Mount Everfall your skin knew battle before it knew war

Words of gratitude come from the stranger at the threshold of Nero’s temporary shelter and the Macedonian accepts it with a quiet rumble of acknowledgment to replace the simple nod of his head he would have given instead. There is respectful distance between them so that Nero is not bombarded by flying droplets as the other male gives his own pelage a hearty shake — not that Nero would have noticed. His fur is damp and has begun to curl at the nape of his neck. He barely notices if not for the occasional shiver that ripples up his spine despite that the day is hot, made even more muggy by the precipitation that now clings and will no doubt linger even after the thunderstorm passes. Nero shifts then, moving closer to the mouth so he is not swallowed so thoroughly by shadows, so he might look upon his new found companion and that said companion can see him as opposed to a vague, shadowy outline of umbra upon abysmal pitchy.

The Macedonian knows, though, he is not entirely stygian with lighter highlights of smoke weaved through his pelage but even so it is likely akin to trying to see a needle in a haystack. “Nero,” The roman offers his own name as he tucks away his companions. Darcia. “I am called Nero.” Nero is but one of his many names but out of them all it is the one that stuck (plus Tiberius was taken so Torvi had to improvise a bit). “Think nothing of it.” Nero accepts the gratitude but he does not seek to collect a debt. After all, this cave is not his. Nero himself sought shelter here too …the only difference being that he happened to beat Darcia to it first. “What brings you out this way, if I may ask?” Of course, it’s not truly any of Nero’s business and the roman would hardly feel offended if Darcia chose not to disclose. Small talk had never exactly been a strong suit of his but he has the desire to keep conversation flowing and talking about the weather struck him as horribly cliché.

Nero is aware that he heads in the wrong direction of Stavanger Bay, Horizon Ridge, and Phoenix Maplewood (for Mercury's instructions were fairly concise and clear) but Mount Everfall reminds him of Mount Pompeii in exactly the way one might imagine and though Nero suspects he cannot return he aches for something familiar in these new (to him) lands.