Maika insisted, "We should go up the narrow ridge first. That way we don't have to worry about falling.

Damian nodded. Maika felt very self-conscious and her ears grew hot.

"Before we start our journey, I need some food," Damian put in.

Maika yipped, "Lets hunt!"

They sifted through the forestry for prey, checking their surroundings every once in a while. Finally a young doe crept out of the undergrowth. Maika signaled Damian with her tail to surround it. He nodded once and followed her instructions. They attacked the deer and brought it down. They finished the meat and nomzed on the bones satisfyingly.

"Where do you suppose the pack went?" Maika pondered.

Damian muttered, "Probably somewhere that's warm. They always were sand-lovers."

Maika smiled in agreement, "Yeah. They didn't have as thick as pelts as us," they joked.

Damian laughed.

Maika glanced down at her paws, dimly aware of Damian watching her. Her ears grew hot and her light blue eyes flashed with embarrassment.

Maika leaped to her paws, "We should get moving. We're losing daylight.

Damian nodded, and got up. Maika lead the way up the mountain. A snowflake landed gently on her nose and she sneezed.

As they climbed up the mountain the snow fell harder. Eventually the snow became a blizzard and Maika couldn't feel her paws.

"We need to find a shelter!" She shouted over the roaring wind.

Damian shouted back, "We could hunker down in a hole in the snow!"

Maika nodded and followed him to a deep snowdrift. They dug out a large hole on numb, frozen paws.

~A day later~

Maika awoke to see Damian stiffly pressed against her. He had frost caked on his dark brown pelt and he was sleeping. Calmed down, she pressed her muzzle into his chest, relishing his warmth. She hesitantly decided to get him awake.

Maika whispered, "Hey, lazybones. Get up." She continued after he drowsily lifted his head, "We still have a long way to go."