Mount Apikuni first of the year

@Xi'nuata

The beast wandered, although it could not be so aimless as the act implied. His paws brushed heavy against the rock, torn and scabbed; each footfall was an underlying echo of pain between his toes, but he ignored it. He had been traveling for too long now. His encounter with Blacktail Deer Plateau had left him feeling sour and agitated, and he had hoped that they could at least offer him and his companions the opportunity to rest. It seemed such graciousness could not occur in pack wolves. Though he would keep his temper for now, Raheerah had made a mental note to see through those threads he had made, both silent and verbal.

For now, his focus was on exploration, scouring the land for some place suitable for Lham and the monk to hide. He sought their paradise, and though it was no paradise for the beast, he knew well enough what they wanted. What they sought lay in the mountains, surrounded on all sides and hidden from the rest of the world. A secluded little Eden all for themselves. That was why he found himself in the mountains now, scaling one particular mountain side in the hopes that he could see further from its height. Terrain was at an angle walkable, but still sharp enough that Raheerah found difficulty in traversing it as he normally would. His paws fought to make purchase on the ice covered rocks, and what earth revealed through the snow was slippery with soot, remnants of a fire long ago.

Above, the clouds churned. The skies were once more overcast and grey, but he found himself in the afternoon sun's warmth this time. It fell down between the juvenile trees, hardly hidden by any canopy of leaves. Most of what lay around him was illuminated in golden light. It was peaceful, as peaceful hiking up a mountain side could be.