With summer having lengthened the days considerably, Ame would just have to be mindful of the dark. It had been a while since she had done too much extensive mountain trekking, especially in the dark, but she was quietly confident in her abilities and sensibility to not let trouble find her or Ferdie's path. The worst that could happen would be that they would not find the springs and have to retire away for the evening unsatisfied.
He took the lead and for a beat she let it go unchallenged to lope after him contentedly. Most of all, she was pleased he was going as well, but after a handful of strides, she gathered herself and pressed forward to gain speed. Flattening out, she determinedly sped towards him and nipped his haunch as she passed by it.
She watched him from the corner of her eyes, smirking her satisfaction away while she ran across the slopes in company that she couldn't think of much she would trade it for. Eventually, though, she was forced to focus and not on him or his doings. The terrain shifted and her ears quivered eagerly at this change; it had been too long and with a chill, she was reminded of home. She could taste the air turn towards the thinner mountain's upper reaches altitude, too. Ame breathed deep, eventually slowing up to a much more reasonable pace for navigating the foreign ground underfoot.
She lifted her muzzle when a rabbit broke from the foliage just ahead, darting as fast as it could back into cover out of sight from predators like herself. Ame chuffed. She had suspected as much, but actually seeing them without looking was a good sign. I am pleased..
she licked her teeth and panted softly. ..to see prey even up here.
Her tail waved. But look. It cannot be far. I swear, I can almost.. smell it,
the telltale scent of hot springs was faint in her nose, unique as they were. All the time she had spent at Firestone made it easy to notice.
![[Image: 5ifpFkc.png?1]](http://i.imgur.com/5ifpFkc.png?1)
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」