Bitterroot Valley mary, mary, quite contrary

Technically in the Valley, but right along SD's border -- for @Freyja, and later (probably) @Thuringwethil, because it would just make since for her to show up in a few posts xD <3

The night had been long and ridden with terrible dreams for young Rickon, and he felt very much like that: young. Despite being an adult on the cusp of sexual maturity, he couldn't remember ever needing or wanting company quite so badly before, and it made him feel childish— more like a boy than a man. So he wandered aimlessly; tiptoeing in that sweet pocket of darkness that lingered just before dawnbreak, he tread as lightly as his heart was heavy, and he found himself thoughtlessly at the doorstep of a pack.

The ground had warmed beneath his pads, and dark eyes trailed the slopes that loomed before him in muted awe. He would never get used to seeing mountains or being around them. Being raised in a trench had certainly introduced him to the prospect of high walls, but as gorges were inherently opposite to mountains, he always felt like he was looking at something inside-out and upside-down when he observed the cresting majesties up close. He kept outside of the detected borders, but was too interested to turn away from them; he kept the scent of wolves to his right, and continued trotting along the base of Sleeping Dragon as the sun started its daily ascent.