RoM-Kras, Tsulo, Zander

Archer checked over Kras’s tack one final time, nodding with satisfaction as he found everything in order. “I’m all set over here!” He called over to June, who was finishing up with Tsulo’s saddle. The young woman finished cinching the girth, earning a huff from the tawny tokota before she glanced back in Archer’s direction. “All set over here!” She said, swinging herself up into the saddle and touching Tsulo’s sides with her heels. The large tawny tokota trotted off, and with June’s guidance headed towards the starting line. Archer gripped Kras’s saddle and swung himself into the seat, touching his heels to the bloodmarked tokota’s sides and sending him after June and Tsulo. The two handlers and tokotas waited patiently for the third and final pair of tokota and rider to show up so they could begin their trip.

After making sure everything was set in place, Finnyan took Zander’s reigns and left for the woods. Diego had given him contacts to a fellow Handler friend of his, and after exchanging a few calls, Finnyan and them had agreed to join their party for the Rite of Fortitude. Zander was his first Tokota and he was very excited to show off what they learned together. He hadn’t gotten Zander as a pup: He had bought him off a Tokota rescue site. Zander’s past was unknown to him, but the halfmane hadn’t looked that well when Finnyan first met him a year ago. They took the short trip to their meeting point, hoping they weren’t too late. Zander wasn’t exatly the fastest tokota out there.
But they made it within a reasonable time, Finnyan waved at his other two party members from afar, eager to greet them.

Archer heard someone approaching, and raised his head and looked to the side. “Hey Finnyan! Great to see you! We’re just about to start!” Archer called out, greeting the young man as he rode up. The group chatted a few minutes before one of the event coordinators walked up and asked them to move to the starting line. The three handlers agreed, and rode their tokotas up to the line and waited for the horn to sound. They were at the base of a mountain trail that wound up a steep hill and reached towards the top of the mountain and wound around the peak and back down. They only had three hours for the ride, most of which would be taken up by ascending the steep slopes. Archer gripped Kras’s reins in anticipation of the starting horn, which sounded a few moments later. Archer dug his heels into Kras’s sides, prompting the bloodmarked male to speed up the slope, closely followed by Tsulo and Zander.

As the horn sounded, Finnyan had Zander dart after the bloodmarked who had had the better start than them, with a big grin on his face. It was the first time for Finnyan, partaking in a Rite. Three hours sounded like very little time, but he was certain they could do it. Up the first slope was a challenge, all the Tokotas and handlers had first to get used to the terrain. Finnyan already expected they would get stuck at some point on their way up, as the mud was wet and slippery already, and that at the base of the mountain. Zander had good footing, he wouldn’t lose balance that easily, but if one of the other two did, it was on them to make sure they wouldn’t fall down the steep side of the mountain. They had ropes with them if anything would go wrong, since this was a test for durability and endurance, as well as survival.

Archer led the group up the side of the mountain, slowing as they reached the base and the slope increased drastically. Kras leaned into the slope as Archer leaned forward in the saddle, allowing the tokota to do a half run up the steep hill. Finnyan and Zander followed Archer and Kras closely, and June and Tsulo weren’t far behind. The first section of the mountain was relatively easy, with  some scrub brushes, grasses, and small trees clinging to the side of the mountain. Archer glanced up further ahead and grimaced- the scrub brush and small trees gave way to just scrub brush, and finally a large stretch of loose pebbles and shale. He knew that the loose shale would prove to be a bit of a problem for the large tokotas- the loose stones acted like sand, and when disturbed the tokotas would sink and be pushed down the mountain slightly. It would be best if they got through that section quickly, where the loose stones gave way to larger rocks, mud, dirt, and some patches of unmelted snow towards the very top of the mountain. The group moved quickly up through the trees and the scrub brushes, weaving in and out of trees as they moved up the mountainside.

Finnyan had noticed, quite like Archer, that the slope of shale and pebbles would pose a problem. Moving through the trees and bushes, the tokotas did not have much to struggle expect for how steep the slope already was. But he was confident of their success, even if the pebbles would act like wet sand under the heavy animals’ feet. Following Archer and Kras closely, Finnyan took some time to examine the sight they already had. Looking towards where they entered, they already had a stunning view over the broad valley, almost everything would be visible once they get up to the top! He got a little excited about that, he sure loved a good view. Zander gave a whine when they left the trees and crossed into the steep field of scrub bush, please with not having to weave through trees anymore. Finnyan looked behind to see how June and Tsulo were doing, being in the middle he liked to keep an eye on both front and back members.

Archer glanced up the hill as they emerged from the trees and continued up the grassy and shrub covered slope. Kras was panting slightly, but didn’t seem too strained by their upwards trip quite yet, though Archer knew that he would grow tired and sweaty soon. They would have to push their tokotas to get up the slope, and then control them going down, as they would be tired and paws would slide as they ascended the steep slope. June leaned forward in the saddle as Tsulo climbed up the hill, panting as they followed the other two tokotas up the steep slope. She gave a quick smile to Finnyan as he glanced back in her direction before glancing down quickly as one of Tsulo’s back paws slid out from underneath him. The large tawny stumbled, but quickly regained his footing much to June’s relief. June patted his shoulder reassuringly, and the tokota huffed before continuing to climb the steep slope after the rest of the group.

