A shadow passed over his packs home one day, and since then the earth mother hummed differently beneath his paws. According to the rumors, somebody witnessed the shadow coming from a flaming bird flying towards the heart of the mountains. That's probably the most outlandish one he's heard so far, but he couldn't lie: it had grabbed his attention.
His curiosity has always been a questionable driver in his actions, but after the trip to the veil with Hazel Lock, well... He's beginning to realize things are not as outlandish as they seem. In fact a lot of what he imagined the earth whispered to him as a pup is quite possible, and it has flipped his world to a different angle. Perhaps there was a giant flaming bird in the mountains? The only way to find out was to follow his curious calling.
So, Bone of Sunopal, went to who he needed to get permission to leave the pack lands from (first Hazel Lock, and then with her help: his father) and set on his way to find this creature. He didn't expect the weather to change so drastically: when he had left it was nice a little cold, still a bit icy, but it was safe to traverse the mountain side. Thunder rolls around him now, rain making the ice a dangerous slush and making the rocks hard to navigate even if he knew the terrain so well being born in the Bluestone.
He would have no help this time if he slipped, Like he did when traveling to the veil. He didn't think he would have needed the help of a group for a short mountain visit. He took his steps carefully, cautiously: he didn't want to think about what would happen if he got injured or worse. If he never came back home to his family and friend.
His mind would wonder to these thoughts every time he felt his claws begin to slip against the rock. It's so easy for his mind to be occupied by such things, and even in a dangerous situation he gets dragged into them unwillingly. He wonders if he should let Black Sun out, the guy was always so much better at focusing on the situation but he couldn't feel the presence of his friend in his mind: no way for him to speak and drag him out to help.
Well, s**t.
His paw slips and he lets out a tiny yelp as his leg hits the rock beneath him. He doesn't move from his spot for a minute, just trying to make sure no other legs will give out. He begins his trek on the path once again determined to gets himself to the top. The wind picks up and he struggles against it.
He knows his body isn't inherently aerodynamic, his anatomy a bit odd from his genetics: lithe, light, and fragile from his fathers side; broad, dense, and strong from his mothers. He's proportionately a little weird, and it's definitely not helping him in this moment.
Just another way Alys is better than I am, she fits the look and could cut through this wind better than I am currently. Just one more reason why she deserves this place as her home and I... Don't.
The wind blows a branch towards Sunopal, slush from the changing seasons and rain getting in his eyes and branch knocking his feet from under him. He tumbles down the side of the mountain eventually landing on a lower section of the path, miraculously alive. He lays there in the shock of the fall, not entirely convinced he's breathing. Paralyzed in fear of his life he doesn't move for minutes, possibly hours, until his pain begins to settle in.
He shifts so his weight is balanced on his shoulder and looks over his body. It's not a pretty sight: one of his back legs is broke, blood is coming from somewhere he can't pinpoint, and there's going to be so much bruising. He can't attempt to climb up anymore, he wouldn't make it with his leg broken like that: it would only land him with a painful death.
Gotta get back home, mom would know what to do.
He forces himself up, not putting any weight to his injured back leg when a sharp pain goes through his chest. He gasps and coughs as water from the down pour attempted to choke him, causing so much more chest pain than he could handle. He nearly blacked out from it, but he kept himself steady and calmed his coughing. He looked up towards the summit, glaring through the rain as if it personally offended him. In a way it had.
Lightening struck the mountain, brightening the sky to a point of hurting his eyes. The thunder rolled over the land and through him aggravating his newly acquired wounds.It was pretty clear, what ever was up there the earth mother did not want him to find it.
He listens to her signs, not out of compliance but necessity: he will die if he continues on. He turns his back towards the summit and began his long limping journey back home. Anger at his failure pulling him through the walk, fear making him question if it's the right decision, and embarrassment from not bringing any help fuel him to keep going.
When he makes it home, the weather calms the pouring curtain of water is now a light drizzle, his muddy paw prints stay where they are instead of being washed away, and the amount of concern in his mothers eyes worry him.
He caused her pain, and she will share it with the rest of his family. She needs a way to let it out, so after taking him to the healers den and patching him up she leaves to tell his father. She will probably tell his sister as well. Tear Garden will surely find out when she enters to begin her day.
What was the point of that adventure? Why did he do it? To fulfill his curiosity? To bring back a treasure so grand that the pack would no longer give him such pitying looks? To prove he was an Elf to them?
He had no answer. All he had was tears in his mothers eyes, and concern on his fathers face.
