As fast as Ophelia was, her older companion had her on stamina. The fleet-footed princess was used to weaving in and out of trees, using her surroundings to her advantage, but around the springs was relatively open until it came to the mountains. There was really no where to hide unless she fancied diving back to the springs to put some space between them. As soon as she thought it, @Iyes was cutting her off and forcing her against the ridge.
The younger female squealed with a mixture of giddy excitement and frustration, realizing she was going to lose. It didn't matter how fast she was at this point. There was no doubt that the mountain girl was far better suited to scaling the foothills than herself. Rather than risk life and limb over a game, the lithe fairy skidded to a stop and let Iyes catch up with sudden force.
Mistake!
Ophelia grunted as her companion sailed into her and sent her tumbling over and over in an ungainly roll. When she came to a stop, the princess was breathless with laughter. "Maybe you can," she conceded. "You'll have to come to my turf one day. I'll show you then," she said with a playful wink, tail thumping against the ground. With her heart still thundering in her chest, Ophie was struck by how stinking pretty Iyes was. Her coat shone despite its dark color. The pale female was used to far lighter coats and Iyes was the most striking wolf she'd ever seen in her life. The longer Ophie admired her, the warmer her cheeks felt and she finally turned away to hide her flush of embarrassment.
One tan-tipped ear perked suddenly and Ophie twisted her head to better catch the howl. Daddy. He must be wondering where she was; were they leaving already? She huffed out an annoyed sigh. He had poor timing. "I should go. That's Daddy wondering where I am." Disappointed she couldn't have more time with the pretty Guardian, Ophelia dipped her head. "I hope to see you again," she said, nose dipping in an uncharacteristic action of shyness. "I'd love for you to come visit Grizzly Hollow. Straight towards Cedarwood. The big forest to the West. You can't miss it." The very idea of Iyes coming to visit her left Ophelia giddy all over again with a strange fluttering in her chest. She'd have to ask Daddy about it.
"Will you miss me?" she asked, pale green eyes bright with a teasing, but also hopeful light.