The Sunspire XXX

New Snow felt great affection for him. It never seemed to go away. It only grew, even in the few (long) days he had been absent on his mission. She rumbled fondly toward his whines, huffily beginning to execute the same ministrations.

Her tail sent snow helter skelter around them, heedless to those surrounding them.

To spite the bite of winter, Mountain Boulder brought the kiss of spring.

It warmed her, and she returned it; the warmth they shared brought the snow that now fell to melt swiftly on the bridge of her muzzle. New Snow whined happily with him then, pressing to his side. As she heard the rumble of his stomach, New Snow huffed in low amusement and moved now so that they were ear to ear.

Mates. And hunt partner, for all of their shared life. She would not let him grow hungry!

And yet she did not want another minute apart. New Snow would be swift. Or he could give chase with her. New Snow moved to conserve energy through the route they had already used; along the way, having thought much of him and her desire for him to be looked after, she had found a den of lemmings (they had taken up residence in an old, abandoned fox den nearby).