40th Day of Winter, 510 A.V.
The terrain was different here than it had been in Sylira. Even Fortunado used caution in navigating it the Nightwalker stepped slowly over the ground, Jaeden riding along his back as he leaned forward slightly, positioning his body a little more evenly on a slight incline. It was more uneven. More dips and hills, the earth slightly more dense. The air felt thinner, and Jaeden found himself constantly slowing himself down, becoming winded a little easier from time to time with even walking on foot a lot of the time. The most common thing he had seen in this wilds were the mountains. Even in the valley he had been in, the large hills of earth and giant mountains of stone were easily spotted. It was almost like the Cobalt Mountains in Syliras, but just much, much more of it. Jaeden wasn’t even certain what he would find on this little excursion of his. He did know that Alvaldus was a city that he needed to get out of for a bit though. The shifting streets and buildings, the illusions, the way the whole city seemed to play tricks on the mind? It was like someone had slipped a drug into his drink, and then didn’t do anything fun to him that he would forget the next morning.
It had been Jaeden’s first time to these lands in the long run, and rather than staying in the city, researching books with the others, he felt a stronger need to head into the wilds and familiarize himself with the lands. He was competent enough a Wilderness Survivalist to know that these wilds would be alien to him. Unlike any in the forests of Sylira and Taldera, or the flat plains of Cyphrus and barren wastes of the Eyktol deserts. He had to know the elements he would be traveling in. What kind of wild life would be there, the type of flora. He had seen several types of berries already. Some were familiar to him and safe, others were questionable. Likely something he would research once he went back to Alvaldus for a small period of time.
He also spotted the Bistort root. Edible for the most part, but something that would have to be washed first. Thistles were also abundant, which was a good sign to him. Overall, there was food there in the plant life if hunting was scarce. For this trip, familiarizing himself with some of the terrain and dangers it sometimes presents took a little more priority however.
Jaeden slowly pulled back on Fortunado’s reigns, bringing the Nightwalker to a stop. He slowly dismounted, deciding the give the horse a small break from the burden of Jaeden’s weight along his back. It might not have been entirely necessary, but Jaeden did so anyways, walking now as he led Fortunado by the reigns. His gaze flowed over the ground as he walked, spotting several tracks along the area. Elk and deer, wolves and mountain cats. It wasn’t difficult with the snow covering the ground. He had seen a couple of bear tracks, but they weren’t too fresh. He only hoped that most of the population of bear were in their hibernation period. Most predatory animals during the winter season would be hunting more intensely, less picky about what they found just due to the scarcity of available food during Morwen’s prominent season.
Jaeden then paused, hearing the slight crunch of snow in the distance, his nose took in the scents in the air, most of it being the thin air and smell of pine trees. Whatever approached, had its scent carried away from him by the wind. Eventually he gave a slow exhale of relief as he saw the red busy fur running along the white covered grounds. Red had returned. Jaeden turned, stepping beside Fortunado as he reached up into one of the sacks that sat along the Nightwalker’s back. A fur cloak was pulled free from within it just as Red was stepping up in front of Jaeden. As the flash of golden light appeared, signaling Red’s transformation into her human form, Jaeden swung the cloak through the air before it fell downward, resting along Red’s shoulders just as her human form appeared. “Well?” Jaeden asked, reaching back into the sack and pulling out the rest of Red’s clothing as she huddled close to him, sharing his body heat for the moment.
“Smelled a lot of rabbits. Some deer and elk. A good deal of wolves and mountain cats.” Red answered as she put on her wool pants, then boots, followed quickly by her shirt and gloves. “No bears yet at least. I didn’t see any roads to speak of though.”
Jaeden slowly shook his head. “No, I didn’t suspect there would be in mountain terrain.” Jaeden replied, offering Red some of the dried jerky beef, which she took and ate down rather quickly, slightly exhausted from the terrain she had covered. Even in her fox form the change in the air was tiring.
“No roads?” Red then said, after swallowing the bit of food she had in her mouth.
“Sylira is the only region I’ve come across that actually has any roads leading someplace.” Jaeden noted, offering Red some water next. “Every other place has had, at best, just some well traveled paths. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come out exploring. Familiarize ourselves with the lands, for later travels.”
“You do know your way back to the city though, right?” Red replied, looking at Jaeden curiously.
“You in a hurry to get back?” Jaeden said, a smirk starting to sharpen the corner of his mouth.
“Hell no.” Red said, almost defiantly. “But it will be nice to get out of the cold after a time. Even if it’s for a day. “
“Don’t worry, I may not know precisely the way to any place else in these lands right now, but I do know the way back to Alvaldus.” Jaeden explained. “I’ve been memorizing certain landmarks and terrain along the way.”
“Okay.” Red replied.
“Shall we continue then?” Jaeden said, resting his hand along Red’s shoulder.
Red gave a swift nod, taking a draw of water from the waterskin before handing it back to Jaeden. With a nod in return, Jaeden then began moving around, Red stepping in toe beside him as they moved onward. Jaeden’s gaze was constantly moving over his surroundings, taking in as much of the land that light provided. He looked for certain rock formations, a tree that had a distinguishing growth pattern to it, certain dips and rises in the land. If he had any skill for it, he would have been making a map. As it stood, Jaeden’s map was generally in his head. It wasn’t as if either of them were looking for anything specific this day, but there was no telling what one would find out in the wilds.
Red smelled her first, that part of her that was beast responding to a language the rest of them could not hear, the quietest little fox sounds that the two-legged creatures could not hear over their own voices. It began to snow as Red shifted in another flash of gold light, her cloak falling to the ground as she bolted into the woods. Whether Jaeden and the others paid her any heed, there was only silence as a figure stepped out finally, the fox in her arms and nuzzling the white witch of Kalea. She was white now, in any case, skinny arms showing through white furs and bits of castoff clothes. There was a wildness about her, though she was tender enough with the fawning fox who clearly thought this was her long lost mother or some such.
