Serpent Lake my own summer

set a day after this thread!!

And now the sun had risen. Hira had, rather reluctantly, left the desert, once more on the prowl for the prince. Despite the weather growing colder, dipping, now, further into autumn, the area surrounding the dunescape was still warm enough for Hira to eventually grow sweaty, tired; thirsty, too.

The girl, having lost her fae-like whimsy just as the dawn broke, followed the sound of trickling water. A stream was nearby, and she felt she couldn't canter fast enough. Jaw open in a pant: tongue lolled out. Ears back. The sand from the desert lingered upon her toes even when she had made it to the grasslands. It was time for her to bathe.

Water, she could see it now. The wiggling on the horizon—was that the heat tricking her? No, the water, and the sounds, too, slowly drew closer. The river was thin, its belly lined with rocks, as was its bed. Hira craned her head downwards, tongue lapping at the water rather sloppily.

She was in no mood to meet anyone today. Hira had been gentle to the statue yesterday; she could not promise the same treatment to any other strangers.

Gently, she dipped herself into the stream, pawing at the stones as to remove the sand from her feet. Ah... this was nice.