Sun Mote Copse She paints me blue again

Any secret fascination that Sugar had with the squirrel carcass was overlooked by Avery; she was too focused on the body itself. She liked squirrel meat, and had eaten it on many occasions, but something about it being submerged in the water made her want to gag. Sugar was able to verbalize the problem; she pointed out that it probably wasn't good for its bodily fluids to be seeping into the water that they drank from. "G-g-good thinking," she agreed, shaking her head even as she watched her sister displace the body on the riverbank.

With that issue eliminated, they returned to their original goal of climbing to the top of the boulder. Sugar was the first into the water, and the sound of her breath expelling against her teeth indicated its frigid temperature. That didn't stop Avery, though; she had committed to this plan, and she didn't want to show any hesitation. She stepped into the water just behind Sugar, and emitted a similar sound as its briskness shocked her system. She forged ahead, though, maneuvering around behind the boulder with her face upturned as she examined its rugged surface.

Carefully, she reared back on her hind legs and placed her forepaws on the side of the massive rock. "Ready?" she asked, managing to speak the word without stuttering.