Zander seemed a little out of breath but not too strained yet. The halfmane male made sure his footing was secure, trying to go as fast as possible without tripping or slipping. Finnyan did as June did, leaning forward in the saddle, making it easier for Zander to ascend. It wasn’t much ground left before they would reach the pebbles and the shale. They would probably spend more time crossing that field than the stones and rocks that came right above it towards the snowy mountain top. Given their way down afterwards would be quite the opposite: they would be mostly restraining the tokotas from running and tumbling down the steep cliffs that were the other side of the mountain. But Finnyan smiled confidently, gently nudging Zanders sides again, getting the halfmane to move faster as they reached the pebble field. Quick short steps were required, otherwise they would begin to slide back down and make only half the process they wanted to.

Kras paused as the first pebbles began to appear on the mountainside, lowering his head and sniffing at them before pinning back his ears, showing that he was displeased with the terrain they were going to cross. Archer nudged his sides and clicked his tongue, finally prompting the bloodmarked male to continue his climb up the mountain. He made quick steps as he moved over the pebbles, trying to cross the shifting expanse quickly. Archer focused on guiding Kras to where the first of a few large rocks were on the side of the mountain, which would allow them to take a quick break and for him to scout out the next place they would go to in order to get out of the pebbles the fastest. Above them there was a boulder field, which consisted of larger rocks and stones that seemed to be securely imbedded in the mountainside, at least they would give that appearance until a tokota stepped on them and they went sliding away. After they made their way up through the large stones, all they would have to do would be to make their way back down the mountain again.

With Archers guidance in front, Zander and Finnyan had it easier than imagined to cross the field. All three tokotas did occasionally slide downwards in some steps, but not as often as Finnyan had anticipated. The large rocks came into view shortly as they had hurried their tokotas over the shale. It got easier and easier to climb the slope as the terrain transitioned from pebbles and shale to solid ground and rock again. Archer and Kras did a magnificent job going from a more solid area in the pebbles to the next, making the crossing slower, but much saver. Once they reached the end of the pebble slope, they slowed down for a bit, letting their tokotas catch their breaths. Now, they only had to cross the rocks and snow ahead which would lead them directly to the top of the mountain. Zander gave a whine, he really wanted to go back down now, but Finnyan nudged his sides to tell him they would firstly go further up before they could do that.

After the group had crossed the shale and pebbles, Archer paused, giving the now panting tokotas a quick break before pushing up the last stretch of their upwards climb. The group padded through the large boulders, occasionally having to climb over a few to continue up the marked trail. June began to notice small patches of snow as they climbed up the side of the mountain, and noted how the air cooled and the breeze picked up as the trail finally leveled out. “We’re at the loop around the top of the mountain!” Archer called out ahead, and pushed his heels into Kras’s sides, bringing the tokota up into a run as he lapped excitedly around the mountain before pausing where they were going to begin their descent, admiring the view stretched out beneath them. The sun had just started its slow descent towards the mountains in the west, but the summer sun would only dip behind them instead of setting, providing them with a full twenty four hours of daylight in the summers.

Finnyan had a wide grin on his face as he got to admire the beautiful view after they had come to a stop finishing their little race around the top of the snowy mountain. It was a singular sight, the outstretched grassy plains and the mountains on the opposite side of the valley with the slowly never truly setting sun throwing an almost orange light over them. Zander gave a short howl, waiting to see if the other two tokotas would join it, too. As they did, Finnyan leaned back and let his halfmane howl with his companions to their hopefully safe descent.
Archer took the lead again. The opposite site of the mountain was a little different: there first part downwards was rocks and snow again, just like their ascent, but after there was mostly muddy and slippery grass instead of pebbles. Which could pose just as much of a challenge. Followed by a field of bushes which would become increasingly easier to cross, until they would spend the last part of their descent navigating through the woods to the finish line.
But Finnyan had faith in his tokota and his companions, smiling as they began their descent. He and Zander tagged along behind Archer and Kras, followed once more by June and Tsulo. The six of them made their way downwards as securely as possible, trying to avoid falling over at all cost. But gladly, they could rely on their tokotas’ footing even in the run up to the finish line.

As the terrain finally flattened out, Archer cast a quick glance at his watch. Time was running out, and he pushed his heels into Kras’s sides to bring the tokota into a run. Kras was panting, but could sense the excitement of his handler, so he pushed himself to cross the finish line in a flurry of mud and sodden fur. Finnyan, June, Zander, and Tsulo were quick behind him, and the group slowed and waited by the finish line, anxiously awaiting the results from the event coordinator. While they waited, they removed the tack from their tokotas and praised them for their efforts, and shortly, an event coordinator approached them with their results.