she was indeed climbing the maybe-mountain, her pace increased, and she sought to see just how high she could get.

Grayday peeled back his lips to taste the air, worry eating at the pit of his stomach. He'd been tracking Dawn for the better part of an hour, now, and he'd still not caught sight of her. It was no surprise, on the side of this wretched mountain. It was all the same slate-grey of his daughter's pelt, and he had to focus on his paws lest her misstep and send himself slipping down the side of it.

It'd been a game, at first. He thought he'd stalk her for a moment and then start a game of tag, but when her trail went on and up and he still couldn't see her, Grayday had begun to worry. This wasn't in the range of places he'd permitted his children to go, and he wasn't sure whether she was being purposefully bad or if he just hadn't been clear enough, but at this point, it didn't really matter. As long as she was alive, he'd take her home without a fuss.

"Dawn?" he called, knowing she was near but unable to tell exactly where. "Where are you, babe?"

yes, perhaps she ought not to be here.
but that was beside the point. the point was that she was bored, and restless, and such an emotional state hardly ever led to doing something productive, and Grayday approved. besides, she'd be fine- she was quick and small and obviously the bestest ever at climbing. then came a voice, some distance behind her, and for a second, she paused, uncertain. but she was so close, and sure if she went going just a little longer, a little higher, it'd be worth it- she'd be able to se-

a misstep resulted in a tumble, and she braced her legs out awkwardly, coming near to doing the splits in doing so. she skidded back, heart suddenly fluttering against her ribcage. shaken, a regaining her footing after a moment, she paused, eyes wide. clearly shaken (honestly, it was a wonder the gangly girl had not fallen sooner) she called back after a moment, voice quivering in the slightest. "Here, Da!"

---

@Illecebra, @Grayday-sorry, should have been more clear! She is not in the territory, just on the slopes as they begin to rise up from the plains, on the fringes of the mountains. 

Are they inside the territory? A bit unclear about this sorry!

Illecebra's light footsteps were steady across the rocks of the mountains and hills, as she proudly carried a weasel from her jaws. The little thing had tried hiding beneath a small rock, to which she toppled over easily onto its hindquarters causing it to be trapped. The little beast had left it's mark however, a small series of scratches with blood welling up inside them could be seen  around her nose and maw. The scent of the newly fresh kill must have been strong for she didn't smell the two wolves until she was face to face with one of them, who was calling out to another.


Bristling slightly at the strangers she cleared her throat, hawk-like yellow eyes staring at the young woman who seemed clearly shaken from something."Hello. you're awfully close to our pack." her suspicion was kept in check as she took notice of the fact that this girl was younger than she had originally thought.

"Shit," Grayday muttered, his ears flickering uneasily as he heard a sudden clatter of rocks and the fur along the back of his neck bristling as he caught the scent of a stranger. Not just any stranger, either - one of the wolves that made up the group settling just over the incline.

The worried father picked up his pace and finally caught sight of Dawn, her small frame dwarfed by the stranger that stood so near. Though it would have been more polite to keep his distance, Grayday advanced toward the pair until Dawn stood in his shadow, speaking all the while to try and distract the woman from this action: "We're on our way out. My daughter wanted to see the top - we didn't realize it was settled on the other side."

None of this was true, of course, but Grayday had no worries that the woman would see through his lies. It was inconsequential, either way. They'd be out of the woman's hair soon enough if she knew what was good for her. And if she didn't - well, Grayday had tangled with worse. Keeping his eyes on the stranger, Grayday spoke to Dawn.

"C'mon, princess. Let's get going."

For the moment, all thoughts of her transgressions had left his mind.

approaching footsteps heralded the arrival of another, but from the opposite direction from Da. and quite suddenly she was there, a slightly irritated looking woman with stark yellow gaze.  brow furrowed, wondering what the woman meant, Dawn corrected her quickly, while having no idea what exactly she meant. " I'm on a mountain." She said matter of factly, brow still furrowed. "What's a gan...ganondorf-What's a Bypass?" 

but there was no more time to utter questions, for her father hurriedly came up behind her, talking all the while. she softened a little as he approached, ear's flattened a little in apology as she looked to him. she knew her wrongdoing's clearly and was still made a little nervous from her fall. In her mind, however, adults would only put a damper on adventure.

The apology from what seemed to be the youth's father was noted and she nodded quickly, sitting down where she was. She felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips as the girl began to ask questions. "Ganador Bypass is the name of a newly formed pack. One I am in actually. A bypass is...a path of land going around the main part of something as an alternative way to get to a destination"she explained loudly. For some reason she didn't want the girl's questions to be left unanswered. 



With a small sigh she stood up "Wait!" she called loudly and urgently. "If she really wishes to see the land, I can show you both around? I shouldn't have come across so harshly with her, i didn't mean any harm" she offered as a way to apologize for her own mistake which was confronting the youth with a harsh and stern demeanor.

