My paws were hitting the forest floor hard and fast, sticks cracking beneath me and dirt packing under my claws with every stride. I had been running for a while now and I could feel the stamina draining out of me steadily. The heat was not helping, and Cel was beginning to tire too.
I had hoped the uneven rocky route would slow him down, but his wolf never actually caught up to me and I realised somewhere along the way that he was enjoying the chase. He was not trying to close the distance. He was playing. I knew I had to stop eventually, so I followed the scent of water nearby and started heading toward it.
