quite eradicated
The rope connecting to Kaena’s horse was not long enough for their new line, and Ezekiel had to hand this off to Myrika. With the saddle, she could tie this off as opposed to him holding it. Viggo rode easy enough for him to keep his hands free in the event of any incident; his bow and arrows rested comfortably against his back, able to be drawn quickly if they were needed. He would hunt when they reached the land over the mountain; while there were likely not enough animals to feed a whole pack, three coyotes could survive a night.
With the admittance of their lack of exploration, his idea of finding an area to cross was now more reasonable. There had to be a place now, especially with the cold weather in. While snow might have swollen the banks some, if there was anywhere the horses could cross they would find it. Viggo alone was strong enough to break through ice, but if the water was at all deep Ezekiel would not chance it. The horse was simply too heavy to swim without issues, and he feared such a thing might cost the stallion his life. So, Ibsen had come; he was smart enough to understand what Ezekiel was after and scout several areas instead of just finding one.
The voice of his Consul rang out again as they neared the mountain, and his ears turned back. “When we ran from the fire, my father brought us through a pass near here. I think it remains unclaimed, still. There’s enough for us to get through.” In fact, as they closed the distance between the Waste and Halycon Mountain, the scent of both packs carried along the breeze. Ezekiel wondered how often the wolves had to deal with loners crossing their borders (or even pack wolves) and thought it terribly foolish for Ichika to have settled so close to Anathema. They would only find trouble in such an arraignment.
After another twenty minutes, the mountain loomed ahead. Ezekiel dismounted and left the women, trailing along the low parts of this pass before vanishing into the snow-brushed rock. When he re-emerged, he was grinning ear to ear. “It’s snowy, but it’s there. The horses should be able to fit—it’ll be easier than this one climbing the mountain,” he added with a snort, and while Viggo did not fully understand all of the high-speech, he gained enough of the tone to give the Aquila a good shove with his big nose. Ibsen cawed loudly and stamped his talons against the horses rump, earning another whinny from the stallion before Ezekiel spoke to the pair of them in various dialects and remounted the red horse.
With a shake of the head, Ezekiel urged the stallion forward. While gingerly taking the slope up into the rocky face, Ezekiel had rightly judged the width and they entered it without issue. The pass was very quiet, too low for much more than wind to enter it, and the lack of plant life suggested this cut was hardly well-traveled. They did not speak much while they traveled—all coyotes were well aware of the wolf-claimed lands surrounding them and knew how vulnerable a low position such as this one was. After another lengthy half-hour, the land began to slide downward and with it, the pass widened and grew.
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