[ArtsyAlraune]

Enyon --- Temrer --- Matoya

"I can't believe we're out to find something again," Temrer muttered.

"Well, at least we can be sure that it's actually there this time," Matoya replied reassurngly. Since their training in Wilt'no, Matoya had become a great red Tundragoon, and had somehow obtained for himself a tall straw hat. He was no longer the smallest of the three, but the second-largest.

"Indeed," Enyon added, "Ilana is honesst."

"Yes, but... What's so hard about finding a mushroom?" the Serraptor asked. As soon as they had returned to their pen to rest, Ilana had asked a favor of them- to go out and obtain a special fungus that only grew in the highest points of Idalani Falls. She was planning to use it in a new medicine she had been working on.

"She probably just doesn't want to climb that high up," Matoya guessed. "That, and we need to test our endurance, anyway."

[Enyon: 38 | Temrer: 33 | Matoya: 33]

(Aiiee, registrations close tomorrow night?! I'd better finish up training! I've had this typed up in Notepad, so I'm posting this topic all at once, in case anybody's wondering.)

[ArtsyAlraune]

"So, it grows in the highest places, huh?" the Serraptor asked, looking around; there were several hills and mountains in the area.

"I would think it would depend on moisture and temperature as well..." Matoya said, scratching his chin lightly.

"Perhapss... The waterfall?" Enyon suggested.

"The waterfall?" The Serraptor was confused; how could anything grow in a waterfall?

"Oh, yes..." Matoya said. "There would be the most moisture around a waterfall, I would think."

"And it'ss got to fall from ssomewhere high..."

"That's true," Temrer said, understanding now.

[Enyon: 39 | Temrer: 34 | Matoya: 34]

[ArtsyAlraune]

The three made their way over to Idalani's largest falls. "How can we turn thiss into a tesst of our endurance?" Enyon wondered.

"Well, something I've always wanted to try..." Matoya began, climbing into the water, "...is to climb up the waterfall while it's crashing down on me."

"That'd be pretty tough to do," Temrer said, approaching Matoya from the shore. "I think climbing up the side, there, would be a good enough test for me."

"And what should I do?" Enyon asked. "I certainly can't sswim..."

"Maybe you could climb up the side with me," the Serraptor suggested. "Without using your wings or something?"

"Soundss tough... I like it."

[Enyon: 40 | Temrer: 35 | Matoya: 35]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"It's decided, then! Last one to the top carries the mushrooms home!" With a great splash Matoya sprang forward, attempting to grip some rocks under the waterfall. He had underestimated the fall's power, however, and his claws slipped and he was sent under the water.

"Haha!" Temrer laughed. "Alright, then!" Seeing the Tundragoon flail about made the Serraptor very enthusiastic, and he took off dashing into the woods that lined the mountain from which the water fell from.

"W-wait for me!" Enyon hissed, pulling her wings tightly against her body and hopping awkwardly behind Temrer.

[Enyon: 41 | Temrer: 36 | Matoya: 36]

[ArtsyAlraune]

Matoya stuck his head out of the water, and, catching his breath, saw Temrer and Enyon dash into the woods. He growled and turned back to the falls. "I can do this..." He whispered to himself. He lashed out with his claws, bracing himself for the water's impact, and managed to get a grip on the smooth stones, worn down from the falling water. With a great effort he reached up to grab a higher rock, almost falling back down to the water below. This would be a long climb...

"Uwaah!" Temrer tripped over a large stone, landing in the fallen leaves with a hushed thud. "It's hard to get around through here..." He was used to flat territories.

"You're telling me," Enyon replied, pulling a twig from her feathers. "But that iss the point."

"You know, you're right," the Serraptor said, pushing himself back up. "I'm going to keep trying."

[Enyon: 42 | Temrer: 37 | Matoya: 37]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"I'm going to keep trying," Matoya echoed in his mind, grabbing another stone after slipping. This was much harder than he thought it would be, but he was making some progress. He certainly wasn't capable of carrying the mushrooms home, he thought to himself, so he had to at least make it to the top before one of the others.

Enyon stumbled and nearly fell. "Thiss iss a lot tougher for me than it iss for you," she hissed. "I am a flier, not a mountain climber."

"Yeah, Matoya is more suited for something like this," Temrer said, stopping to let Enyon catch up. "But we've got to keep going-- No pain, no gain, you know."

"I know, I know..." Enyon fluffed her feathers, sending a few twigs and pebbles flying out. "It's just... so messy."

"You can preen yourself when we get to the top, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, the Serraptor turned and continued on his way.

[Enyon: 43 | Temrer: 38 | Matoya: 38]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"Haah!" Matoya thrust his head from the water in an attempt to catch a breath, since he could not do so while his head was under with the rest of him. Water still ran into his mouth, but he could get more air. Taking a deep breath and snapping his mouth shut, he ducked back under the water and continued to climb.

Temrer stopped in his tracks. "I wonder how Matoya's doing..." He stepped over to the side and poked his head between the trees. Enyon stepped over to join him. "It's kind of hard to... Oh, there he is," he said, spotting a large frigid hump protruding from the falls, about halfway up.

"He'ss making better progress than I would have thought," Enyon said.

"Yeah, he is... Let's make sure he doesn't get to the top first!" Leaving the Garudor behind again, he started for the top again, but not too quickly so as not to trip.

