Mount Everfall immaculately polished

if you're lurking about @Darcia

Though the valkyrie had not stayed on the mountain with the Viking she had met, she had not strayed past the familiar mountain peaks. She was the most comfortable when scaling the peaks and ridges - all that was missing was the bitter cold that still plagued her southern mother. Eshe chuckled at the memory, her father's low timbre teasing his wife until she'd scruffed him, laughing at his warrior-wife. Theirs had been a partnership Eshe could admire; it had not necessarily begun of love, but, love grew still. And with that love came their children - wildlings, warriors, advisors alike, she and her siblings were capable of standing on their own four feet without concern. 

It was in this spirit that the woman stood now, about a quarter ways up the mountain where she could see a good lay of the lands nearby. She watched a hawk in the midday sun as it stalked its prey, eyes narrowing briefly as it swooped and claimed its prize. Maybe she should hunt as well, if for nothing other than the distraction and the thrill of the hunt and kill. 

For you? Always :D

Darcia had eye for the same hawk, watching it wheel and screech as it dove, collecting a rabbit from the ground not too far from where the brute stood. He yawned as he pressed on, ascending Everfall as he had not been able to do in the summerstorm previously. He had returned here for more than one reason, the most glaring of which was that the day was exponentially clearer, and therefore in his favor to explore. It wasn't particularly hot either, and the higher he climbed, the stronger the welcome breezes became. His less obvious reason for returning to the peak was that his first venture had turned out somewhat advantageous, and he was curious to know what else he might find on the long-mountain's treacherous paths.

Though he had been born on a particularly dangerous peak himself, the Everfall was particularly unforgiving for a wolf his size. The male's progress was arduous, and slow, and just as he was beginning to think he should head back down, a flash of gold among all the greystone caught his prying eyes. From his range it was easy enough to distinguish that it was a wolf, but as the wind was not in his favor, he could not deduce much else about the elegant creature.

Darcia was uninterested in heading any higher, or putting his life at any more risk than it already was on these passes deemed thin and unsafe for a wolf his size, he called out to her with a short-howl— a noise loud enough to carry, but too quick to warrant itself a true song of any sort. Darcia canted his head at the brilliant creature, and waited to see what she would choose to do.

<3 <3

For anyone else it was entirely likely that the slopes were treacherous. Eshe was as slim and petite as her namesake, her paws cutting paths that others might not be able to follow. Still she was careful - not wanting to upset the natural balance of things she was mindful. Unlike her grandmother, there was an ability in her to realize reality; testing boundaries didn't yield good results often, after all. She turned to cut a path to a space that seemed slightly more stable when a sound made her pause, wind whipping slowly across her fur. Someone was nearby. A short lived howl confirmed the scrape of claws against the rocks and Eshe turned to lift her head proudly, finding a dark figure among the slope. 

"You've managed a decent ways up." She mused dryly, so far, she hadn't encountered anyone else on this mountain and given the look of it, she honestly hadn't expected anyone else. For his burly mass it was another feet entirely to lay claim to any amount of space on the incline; a good gust and he was likely to tumble his way down to surely injuries if not death. 

As the wolf's features became closer and clearer to him, he found that he was looking at a bright and proud woman— slim, lissome, and made for such dangerous heights judging by the grace with which she balanced herself. Darcia did not fare the same here. not only had it been quite some time since he'd last climbed a mountain, this one was particularly unfriendly to his height and weight. he remembered how confident he had once been on narrow ledges such as this, but he had lost his love of mountains the day he'd left the Blacksea, for he felt no other peak would ever compare to the severe place of his birth.

"Not as well as you," he called up to her. "And I dare not climb higher, lest I make charges to a well of luck that's not as deep as I presume." He wondered if she would come closer, or if she would maintain her slight distance above him. Darcia was personally more interested, but he also had ulterior motives to finding wolves not accompanied by others, so he wouldn't be offended if she didn't hold the same regard for him as he had for her.

 

Eshe chuckled as he answered, head lifting minutely. She was still an Endore and a FeralHeart and the blood that ran through her was touched by the Gods themselves. His compliment, even if it was slight, was well received and the woman's proud tail flickered behind her briefly. "There is a small clearing not too far from you - I could guide you there." She mused, although she didn't know why he was on the mountain, there he was, and she had been rather bored. Maybe it would be good to talk to someone after the weeks primarily alone. Life of a solitary beast isn't the worst but it is by far not a life she seeks to lead. 

There is still great ambition in her, she would go on to on the things her family had - they had built empires, they had completely silenced their enemies. She longed for the thrill of building and creating and leaving a kingdom worthy of her children behind her. Who knew when she would accomplish those goals, but the valkyrie knew it would happen. Be it today, tomorrow, in weeks or months or years - she knew what she would do. There was no doubting in herself. 

From her place higher on the ridge she turned, taking a few steps along the line of rock. "There is a slight path that curves; a halfway between both of us and the wider expanse. It should be easy to navigate." 

Darcia, who was typically an observer before anything, noticed things immediately about this she-wolf that he did not often see in their kind. Most wolves relied on physical prowess in expression to their pride, but while this gold-wheat queen was not physically intimidating, she had a set to her chin and a shine behind her bright eyes that alluded to a strength that did not come from size or musculature. He watched her with naked interest, his curiosity lain bare as he gave a curt nod to her invitation. Under normal circumstance he might have refused, but Darcia wanted to know the siren valkyrie, and he was willing to risk it all for a taste.

He followed her gaze and instruction, carefully beginning to heave himself in her direction with a gait that seemed oddly graceful for a wolf his size. In truth, he had to exercise every bit of skill and muscle he could muster to manage the thin ledges, but soon, as promised, the paths widened to expose him to surer footing, and he followed the curve to a wide outcropping that could house them both at a comfortable distance.

Darcia held back on his end, tail lifted and waving in silent appreciation of her guidance as he waited to see if she would brave the space between them to come closer.

Eshe is gonna end up at WWS! So after this, they can part ways / she wanders off, ect ect

 

 

At least he listened, which many of their species did not accomplish without a great deal of effort. She gave a little hum of approval as he made his way carefully to the slight incline she'd directed him to. She licked her lips as she focused herself on the ridge she was walking and made her way to him with equal concentration. Once se'd managed to find her footing on the larger expanse she took a seat, curling her tail demurely around her paws. It was no show of false humility, she much preferred to take up as little space as possible so that there was less opportunity to be attacked. 

"What drove you to try and scale this mountain?" Eshe asked curiously, her different colored eyes both focused on the stranger. Very few would willingly drag themselves up the mountain but he had done so and she was curious if there was a specific reason or just curiosity.