Redtail Rise i know you want my thunder

chani spent long enough in ankyra sound to lace herself with salt. she left behind the frosty waters and headed inland, though not directly for home. being away had given her a taste of something new, and while chani was aware she could go back anytime she wanted, the girl was confident enough in sapphique's consistency to further herself afield.
she was aware of the rise in the way a wolf was aware of one's ally. but because she had only met one of them in memory, and none since, chani had formed none of her own opinions. she arrived near their border with no gift, only curiosity, tasting their scents and seeing how different they were, even down to the very fragrances.

His patrol is interrupted by a girl.

He sees her there, statuesque, standing alone by the border. She is ruddy and sandswept; not much older than himself. Equally as curious, he wants to see what she is waiting for.

The boy trots toward her steadily, tail flagged, wearing an untraceable emotion on his features.

Who’re you? He asks, meeting her.

suddenly, there was a boy.
chani fought the urge to bristle. she was on their land, not the other way around, and yet she could not quite keep the stiffness out of her shoulders.
"i be chani of sapphique. chacal be my mot'er an' mireille be my auntie," the girl said with utmost pride. he was around her own age, and since he was the only male she had met who was not related, chani found herself goggling a bit. "an' who do you be?"

The scent of brine and sand. It was no surprise she was from Sapphique. His posture loosens, his gaze falls away from her eyes as she speaks, instead studying her features—as if she were an intricate portrait.

Chani is revealed to be the girl's name. She couldn't be much older than himself; the thought lightens his spirits.

Mulherin, of the Rise. Avi’s my mom. He replies in a welcoming rumble. Unbeknownst to Masquerade, he's been working diligently on his speech. It took a conscious degree of focus, though not enough so that it would be noticeable—he thought, at least. He would be sorely wounded if he embarrassed himself in front of the girl.

A thin, warm smile lines his face. His tail sways as he leans forth to sniff at her pelt.

What brings ya?

chani felt he was scrutinizing her, and so she stood taller beneath this perception, attempting to imitate @Chacal's graceful, cool movements. mulherin, avicus' son. they were ranked the same in far different hierarchies, though the redgirl had picked up on the distinct lack of male power in sapphique, save for val!
the boy took the scents from her coat. chani thrust her muzzle forward to do the same, exploring the differences in loam and earth and forest, so unlike the feral coastline.
"just walkin' around. i had not been here before, an' now i have," she added with a cheeky grin.

The reply from the girl reminds him of his own sister, who seems to share her sense of wanderlust. He felt he was needed at the Rise and subsequently never felt the desire to strike out on his own. Maybe, one day, he'd go off to see the world too. For now, he live vicariously through those that had. A myriad of questions brew in his mind about the girl.

There's still a lot more you haven' seen. Y'know I can show you around, if ya want. He offers, hoping terribly that she wouldn't say no.

chani warmed to that, her eyes brightening. "i would like that, mulherin of de rise," chani smirked, toeing the literal boundaryline as she turned her eyes to the expanse over his shoulder. "an' den maybe you come to sapphique an' i show you aroun'. deal?"
she was filled with a great sense of anticipation — and yet she retained the cool teasing of mother and myriad aunts, regaring mulherin even now with some intrigue.

We have a deal, He agrees with a nod.

I've never been to the sea before.

The Redtail turns and trots a few paces inland before turning again to look back at her, inviting her in with a high, welcoming wag of his tail.

Well, I'll take ya to the cliffs. Rough climb, but you can see everything from up there.

"ah, it be all i know. i can show you how to crack an oyster open an' get a pearl," chani told mulherin, boasting of her home in each word.
but now she looked around his own, and drew breath through her nostrils. "rough climb? you havenae seen the ocean cliffs!" and she frisked ahead. how beautiful the rise was, even if it was not sapphique.

He quirked a brow at the mention of ‘oyster’ and ‘pearl.’ 

You’ll have to show me. I dunno what either of those are, Mulherin admitted truthfully.

The girl’s tenacity is unwavering. He wonders if life on the coast required that much determination, or if she was simply raised to be that way. The Rise was similar in this aspect. They were founded on warriors and fighters.

Wellll, in that case, maybe you’re ready to go all the way up’ta the top of the ridge? He suggests playfully, bumping against her side.

"lead de way, land boy. when we get t'ere, i tell you what an oyster an' a pearl be." chani teased with a bright dazzle of her teeth before she raked them in play through mulherin's nape and sent them on a true race.
the terrain here was unfamiliar! but chani would rather sail across it with the delicate grace of a young horse than admit she needed to choose better footing.
she stumbled against him, gasped, giggled at her own daring.

He snorts at the nickname she’s given him, before she nips at him and dashes away. The Redtail is quick to the chase, eager to dish back what she’d done to him; nipping at her heels and the fleeting swish of her tail.

It seems he’s overdone it. Chani’s step falters for a moment, but he is there alongside her to offer support, his own laughter mixing with hers as she regains her balance.

The terrain goes steeper still, the summit able to be seen amidst the pines. And they tackle it head-on. 

He looks to the girl, tongue lolling from his mouth, searching for an ounce of fatigue; to poke a hole in her ironclad pride.

head-on, headlong; her legs burned as she and mulherin went lithely through the undergrowth. there was a stitch beneath her ribcage and her throat hurt, but on chani went, huffing and puffing with great valiance.
she felt him watching; she was determined to show none of this to the rise-child, and flattened her ears further for the aerodynamics.

200!

Higher and higher they go, till the incline relaxes and they reach a precipice. 

Below them, the valley unfurls in a patchwork of oranges, yellows, and greens. The ocean is nothing but a blue haze that is indistinguishable from the sky. Mulherin strides forth without hesitance and peers over the edge, staring down at the steep cliff face, a certainly fatal fall if he slipped. He turns back to Chani then, seeing what she made of the view.

D'you see your home from here? He asks.

congrats! <3

it was breathtaking, and chani was moved, this time visibly. her toes gripped the edge of the incline; she leaned into the wind, eyelids at half-mast;
here too the lwa dwelt, though the seagirl was suddenly protective of them, even with her newfound companionship in mulherin.
a grin wreathed her face when she glanced at him. "your home be dazzlin', inlander," she teased, glittering with the loveliness of it all.

He watched her inquisitively, awfully enamored with the way she drank in her surroundings. Mulherin was satisfied the excursion had been worthwhile.

His claws clacked upon the hard stone as he paced a circle around the girl. And her comment earns a dry chuckle,

Prettier than a pearl, yeah?

chani scoffed playfully; "i do not be sure about all dat," the girl declared, windblown and grinning in mischief as she brought her attention back to mulherin, pretending to nip at his tailtip.
a final glance to the horizon, and she sighed. "i should get back." but chani did not yet move, considering.

The silvery tip of his tail eludes her, purposely swishing faster. Their adventure had come to a close.
 
I'll walk ya home. He offers.

Mulherin turns back, bumping her along with his shoulder as he passes.