You find an old lava stream, long since hard, though underneath your feet you can still feel the heat of the magma deep beneath, flowing back into the realm's core.
The path the lava stream makes is relatively smooth but steep extending from the summit of the mountain down to the seashore.
Occassionally patches of the basalt have crumbled to sand and small clumps of wild herbs and forbes grow in the pockets, some of which have vivid flowers that stand out like bright splashes of paint against the dark sand.
One of these pockets holds a small olive tree, it's gnarled branches and thick silver and green leaves provide just enough shade for you to sit beneath for a rest.
Thanking what ever fortune that caused the small tree to take root here you cast yourself in the shade for a breather.
There is a twittering overhead and you open an eye to look up. A small green and brown sparrowlike bird perches one one of the branches, preening. After a moment it fixes a bright beady eye on you and flutters down to a lower branch.
"Tuuruuh You've found the only shade this side of Hrimfaxi's flank." It chirrups. "Very lucky for you. This tree is all of two hundred generations old too."
You blink and sit upright to better see the bird. It hops a few branches away to keep space between itself and you.
"No offense intended" It chirrups cheerfully. "But just incase you're a cat soul. I'd rather not end up a mouthful."
"Um.. I'm not a...Cat Soul?" You reply tentively, trying to figure out what it is.
"Ah thats what a cat would say - or a terrier" The bird's eyes twinkle. "Better safe than feathers strewn over the ground."
Seeking to change the topic you enquire why the mountain is called what it is.
"Hrimfaxi was one of the horses of the Norse gods- He pulled the chariot of night. Dew is said to be the foam from his bit and he glisters with a ryme of frost. It seemed to suit the volcano mountain so well that it stuck."
There is a moment's silence then a squawk of distress from the bird. "Lava hawk.. and it's seen me! Scarper!" There is a streak of brown and green and the small bird is gone, zipping away low over the black stone of the mountainside. Scuffing forward you can see a black dot in the sky circling lower.
After a minute it's close enough to see - a lava black hawk with red eyes. It appears to ignore you, searching for small prey on the exposed mountain face.
Now rested you need to decide whether to head up or down the mountain onto the flats or the beach.
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