Ouroboros Spine Just looking for a fight

The slope was as solid as the ground was going to get here, and even then his paws threatened to slide out from under him and deposit him into the quagmire once more. He scrabbled at the ground, found purchase, and then his eyes flicked up to the horizon once more, where the telltale glitter of water remained unreachable. His tongue rasped over his dry lips and he let slip a quiet whine as frustration overwhelmed him. There was the other way to the lake, the dangerous trek around the high ridges, but it would take thrice as long to get there. He'd probably have better luck elsewhere.

The tawny wolf turned away from the mire, shook his coat as best he could with it plastered to his skin under a heavy layer of mud, and began to pick his way uphill once more. The trip down had been easy, but with the weight of muck holding him down and the terrain sliding under his wet feet, it proved a hell of a lot harder for him to haul himself back the way he'd came. Add to that a cougar lurking nearby that he had yet to notice, and Farstep was in for a whole lot of trouble before he'd ever be able to slake his thirst.