It had taken a few days, but they managed to reach the mountain where Jalidi swore there was a pride hiding at the top of. She was finding it hard to believe, with how long the trek was, and how challenging the snow made things. How could anything but more snow be on the top of a mountain? Was there even space up there for a pride? And where was this lake he talked about supposed to be?
The journey so far had been a really pleasant one. Difficult, in some spots, maybe, but worth it for the company. Bedwyr found that she could not have asked for a better traveling partner, however unlikely the often bumbling and awkward Jalidi could be. Where she was calm and practical, he was spastic and uncoordinated. He was prone to panic and confusion, where she was tactical and fearless. Yet, in their way, they made a rather effective team. At least so far, and she was glad to have run into him After all, without him, she never would have come out this way.
This was the first time she had ever experienced snow like this before. While there was some on the peaks of the mountains around her own home, it was never falling as thickly or as constantly as it seemed to be around here. He said the snow never melted, never went away, even in the summer months. That was incredible! How could it be so cold all the time, to keep the snow from turning into water? And how could lions live here? She had noticed that his coat was thicker, heavier, than hers. Built for the weather up here, she realized, as she was beginning to get chills and he kept close to her in an effort to keep her warm.
It was working, though she sometimes wondered if it was his body keeping her warm, or just the embarrassed blush that being closed to him brought out. Either way, it was a very pleasant experience, and she was not inclined to tell him to stop. Without protest, Jalidi was also all too happy to stay close to her. The last few days of their journey had been nothing but play and talking, and he felt like he had really gotten to know her. It was rare for him, but he had somehow managed to make a new friend.
“I promise it’s just over the top of this ridge. From there, you’ll be able to see down into the valley, and see my pride for what it is. It is going to be worth all this trudging, I promise! And anyway, we were lucky there wasn’t a storm or anything today: this is a pretty easy walk, compared to when the snow and wind are going crazy! I know it’s hard for you, of course. Not saying anything mean about that, just that… just that… uhm. Wait. I meant it’s just that you’re not used to this kind of thing, I imagine, not that it’s… that you’re not strong… or… uh.”
“Don’t worry, Jalidi, I know what you meant,” Bedwyr said, with a roll of her eyes. She bumped her shoulder against his to make him relax a bit, having gotten used to the way he stumbled over his words when he was nervous. She gave him a curious, thoughtful look before he eyes flashed playfully and she looked toward the ridge ahead of them. “Just up there, huh? Well then, I bet I can beat you to the top!”
She took off running before even finishing her sentence, her words drifting back to him as he blinked at her in surprise when she started running away from him. He realized way too late that she had initiated a race, and though he was skilled at bounding through the snow without letting it slow him too much, and she was doing her best to adapt to the new terrain as she went, he still could not catch up to her. She was standing at the top of the ridge, panting heavily with puffs of air coiling in the wind in front of her as she stared, wide eyed, at the valley below her. It was exactly the reaction he imagined her having, though he had not been anticipating being completely out of breath by the time they got there. Running was not his favorite past time.
“See?” he puffed, taking a moment to try and catch his breath before he panted out more of a complete sentence. “I told you.”
“You did indeed… I just… I couldn’t picture it. It’s beautiful!”
“Wait until you see it up close.”
Jalidi took his turn to surprised her, giving her a nudge to push her forward, then bounding past her and leaping down the slope ahead. It was steep enough to turn into an almost dangerous slide, though he knew what he was doing and the snow was light and fresh, cushioning the roll all the way down. He laughed as he spiralled and rolled down the hill, taking the fastest route down into the valley by using the path of least resistance. Gravity wanted to take him down as fast as it could, after all, so why should he impede it by trying to keep his paws under him? He opted to roll, but Bedwyr leapt after him and did her best to remain flat on her stomach, paws stretched out around her, sliding like a penguin down the snow bank and laughing all the way. They both ended up stopped by a high mound of fresh snow down the bottom of the slope, which swallowed them both one at a time. Jalidi’s head popped out first, and Bedwyr joined him not too long after, laughing hard.
“Now that was fun! I wish we had something like that back home! No one would ever be unhappy if that was how they had to come home from a hunt!” She laughed and looked at Jalidi, who was grinning ear to ear both from the exciting slide and from her delight.
“Just you wait, I’ve got more to show you once we hit the lake!”
Word Count: 1033
