They left at dawn, the three of them moving quietly through the mountain passes.
Serra led the way, her wolf senses alert for any danger. Cutie stayed close to Kaya, occasionally transforming to his rabbit form to squeeze through tight spaces or scout ahead a short distance.
And Kaya brought up the rear, her hand never far from her knife, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
The journey took most of the morning. They moved carefully, avoiding open areas where they might be spotted from the air, sticking to paths that Serra knew from her years of solitary wandering.
"Tell me more about this bear," Kaya said quietly as they walked. "What's his name? What exactly got him exiled?"
