To and through the heart

She disappeared into the darkness of the last tunnel almost without warning. No sooner had he placed the stone than he caught a swish of her tail as it descended into darkness. He followed, listening to the clicking of her nails against the rocks as she guided them down this narrow path. From time to time his shoulders caught. He was almost too big for this, but if he pawed at the sides of the wall or turned a little more to that angle, he found he could sort of tuck his shoulders in enough to muscle his way through.

He was some ways behind her now. The narrow hallway had delayed his progress, but as soon as he was free he turned his ears and listened for the echo of her toes. Silence. Had she stopped? Had something happened to her while he was grunting his way through the crevices? He took a few paces in the direction they'd been headed and his feet were met with softer earth. Strange. It wasn't what he'd been expecting, but it definitely explained the quiet.

Curiosities rolled through his mind as he ducked, lowering his head so his ears would not scrape against the ceiling. He pushed forward to the best of his ability and in this silence wondered if he'd suddenly gone deaf. Then there was a sound. A muffled and strained something that was so contorted he could not make heads nor tails of it. Was she okay?

With more urgency in his step, he made to move more quickly as he shoved himself between the stone walls. It wasn't until she gave the all clear that he slowed to a more reasonable pace. These walls were starting to chafe at his shoulders. He'd be glad to get through these narrows and into the open once more.

He joined her, pushing his way through to the second room. He immediately noticed the difference in temperature and if he listened closely, he could almost hear the whisper of wind somewhere in the distance. An exit, perhaps? Kero looked to her, inflating his posture into something more excitable as his tail flicked behind him. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he asked with a grin. "Let's see where this thing goes." He walked past her, giving her shoulder a friendly nudge as he continued on.