Phantom Hollow why lure us, radiant darkness?

She was able to agree to his suggestion, so he offered back no other resistance with that, either. He had not run out of hope entirely, but there just wasn't a lot to go on yet--hence why he thought to keep going until he reached one of those ends. Either something would turn up or his patience would fade.

And while the search continued, she warranted a solid look over his shoulder again. He appreciated her straightforwardness. The air is clearer.. for one, he griped, sniffing, then a sigh right after the fact. He noticed this more as he grew older, wiser--maybe more aware to the differences? Or just downright picky.. a very real possibility.

As for what else he could share about the mountain, this came difficult for him to summarize, as someone well invested in their greater picture, and finer details. It was his home, and his family. He would generalize broadly enough. We have thick forests low on the elevations, jagged paths up high. Meadows, caves, cliffs. We keep busy, and sharp.. so the mountain does take care of us, although it did not always make it easy. Usually.. we have mountain goats and bighorns to hunt further up, but the earthquakes made them hard to track down this year.. So far. Wherever they were wintering was out of his range, seemingly.

Your Nightwalkers--you claim the woods on the other side of the Caldera, right? What has it been like there? he asked, dropping his voice down quieter this time. Maybe he almost smelled something.. but it was early, still.