Frostfire Ridge I don’t dislike him, I just don’t like him

@Ragdool

Truthfully, they weren't far from Frostfire when they originally departed the woods upon which they first met. Just a quick jaunt south really. She knew this much. She'd skirted Frostfire on her way to those woods and if she were to retrace her steps a bit she'd eventually stumble upon that mountain. It was hard to miss. When the trees faded, it was the only giant rise in this valley. Or at least, the only one she knew. She could find it. Her sense of direction was something awful, but she'd get them there one way or another.

The trees thinned into nothingness. She said nothing, but she beamed internally and accepted the personal success. "It's not far now," she prompted, assuring the wolf-dog as to their final destination. "Another small wood and we'll reach the northern border." She pressed onward, satisfied with the direction she chose and equally thrilled she'd properly coaxed the Ragdoll into joining her. Even if he wasn't all wolf, a little extra muscle to toss around would be appreciated if there was any kind of encounter.

They passed through an open area before slipping into another hollow. This forest was thinner than the previous one, smaller, but wooded all the same. A few more minutes and they'd reach Frostfire's perimeter. She pressed forward, occupying their travel time with meaningful thought as opposed to mindless babble. They were nearly there. Nearly there.

The slope shifted to a rise and she stopped. Nose to the air then the ground, she caught faint traces of a pack, but nothing concrete. "The scents are stale," she spoke out loud before she continued further. Perhaps they'd tightened their borders? A possibility if the pack was low in number. "Find anything fresh?" she asked, turning her nose downward again.