I edited my first post a bit! thank you for clearing it up

He glanced back when the woman hailed them once more, worried that she would accost futher them and try to exact some sort of punishment. But she seemed open and friendly enough, and he detected no lies in her voice. The male regarded her a moment longer before looking to Dawn.

"If you want," he said to her, though he frowned when he remembered he ought to be angry with his daughter. That could wait, he supposed. There was no reason to keep her from adventuring, as long as she was safe.

" What's a Ganondor?" came her next question, peering at the female. Grayday seemed to want to leave, however, and she was prepared to follow him, not seeking to get into any more trouble- but then the woman spoke again, and Dawn peered up at her and then Grayday excitedly. He seemed to agree, albeit a little hesitantly- though she did not care how he agreed, as long as he did.

"Yes!" she cried excitedly, looking to the woman. "Can I see the Bypass? I want to climb the mountain, too!" she announced, tail wagging quickly as she peered at the woman. She seemed pretty cool, and Dawn really wanted to see what I Bypass looked like- and what her home would look like from higher up.

"Whats a Ganador?" the girl's innocent question caused a burst of giggles to leave her maw, to which she quieted after a few moments. With an amused light in her eyes she shrugged "Honestly? I have no idea about that. As for seeing the Bypass, sure thing!" she responded openly. She ignored the question about climbing the mountain, as for one it was not her cup of tea. Heights that is, Cebra was scared to death of heights. "Watch your step the next time you try to go up there okay? There are alot of loose rocks and dirt, that look safe to step on." she warned the girl in a soft tone.


Guiding them away from the mountain she led them closer to Ganador then she really should, though kept far enough away for it not to be worrisome. She simply wanted to show them the beauty of her home.

As worried as he was for Dawn's safety, the terrain was even more treacherous for Day. He could not see the loose rocks, and he was far heavier than his fleet-footed daughter. Still, he did his best to keep up, and to keep behind his daughter, so that she could fall into him instead of down the mountain, if she fell at all.

Distantly, he thought of taking Adeline to the glacier so many moons ago, and doing the exact same thing for her. Sometimes the parallels gave him headaches - the way that life went in spirals and circles never ceased to amaze him. For the most part, though, he tried to pay attention to the tour. Though he did not have much to add, he listened to every word, wanting to get a feel for the wolves they would live adjacent to - until winter, at least.

she followed the grey woman up the mountain, carefully slinking through the rocks, and peering back periodically to ensure that Da still followed them. she peered back too, to see the land stretched out behind them, growing ever smaller. she chatted amiably as she climbed, though grew more silent as the climb began to wear her out. 

"It's beautiful!"  came her awed voice, when finally was the Bypass stretched before them. it cut through the mountain range like a snake, and below she would spot rivers, and trees, and all manner of things. she gasped, looking to Illcebra. "Thank you, lady!" came her voice, subdued by awe and utterly sincere. she looked to Grayday with wide eyes, wondering if he was just as amazed as she- unlikely, as this was the first time she had ever seen land from such a height, and it was utterly magnificent. "Is this what it's like to be a bird, Da?"  came her soft query, already looking back at the land spread out before them.

One they were at the top Illecebra took a peek over the egde and felt her head swim. Shrinking away from the ledge, and closing her eyes she sat down taking a steadying breath. After a few moments her heartbeat slowed down to a normal pace and she was able to gauge the girl's reaction to the scenery from above. It was amazing, even Illecebra could admit it despite being unable to look at it for more than a second at a time. "I imagine so. Also, My name is Illecebra, but you can call me Cebra" she said with a smile. Now she knew these two meant no harm to Ganador, and so she allowed herself to relax in their company. 


"Do you explore often?" she asked the girl curiously. She could tell the youth was an adventurous sort, if only by the way her father looked like a nervousn wreck when he had found her.

No wolf knew what it was to fly, but he didn't feel like bursting Dawn's bubble - or encouraging her to attempt flight. "Seems like it," he agreed, pretending to admire the view of the bypass that their height afforded them. In reality, the valley floor was little more than a colorful smudge between two greyish loaves of stone. Still, it wouldn't do to spoil Dawn's mood.

"I'm Day," he said to Cebra, glad to be able to place a name to her scent, from then on. Her second question, he reserved for Dawn, knowing she was probably bursting to tell Cebra about all her many (and illicit) adventures.

so sorry for the wait! I can wrap this up

the girl introduced herself too, tagging onto the cue from Da, before beginning a long rant about all that she had seen and done in her many adventures. she would pause time and again to peer down at the Bypass when something caught her eye, but her faced-paced words flowed from her maw without stopping. this was amazing!

and when, eventually, she returned home with Grayday, she would remember the woman Cebra and her home between the mountains. the girl hoped to visit again one day, as she pranced back home alongside her father, and see everything laid out before her as it had been.