Aragibal would always be voted the more patient between the pair, but he was starting to grow impatient with finding the track. He already knew how this would end, but he also was aware that this meant a lot to Athala. He may not know the details of her childhood and where she came from, but something about this turn of events was personal for her, so he would entertain it. He was visibly relieved when Atha finally found the track.
Quietly, Aragibal told Sleipnir that it was time to track, and pointed to the faded trail. Being a creature of aether, the beast would be able to follow the trail quite a bit better than Ara and Atha. Anyone other than Ara would struggle with the horse as it stamped its hooves and started to try to throw its head, not wanting to cooperate, but Ara steadied the horse and pointed a finger at it, quietly and calmly telling it to cooperate this time and he would never ask anything of it again. That seemed to calm it down as it gave a snort.
At this point Ara looked to Atha and gave her a grim kind of smile. "He certainly can." A snort of disbelief from the horse, but it would let Atha onto his back. Ara would mount the horse so he was sitting behind Atha just in case he bucked in complaint, but Sleipnir decided to be good (for once). Aragibal had barely mounted before Sleipnir took off, wanting to run. The ride was anything but enjoyable - Sleipnir was quite belligerent. The ride was taking quite a while, with Sleipnir occasionally having to stop to search for the trail of aether he was following. A couple of times he needed the help of Atha or Ara pointing out what looked like it may be the trail that the kit's mother followed, and it eventually took them far away from the goblins and into the more rugged countryside where bears and other wildlife could be found roaming.
Out here Sleipnir was quite a bit more confident in his direction, even going so far as to leap from the ground and sail through the air on the aethercurrents, though he stayed close to the ground. It wasn't long before the horse put his feet on the ground and gave a snort and stamp of his right hoof, shaking his head. He couldn't follow the trail any longer.
Ara looked around - they were in what was turning into the mountains, with a cave nearby. There was a picture already forming in his mind of what happened. His face was grim as Atha dismounted and he released Sleipnir's reigns. He drew his sword as a precaution and approached the cave. It was empty, which was fortunate, but a rather ravaged corpse of a Miqo'te women could be seen. She had black hair and similar features to the kits they left back in the ruins.
Ara relaxed his stance and looked to Atha, the most apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Athala..." He did not reach out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he was uncharacteristically still and quiet as he watched Atha carefully for her reaction.
this is ur fault
Quietly, Aragibal told Sleipnir that it was time to track, and pointed to the faded trail. Being a creature of aether, the beast would be able to follow the trail quite a bit better than Ara and Atha. Anyone other than Ara would struggle with the horse as it stamped its hooves and started to try to throw its head, not wanting to cooperate, but Ara steadied the horse and pointed a finger at it, quietly and calmly telling it to cooperate this time and he would never ask anything of it again. That seemed to calm it down as it gave a snort.
At this point Ara looked to Atha and gave her a grim kind of smile. "He certainly can." A snort of disbelief from the horse, but it would let Atha onto his back. Ara would mount the horse so he was sitting behind Atha just in case he bucked in complaint, but Sleipnir decided to be good (for once). Aragibal had barely mounted before Sleipnir took off, wanting to run. The ride was anything but enjoyable - Sleipnir was quite belligerent. The ride was taking quite a while, with Sleipnir occasionally having to stop to search for the trail of aether he was following. A couple of times he needed the help of Atha or Ara pointing out what looked like it may be the trail that the kit's mother followed, and it eventually took them far away from the goblins and into the more rugged countryside where bears and other wildlife could be found roaming.
Out here Sleipnir was quite a bit more confident in his direction, even going so far as to leap from the ground and sail through the air on the aethercurrents, though he stayed close to the ground. It wasn't long before the horse put his feet on the ground and gave a snort and stamp of his right hoof, shaking his head. He couldn't follow the trail any longer.
Ara looked around - they were in what was turning into the mountains, with a cave nearby. There was a picture already forming in his mind of what happened. His face was grim as Atha dismounted and he released Sleipnir's reigns. He drew his sword as a precaution and approached the cave. It was empty, which was fortunate, but a rather ravaged corpse of a Miqo'te women could be seen. She had black hair and similar features to the kits they left back in the ruins.
Ara relaxed his stance and looked to Atha, the most apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Athala..." He did not reach out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he was uncharacteristically still and quiet as he watched Atha carefully for her reaction.