The Trek

Adur's head craned upwards, making quite the effort not to turn her attention to the little pebbles that crumbled down the path she'd been taking every time she shifted her feet. The journey she was currently on was entirely optional, something that no one was forcing her to take, but something she was doing anyway. The weather was getting colder, and all of the leaves were changing color. The best place to take all of that in was up, closer to the peaks where she could overlook most of the island.

An undignified snort sounded from her, a manifestation of her frustrations with the situation she was in. The cliff face wasn't sheer, nor was it all that dangerous — lots of dinosaurs had walked this path before her and lots more would walk it after her. It was just the fact that she wasn't used to such a thing! All of her life had been spent on lower ground, foraging in tropical lowlands and along beaches. She was entirely out of her depth, but much too proud to cut her losses and turn back around. What kind of mare would she be if she just.. gave up? The flat ground above was so close, and calling it quits now meant admitting that she wasn't quite as strong as she believed herself to be, and that was like admitting the sun was purple; not true at all. However, she couldn't rightly bring herself to ignore the shivering in her legs nor the pounding in her chest, as much as she would've loved to pretend that she wasn't so nervous about the trek. Bravery didn't quite come as naturally to her as she would've chosen to believe.

It took all of her willpower to get moving again, her hulking frame pressed as close to the interior of the cliff face as she could get, flanks brushing smooth stone as she hoisted one foot upwards, forcing herself forwards. If Adur was being honest with herself, she was more angry at being afraid rather than the fact that she was making this trek. She had made quite the face for herself — or at least attempted to — and a part of that was trying to be fearless. She faced predators head-on, stared down carnivores as large as herself, and it was a pathway that had her legs shivering? Ridiculous. Her dark eyes narrowed, focused on the spread of her digits every time heavy footfalls pressed into dust rather than the ever-looming reminder of her place above the rest of the valleys.

The thick coat she was gifted with ensured that the chilling wind that whipped between the highlands didn't penetrate her skin. Feathers puffed and fluttered with every harsh blast, and each time the wind kicked up, she slowed. It wasn't like it could knock her off balance, she wasn't a foal anymore, but the idea was there that it could. If she fell here, she likely wouldn't get back up again, and that alone was a thought that terrified her, despite the fact that it was quite unlikely. The path she had taken wasn't that narrow, although it wasn't enough for a herd of iguanodon to walk side by side along. Single-file was most certainly needed, and she found herself wishing she'd have brought someone along with her. Perhaps having a herd-mate would've given her the confidence boost she so desperately needed. Hindsight was always 20/20, and she couldn't go back in time to convince someone to walk this with her.

After a moment, her neck craned upwards, feathered crest flaring with the tentative movement. She could see the summit, the flat ground that would most certainly offer more security than the path upwards was. She could smell the floral fragrance of the autumn-blooming flowers, and see the orange and red canopy above. Temperate trees who's species she couldn't name bathed the space in a comfortable shade, and that was what she was after. The beginnings of fall were much too beautiful to be spent tucked away somewhere dense, where she couldn't appreciate the changing island. There really was nothing quite like seeing the changing leaves like a vast ocean across the mountainous ranges and sprawling lowlands.

Adur found herself hesitating once more, halting just before the path yawned into a wider stretch and up towards her goal. In times like these, she found herself envying those with wings. They didn't have anything to worry about when they were up here, completely at ease with the sprawling sky and dwindling ground. She couldn't begin to understand it, and that only seemed to irritate her further. Steeling herself, the iguanodon puffed chilled air from her nostrils in a huff, before urging her muscles onward towards this last little stretch.

A final grunt signified her arrival, ribs rising and falling in soft pants as she took a moment to recollect herself, standing up straighter nearly as soon as she reached the peak. The wider platform and lack of visible edges made this quite a deal more comfortable, and she found herself relishing in her accomplishment. She could hold this as an achievement for quite some time — although, her version of this tale will lack the hesitation that she had displayed on her way up here. Some things were better left in the pass, weren't they? Her large frame trudged forward, plopping down rather carelessly beneath a vibrant tree. This was a well-earned rest, with an upside of being able to claim the best sleeping spot for herself. After what had felt like ages — only just a few hours — Adur found herself relaxing, content in her rather grand achievement. Although, she couldn't see herself making this trek again any time soon.. might as well enjoy her nap before she had to begrudgingly make the journey back down.