To and through the heart

It didn't take long for her announcement to have its intended result: she could hear him moving quickly, and then he emerged from the corridor. The other wolf very nearly smacked right in to Salamander, but she side-stepped against the wall in time to avoid it; then, prompted by a nudge from the beast and a few swift words, she was turning to follow after him. But he slowed his pace, allowing her to take the first strides through this new secondary room - and towards the flickering on the other side of the cavern.

Salamander did not hesitate. She lurched through the dark towards the farther wall, paying little attention to the uneven terrain in her way. There were a few stone spikes in this cave as well, but far fewer. The scent of water dwindled as she roamed as well. Evidently, the first room was of a more lively composition - but Salamander didn't really care. She was tired of being in the dark, and much preferred the open spaces afforded by the mountain. The sooner they both returned to the surface, the better.

The wall tapered slightly as she followed it, but not as drastically as when they found the three corridors. This section of the cave had a bit more illumination. And suddenly, as she came tumbling along the natural bend in the cave, Salamander was hit with a bevy of familiar scents. Wolves, grass, the wind -- had she found it? In her exuberance her speed increased, and she paid less attention to her footwork; thus when she emerged on to a small plateau, she nearly tripped over the edge.