Chronicles of Yugure: Plummeting into Uncharted Depths

Day Four

It is 24.3° below zero here, that I am sure of. My thermometer looks like it is about to crack. Lady Hawk and I have started our journey to the Crevice, a straight and narrow passageway through the Twin Mountains. It does not seem to be the most clever name, but Hawk says it was the only thing the sabers could think of that sounded better than the Big Crack. A little saber humor, I guess.

I bid Shimo farewell as we pass by his hollow, because I have a feeling we will not see him again for a while. "Be careful on your journey to the other side of the mountains, dire wolves are said to live beyond the Tsume territory," he calls to me as we continue on our journey. Of course, I heed his advice and create some wonderful ice spears with some frozen stalactites that were hanging on a study branch.

The journey begins and goes quite smoothly for a while. Hawk begins telling me of the different pines that grow in the Third Realm; all look the same to me. A short detour allows us to head back to Salmon Falls one last time before we cross the Crevice. Hawk promises me I would have some time to sketch the spectacle in my journal, and I do so with a sensation of glee.

During our break at Salmon Falls, I teach Hawk how to create a simple fishing lure and rod. This, of course, is very difficult for her to replicate since she has paws instead of hands and her lack of opposable thumbs. We do, however, manage to catch quite a few salmon in which I cook two for us to eat as well as the rest and wrap them up in large, mammoth-ear leaves I took with me from the First Realm to keep the fish from spoiling.

We set out again and this time, do not delay for a moment. We need to get to the campsite before the sun sets in order to make shelter and a fire. "Getting tired?" Hawk raises her cranium toward me as we walk at a steady pace.

"Hm, me? No, I am fine. Are ye?" I ask sympathetically. With scales to protect my hands, I hurt less and get sore slower. My hind paws are beginning to hurt though, so I can only assume she was in much more pain than I.

She looks over at me a bit surprised at the question. "Oh I am fine. My paw-pads are a bit sore, but all in all I am well. Thank you for asking." Her cheeks seem to blush after saying so. "You know, I am not used to having someone look after me. I am usually on my own. It's nice to have a bit of change," her eyes gleam.

Suddenly, a cackle rises in the wind, followed by a company of shadows. "Well, well, well. What do we have here, boys?"

A mangy wolf hobbles out of the haze in the distance, "Looks like a little kitty cat got lost!" The leader leaps over the ratty wolf, followed by the rest of his company.

"And look, she brought a friend," a large wolf with a half-baked tone of voice prances closer to us.

"Ugh, these morons again?" Hawk spits towards the vile bunch in disgust. "They are notorious for screwing up hunts just for the fun of it; always catching them in Tsume territory. That's why the High Sabers hired Shimo for his watchful eye." The white saber explains and I nod understandingly.

"So a bunch of vagabonds, yes?" I inquire, watching them come closer to us, drool hanging over their underbites.

"Hey, who are you calling vagabonds?" The large one snarls, letting loose a glob of spit that now hangs over the corner of his muzzle.

The leader steps forwards with a glint of mischief in his eye as his simpleton of a friend tries to slurp his saliva back inside his mouth. "What I believe my partner is trying to say is, we are very virtuous and honorable group of humble dire wolves trying to make a living to feed our Mrs and children."