Emberwood Only good things avoided me

More information regarding the surrounding land was given, which she listened to—and ended up being disappointed by. Her expression fell for a moment, troubled yet thoughtful. She was so focused on the rising peaks that she hadn’t even noticed that the ones lying beyond the forest were not connected to the range she once called home—it was a separate mountain entirely, blocking her from moving directly towards Sunspire from there. Catching herself, she shooed away any negative thoughts—negativity bred more negativity, after all—and offered an appreciative smile. “Ah, I did not realise the mountain was separate from the others,” she shared. “That… does sound like it may make the trip longer.” You have plenty of time, she reminded herself, the lair will always remain.

What she was yet to realise, however, was exactly how close to the lair she already was.

“I suppose going left may be safer,” was her decision. “I would not want to cross a creek in these temperatures.” Although her winter coat seemed thicker than her mother’s, she was still not a fan of the chill water carried with it. “If I continue beyond the mountain, would you happen to know how much farther I would need to go to reach Ryūjin?” Perhaps an answer to that might be the easiest path to follow. “You may know it as Sunbeam Lair.” If she knew it at all.