Swiftcurrent Creek bought my ticket for the long way round

For Nikai! Hope it's okay if I posted their journey thread, if you need anything changed, let me know.

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the suddenness with which they had left, combined with the excitement of the adventure with her brother, and the prospect of their destination, had her flighty as a bird, light and devoid of doubts or fears of any kind. the girl moved alongside her brother, leading, guiding, grin visiting her muzzle often as the travelled alongside him. she was sure to give a wide berth to the place she had met the girl, not daring to cross the mountains to soon. but she forbade herself to think of the girl, not when the day was bright, her favourite person in the world by her side, and the prospect of adventure shiny and new. 

the sound of water had her pause, and nudge her brother lightly, gesturing toward the river she was sure was somewhere up ahead. she was sure that they ought to be able to pass the mountains now, in no danger of encounter the girl-beast now. she lead her brother to the river, drinking deeply as the encountered it, thirst sated quickly as she watched him.

He hadn't strayed beyond Wapun Meadow before, so this was all very exhillarating for Nikai. Everything was new and to him, the fear that Valette had expressed in her howl wasn't there at all — he felt wild and free and home and their mother were very far from his mind. He felt more alive than he ever had in his short life, in which he had, for as long as he remembered, taken the role of caretaker in some form or the other. To be freed of that, even if for a little while, made him feel great and for once he didn't feel guilty about it as he spent this time with Keoni.

As she nudged him he glanced in the direction she gestured in. He followed by her side and realised only when he saw the river that he had been thirsty. Nikai lowered his head to drink and lapped up a good amount of water. Then he glanced at the mountains and wondered aloud, "I wonder where you're taking me..." There was a dreamy note to his voice as he felt excited to be here, like he wasn't sure what to expect and like anything could be beyond these mountains. If only Keoni could tell him — but he knew he should be patient, as that was all he could at the moment.

Nikai was equally excited as she was, making her feel all the more that this venture was right. In all honesty, she was glad to be far from Easthollow; something had changed about the place since Steady had died. It had become darker, the shadows between the trees longer, the air more oppressive. His voice was quick to have her cast off thoughts of Easthollow, and the offered him a grin before realising her muzzle was still submerged, and he could hardly see it. 

Suddenly feeling playful; something she had not in a while, she tossed her head, pulling her muzzle from the river forcefully and sending a spray of water towards her brother.

He'd still been staring off into the distance when it happened, thinking of the mountains in the back like a picture he'd once seen in a brochure that he actually got to visit now. Something he'd watched in the background for a long time, but had never gotten to visit. So when the water sprayed towards him he let out a surprised yelp at first, taken aback — but soon he laughed and he swiped a paw down into the river and splashed some water back at Keoni, too.