Blacktail Deer Plateau Family Comes First

Siarut was right--this place was pretty terrible. a lot to get used to, all at once. the novelty of grass beneath her paws had worn off, and she found herself hot and miserable, trailing behind the guys. she was glad to stop for a drink, dipping her head to lap gracefully at the chilly water. so crisp against her tongue.

not so gracefully, tahani splashed down into the water, coming up to her belly in the deepest part of the creek. laughing softly to herself, she let herself float and began to paddle around, enjoying the feeling of being cool for the first time in days. it was only when her brother's acerbic remarks reached her ears that she stopped, planting her feet and lifting her head.

"stop, Sia," she chided, tiny sparkling droplets of water falling from her chin. "what's done is done. all that matters now is finding Shivali." she gave herself a shake, hoping to avoid spraying her brothers in the process, and stepped out of the creek, nosing at the greenery that lined the rocks along the shallows.