Black and gray wisps spiraled in evident contrast to the clear, blue sky. The air surrounding this mountainous area was crisp, and a light wind stirred the numerous trees that clung onto the cliff side. Verdant eyes, weary and worn out, gazed out at the many slopes before them. Challenges to keep his mind busy. 'Mountains to climb.' Taigi gave off a humorless chuckle at the irony of that phrase. If he were climbing a mountain before, he'd surely taken a pitfall into an abyss when he...
No. His muscles pulled him forward automatically, denying entry to the thought he wouldn't think. A hawk called from above, and Taigi's mind grew at ease with the familiarity of nature. He now tuned his ears to pick up other nearby sounds; the rippling of a nearby creek, the rustle of shifting leaves, the far-away but definite sound of hoof against rock...
But that wasn't possible, was it? Taigi turned about, straining to hear the noise again - and there it was. Strange, he'd thought this a fairly deserted region. His eyes narrowed instinctively, it wasn't a good idea to let one's guard down. Especially in a place one had thought deserted. So, ready for the worst, Tai tensed all seventeen hands of his body, eyeing the general direction of the hoofbeats.
