Firestone Hot Springs come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones

Birk's frostbites were getting worse every day - now not only the tip of his tail was ulcerated and bleeding, his eartips were open, painful wounds now - and when he scratched them (which he did often) - they bled and streaked both sides of his face in reddish tinge. The funny toes had somewhat gone back to normal, but were not perfect either - little too sensitive to touch. 

So it was a great relief, when he had reached the hot springs - an area he knew was not far from, where the Poppy girl lived - because he did not know, how much longer he would be able to endure this. Even if she advised to clench his teeth and get through with it by drinking a lot of water - it would still be better than dealing with it on his own and be driven crazy by it. 

Though eager to reach her pack as soon as possible, he was too tired to continue today - after all he had walked almost non-stop many, many miles and deserved to rest. Drawn by the warmth of the hot-springs and a chance for few hours nap, he walked over there - only to find out that he was not the only lonely straggler, who had sought a place to reside here. There was a wolf with a dark-fur doing something in the water and curious about - who she was and why was she here (and probably the more pressing - when was she going to leave, because he wanted to rest with no one around) - Birk approached quietly. He had not caught her scent yet, because of the strong fumes of the springs.