Moonspear pleasantries

Why a mountain. Why, of all different places, did Meerkat have to choose for them to go live on a mountain? With every stride and forced breath he imagined the other places they could have gone to live. A valley. A fen. The BEACH. But no; his kid sister had chosen to make him- a young man on the verge of developing a dadbod- go live with her on a mountain. He questioned the decision each time he made his way home to their shared den from a border patrol, as it was more or less uphill the whole way back. But this, this was a different kind of torture. 

When she made an adjustment to their trajectory, he took a couple moments before he altered his route as well, giving in to the challenge she now set for him. They wouldn't just be going around the borders, but up the incline as well, though his lungs had begun to ache. He'd already forced himself to run at too fast a speed for longer than he was comfortable- but now she was going to go ahead and make things harder? It was impossible...But who could say no to a dashing woman with legs for days? 

He clamboured after her like an obedient dog, huffing and puffing as he did so. Not only was the incline more difficult, but the loose footing made him feel as though every step forward was really only half a step. His large paws sent small handfuls of stones and slate skittering down the slope behind him, and every now and again one foot or another would slide out from under him, bringing him dangerously close to smacking his chin on the ground. His pace had genuinely slowed now- and he assumed that if she didn't see fit to wait for him that she would soon disappear from sight...But he would carry on nonetheless, in hopes she might take pity on the newcomer.