Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was finally time. After all the hard work Ysalone had put in training with Roamer, following him around to places that needed healing, working on her own abilities, the doe had finally made it. She was ready for the next step.

She'd woken up giddy that morning, after she had Roamer had discussed the day before that she ought to take the opportunity now to go to the Grandfather Tree and rank up to Adept before their next journey out into the wasteland. Had she been told but a mere few months ago that this would be happening, the bubbly doe might not have believed it.

Much of it, she owed to Roamer's ceaseless patience, but Ysalone was well aware that all of the hard work had been done by nobody but herself. And this was her happy reward. She was more than pleased to take it.

Once again, she found herself treading the path to the Grandfather Tree, feeling equal parts nervous and excited as she stepped up to the base of the massive trunk. Its beauty was not lost on her, even though she'd seen it before. There hadn't been a moment to spare to stop and enjoy the view on her way in - she was too preoccupied for that - but perhaps, if she could remember, she'd do so on the way out.

"Here I am again, Grandfather Tree," she said cheerfully, as if greeting an old friend. It almost felt that way, in any case. "Show me what you've got in store for me this time."

Ysalone had never been here fore. Indeed, she'd never seen snow before. But instinctively, she knew what it was.

She was high up, higher up than she'd ever been before. The mountain range stretched out before her for as far as she could see, an alien landscape that struck her as both lovely and treacherous at the same time. Ysalone didn't realize she was cold until she felt her furs stand on end, sticking out to help trap heat to her body. She felt fuzzy and weird as a wind came along, a chilling touch tinged by the mountain cold.

"Well... first things first, make it off the mountain," she said out loud, happily thinking through the problem at hand as she enjoyed the unfamiliar cold on her fur. It was difficult to make out what lay beyond the mountains, but the barren landscape to her east seemed rather reminiscent of home. Barring any more information, that was her best guess.

Ysalone angled toward it, walking with a spring in her step as she took in her surrounds. So strange, yet so beautiful.

Eventually, the cold became less enjoyable, more... well... cold. Even the air trapped between her fur seemed to feel cold now and a shiver took hold of her muscles. Time for a change then. The bubbly doe shut her eyes and drew on her magical connection to the land, drawing on its power to create heat. Using warmth, she brought the temperature up in the area immediately around her, breathing out a sigh of relief as she felt the cold slip away, replaced by a gentle warmth.

"Much better," she said. Once she'd warmed up her limbs and muscles, she'd have to pick up the pace. As the temporary warmth began to dissipate, Ysalone broke into a trot. The movement helped bring her pulse up, warming her body from the inside, with the added bonus of getting her closer to her destination faster.

Efficient and effective.

She wove her way down the mountainside, occasionally slipping as her foot caught a powder bank of snow, but she managed to get all the way down to the base of the mountain without so much as a fall. Roamer would be proud of her, no doubt. But it was getting dark, and if she perished out here on her own, Roamer would certainly not be proud.

She hurried forward, following the clues in the land as the snow receded and the ground grew more and more parched. Cracks began to form, and Ysalone recognized the telltale signs that she'd made it back into the Barrens. Perfect - navigating the Barrens, while difficult, was a little more familiar. Sometimes, there were even trails. Ysalone dropped her head and scouted until she found relatively fresh noulicorn tracks, pointed in the direction that she believed to be Homewood. A small, happy smile came across her face. Home was right around the corner. She'd even make it back before dark.