This valley in the shadow of the mountains had held fast to her attentions. She had recharged here, loitered in the depths of the wetlands, and hunted fruitfully to replenish strength that had waned in light of travel. By no stretch of the imagination, one might call it "nice". Amekaze, still, felt unfulfilled. Her goals were still just as distant as they had been. Little had changed.
But the sound of the waters moving soothed any unease in her for now. She had rested at its banks in meditative silence until the sun rose high in the sky and from there, she decided the trek nearer to the mountains, heading westward. Although she did not yet feel it was time to investigate them at length, she knew a closer look could not hurt. These mountains would forever remain inferior to the one she had known, anyway, but perhaps they had their own charms about them.
Her wild dark coat was flecked with moisture from the creek she accompanied and her her ventures nearest to it, although even she recognized its power and would not go closer than that. Waters were deceptive and this one was no different. In fact, she guessed it had claimed its share of victims before and for that, she respected it all the more.
The keening of an overhead hawk caught her attention as it gave its mighty wings a flap.. once, twice, then soared comfortably on the updraft. She paused to watch, admiration fleetingly touching what was otherwise her perpetual look of vague disapproval but then she moved on, steady in her trek towards the mountains looming on the horizon ahead. Amekaze was intent on making good use of the day spanned out before her in some way or another.