Moonspear I gave all I could give but

@Hydra
location: Crescent Grove

Keres found that the air was thinner here than it was down the mountain; crisp and fresh, she breathed it in, taking in all the scents that came with it. The plants, the trees, the various life forms that inhabited this raised pocket of forest. It was almost as if the smells here were more vibrant, perhaps because there was little to muddy them this high up. The specifics of it all were beyond her at the moment, and though it was something she was curious about, for now, the valkyrie set those thoughts aside to continue her discovery of the place.

Onward she went, wondering if any of the others frequented this locale or if she had just found a more private spot on their palace in the sky.

Now that she was much more conditioned to the lifestyle of a mountain goat, Meerkat decided to venture a little higher for the first time, maybe even try to reach the mountaintop?! As she climbed, she found that her legs were up for it, though the air grew colder and thinner, forcing her to stop and catch her breath more often than usual. Every time she hit pause, she took a moment to survey her surroundings with eyes and nose. Breathtaking, she silently quipped, though the views were seriously incredible.

After a time, she reached a grove that reminded her very much of the one where she and Bronco lived further down the mountain. She stopped again, feeling a slight burning in her chest from the exertion, and flopped haphazardly onto her haunches even as her gaze drifted over the elevated forest. They were drawn toward movement in between some ferns and Meerkat closed her mouth and sat up a little straighter as her brown eyes pinned on a flash of gray fur.

The silver female had been up here for no insignificant amount of time, though the full amount was lost on her. Time was a concept that slipped away from her easily enough that she didn't dedicate much thought to it unless something was of paramount importance. Being up here, so close to the sky, her priorities put the measure down towards the very bottom, instead focusing on breathing and feeling and finding out who was up here with her. 

She heard a rustle to her right and, with another breath in and out, determined it was none another than a pack mate. Unsurprised and unperturbed, Keres angled toward the sound and soon enough, came upon another of tan and beige fur. Young, it seemed, but Moonspearian nonetheless. Hello. I think we've yet to meet. I'm Keres.

Within a matter of seconds, a gray she-wolf emerged. She was quick to offer a greeting and Meerkat just as readily smiled at her, tail tapping the ground. She grunted slightly as she rearranged her limbs into a less sloppy posture, making sure to keep her head low out of deference to her elder.

"Hi! I'm Meerkat," she introduced in turn, still sounding a little out of breath. "This is my first time climbing this high up the mountain," she explained with a breathy laugh. "Do you live up here?" she asked, wondering if Keres might keep the wolfish equivalent of a penthouse up here.

Oh, no not at all. Could wolves live this high up without feeling light headed all the time? She was unsure, though there was a part of her that was tempted to try, just to see. The atmosphere up here was quite refereshing after all, but the trek up and down the mountain was quite a hardy one. If she wanted her nieces and nephews to be able to visit her, would here really be the best spot? Likely not.

It's my first time too. I'm quite surprised that there is life this far up, to be honest. I didn't think it possible. Then again, she hadn't lived on a mountain like this ever. Her paws were still taking something of a beating as sshe got used to the terrain. It's beautiful though, don't you think?

"Yeah, definitely," Meerkat agreed, giving the grove an appreciative sweep before her gaze redirected back toward Keres. "Is it just me or is it harder to breathe up here, though?" Even after fully recovering from the arduous upward trek, she still couldn't quite catch her breath. No matter how deeply she drew air into her lungs, there was a slight discomfort that was hard to describe.

Seems that way, doesn't it? She had noticed the thinness of the air, the way her breath seemed shallow even though she could feel herself taking full, deep breaths. It was an odd sensation, though one that had not yet crippled her abilities; thus, she didn't think anything else of it. Not that it was a potential danger, not that she tired faster, nothing.

Unsure if she wanted to continue exploring or linger here, Keres made no decisions yet, instead further engaging the girl in conversation. Have you been a part of Moonspear long?

She wasn't alone in her... suffering seemed a little melodramatic, though the sensations were definitely not pleasant. Meerkat decided she would probably head back down soon if the situation didn't improve. Of course, she would ask Keres to come too, not wanting to miss out on a chance to get to know a pack mate.

"My brother and I came here in the middle of summer," Meerkat answered, "how about you?" Some would call this small talk, though the youth enjoyed it immensely. It was always fascinating, meeting someone new and learning about what made them a unique individual.

Her ears perked. Who's your brother? Were the two of them related, in some way? Keres was an Ostrega and their familial lines stretched far and wide so as far as she knew, it was possible!

I arrived not terribly long ago; I was searching for my family and found them here on this mountain. Her smile sidened, a broad and happy expression, her tail wagging gently behind her. Dirge is my littermate. Being here and meeting everyone, being surrounded by family has been great. Meeting her niblings, her extended family, all of the wolves that lived here upon the Spear; surrounded by so many loved ones, Keres was very much in her element.

"Bronco," Meerkat supplied, then listened as Keres spoke of her own family in turn. Her honey brown eyes widened when she revealed that Dirge was her brother. They were litter mates, as a matter of fact, and she'd only reunited with him recently on the mountain.

"I haven't really met him," the youth confessed, "but he's my uncle. Does that make you my aunt?" Especially with her unconventional upbringing, Meerkat wasn't entirely confident she knew how these things worked. She did understand that Hydra was an adoptive sibling, so there was no blood shared, but that didn't make them any less family in Meerkat's eyes.

Bronco. The name rang familiar in the woman's ears, bringing forward a memory of the visit to Neverwinter Forest made with him and Moonspear's Queen. She held Bronco in a favorable light, her interactions with the young man few and far between but all positive.  She might have spoken further on how she knew who he spoke of but Meerkat posed a question that made the woman smile, her tail waving gently behind her once more.

Only if it makes you my niece, She said with a playful smile and a wink to match. It frequently surprised her how far and wide her family's lineage reached, and truthfully, how many lived here, upon this mountain.

115

"Ha, I accept your terms," came Meerkat's cheeky response. "Okay, Aunt Keres, I have to admit..." she said in the next breath, letting her words trail off for a moment before saying, "I don't like it up here. You wanna walk down the mountain with me? To somewhere where we can, y'know, breathe?" Despite the tightness in her chest, she tittered, slowly pivoting in preparation to begin the descent.

Meerkat's reply made her smile widen a touch, tail waving behind her at the fact that another was added into her extended family. The invitation made had the valkyrie nodding her head, already moving to accompany the girl as she turned towards their intended direction. Sure. We can play 20 questions on the way down, too. And with that, the two departed from the forested mountain top, winding their way back down the slopes.

Fade.