[Enyon: 44 | Temrer: 39 | Matoya: 39]

[ArtsyAlraune]

The Tundragoon was quite exhausted now, but he had to keep pushing himself past his limits. "I'm going to war," he thought to himself. "I'll have to be able to withstand more than this...!" With a mighty effort he sprung himself forward, and grabbed some more rocks before he could be forced back down. He thought he could almost see the top now!

"I think we're almost to the top, Enyon!" Temrer cried, not even stopping to talk over his shoulder.

"Well, that'ss quite good," she grumbled. "I could use a resst... I've been poked and jabbed with so many rocks and sticks..."

"I guess I took this better because I've got thick scaly skin, hm?"

"You don't have as many featherss to get bent and pulled, either," she hissed. "It'll be a relief to get to the top..."

[Enyon: 45 | Temrer: 40 | Matoya: 40]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"Hrrraah!" After climbing for a bit longer, Matoya could finally throw himself over the top of the falls. There was still the river that was the source of the falls, of course, and he swam against the rapids and collapsed onto the shore. "Phew..."

The Serraptor broke through some shrubs lining the edge of the woods and joined the Tundragoon. "Hey, you made it first, looks like..."

Enyon stumbled after Temrer. "Oh, sshoot. I guess I'm lasst..."

Matoya pushed himself back up. "We'll make some sort of sack to put the mushrooms in, Enyon, and you can fly them back."

"After we find them, that is," Temrer put in. He started poking around plants and rocks.

"So what's this thing supposed to look like, again?"

[Enyon: 46 | Temrer: 41 | Matoya: 41]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"I think Ilana ssaid it was ssupposed to look like a morel, but short like one of those brown mushroomss we usually ssee," Enyon said, turning a rock over.

"A morel...? Those grow after forest fires," Matoya replied. "I looked it up after Kuro
inquired about them... Maybe we had the wrong idea in looking here..."

"Ilana said for sure that they grow in Idalani, though," Temrer pointed out. "I haven't heard of any forest fires recently, though..."

"She ssaid they grow in the highesst pointss of Idalani," the Garudor corrected. "Perhapss thiss iss jusst not high enough."

"Energy wasted again!" The Serraptor stomped his foot. "The mushrooms aren't even here..."

[Enyon: 47 | Temrer: 42 | Matoya: 42]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"No, not wasted," Matoya said. "We're building our endurance, remember? This extra effort is good!"

"Pah, if you say so," Temrer muttered.

"From here it should be eassier to tell a higher place from up here," Enyon said, walking to the edge of the cliff they were on. "Perhapss... that one?"

The Serraptor stepped over next to Enyon to see what she was looking at. "Oh, that one does look the tallest..." He looked all around at some of the other mountains. "Yeah..."

"We should have fun climbing that one, huh?" Matoya asked, joining the two.

[Enyon: 48 | Temrer: 43 | Matoya: 43]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"Will I have to climb again?" Enyon grumbled.

"You can just fly up, I guess," Temrer said. "But... without landing."

"Anything iss better than climbing on foot..." Enyon spread her wings, knocking back Temrer and Matoya, and took to the air.

"Hey, wait--!" Matoya wasn't heard by Enyon. "We'd better catch up to her," he said, turning to Temrer. "Unless you can swim, your only choice is to run back down..."

[Enyon: 49 | Temrer: 44 | Matoya: 44]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"Fine, then. We'll meet at the base and follow Enyon," he replied, turning and running back into the woods.

Matoya walked back over to the rushing river. "Well... This should be fun..." He leaped into the water and allowed it to carry him over the edge, and he fell down the waterfall into the lake below. "Ha, that was fun..." He climbed out of the water and sat on his haunches, waiting for the Serraptor to arrive.

Eventually, Temrer did. "It's a lot easier coming down than going up..."

"Took you long enough," the Tundragoon laughed. "There's Enyon, up there. Let's go." He took off after the Garudor, followed by Temrer.

Enyon slowed down to let the others follow her, then began to just circle in place to allow them to catch up.

[Enyon: 50 | Temrer: 45 | Matoya: 45]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"So, that mountain over there?" Matoya called up.

"Yess," Enyon replied, "That iss the one." She flapped her wings and flew off in its direction, and her two companions followed.

"This mountain looks a lot steeper..." the Serraptor observed.

"That'll make it all the more challenging to climb," the Tundragoon replied, grinning. "But I think we can do it."

"Well, we have to if we're going to get those weird mushrooms for Ilana," Temrer muttered, approaching the base of the mountain. "Wow... Where do we start?

[Enyon: 51 | Temrer: 46 | Matoya: 46]

[ArtsyAlraune]

"Well, I'm going to start here," Matoya said, leaping up and gripping onto some rocks. "Ah, these will be a lot easier to climb..."

"Says you," Temrer mumbled, trying to climb up next to him. "My claws aren't made for this sort of thing..."

"That's the idea!" Matoya replied, quickly climbing higher. "Challenge yourself! We need to toughen up before we register."

"That's true..." Temrer climbed higher, too, but more slowly.

Enyon, meanwhile, circled above them, already looking from above for some of the mushrooms.

[Enyon: 52 | Temrer: 47 | Matoya: 47]