"Really?" she breathed.
His agreement to show her the tree that he thought enough of to mention as something out of the ordinary sparked a tiny fire in her eyes. Whether it was of excitement, adventure, or curiosity about him remained to be seen, but she knew for certain that this was the start of something magical between them. He motioned southward and she followed his gaze in that direction, noting which way the wind blew and the feel of the ground beneath her paws. With a wayward flicker of her tail she shifted her weight to lean closer to his proximity, sizing him up as if he were a deer for chasing. The weather was fine and the sunshine was as bright as his unsuspected smile had been, and she knew the only thing that could make the day she knew was going to be wonderful better was a good race. "Beat you to it—" she mused, the challenge written in adventurous script clear across her face.
It had been some time since she'd been so unbridled. As though the winds were at her back, the long-legged girl wonder sprang from her position not unlike a race horse bolting from the gates of a racetrack. The sound of the air rushing past her ears buzzed against the thrumming of her paws as they stroked the earth in rhythm. In a state of bliss and with the thrill of chase pulsing through her veins, she stole a glance over her shoulder to make sure her friend wasn't far behind. The hills that rolled through the meadows and forest of the territory were like the waves of the ocean and one by one she scaled each as they came, shooting up their slopes and bounding over their peaks before skidding and sliding down the other side. The girl's plume flowed behind her not unlike a flag in the breeze as she darted and bent with skill between the trunks of the ancient trees. She didn't know where she was going, and in fact it dawned upon her after a short time that she might be going in the wrong direction. Better to let Ataneq take the lead than to end up somewhere neither one of them wanted to be. Slipping just out of sight, Luce whipped around a large red boulder to try and hide, holding her breath so she could listen for the sound of the boy's strides.
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