Hoshor Plains don't wanna spend my whole life catching my breath

Boredom sent Bat in entirely the wrong direction on this clear, sunny, wintry day. She and @Tegan still intended to visit the Firebirds as soon as they could manage the last leg of the trip, though it was simply out of the question until Bat's ankle mended. In the meantime, she couldn't stand being stuck in this damn forest any longer, so she struck out in an eastward direction.

They'd passed a ginormous lake between here and the Sunspires. Although Bat detested water these days—nearly drowning twice can have that effect on a person, even one who practically grew up with gills—she just badly needed a change of scenery. Huffing and puffing as she walked, she reminded herself that she couldn't exactly avoid all forms of water for the rest of her life, regardless. It was kind of essential.

It took her hours to reach it, by which time Bat could only slump, exhausted, by the shore. She rested for a long while, even drowsing a bit. When she roused, she climbed onto all threes again and began to shuffle along the great lake's northern shore. It was so unlike the ocean, she barely thought about her most recent near death experience. But she'd learned her lesson about the dangers of ice too, so she gave the water line a wide berth, walking a solid ten feet back from the edge.

It caught her by total surprise when she scented a pack as she approached the lake's northeastern corner. With so much down time lately, she'd had a lot of time to think, and Bat was pretty much decided that she and Tegan should find the nearest pack and seek shelter, at least for the winter. Sure, they could make it on their own, but it would be smarter to seek out support. And although they were both a little piecemeal lately, Bat and Tegan both brought a lot to the table.

Idly wondering if he'd tailed her today (as he often did), Bat sent up a howl requesting an audience with someone from the nearby pack.