Her shoulders were hunched against the cold, trying to deny and defy it the best she could until at last she felt as though she had to embrace it. At last they made it to the relative shelter of the crags. She felt like she could breath again. The darker comfort of the stony surroundings pressed on Pariah’s mind bringing her a subtle joy. She had returned to the world she knew, and the surroundings she loved. Without really even realizing what she was doing, she became visibly more comfortable in the caves. Her jaws stretched into a little more of a grin and the red eyes shined a little brighter. The steps she took almost seemed joyful in the darkness of the crags and the nearing possibility of being able to save this sweet soul from whatever curse followed her. His kindness would be repaid by never having to see her again, at least until she could figure out how to reverse what was happening.
The pup was taken wildly off guard at his onslaught on questions. She almost back peddled away from from him. If the action had not raised more questions Pariah would have fled immediately. Instead, Mirage tilted her head at him while Pariah raced to think of a plan, hoping her racing heart was not audible. From behind her smile, masked by her wagging tail, she tried to notice what she could about her rescuer. Meticulously he cleaned out his paws and seemed to relax into his spot. She could feel the exhaustion seeping into her own bones, and could only imagine how he felt. Halcyon had taken the brunt of the cold, having it steal his strength instead of inflict its blows on her. Laying in front of her, she could start to see the toll it took on him. The realization grew on her and her heart warmed with the feeling he had put himself between her and the danger.
Mirage checked herself over. Every limb was stretched and sniffed at, obviously showing there were no injuries. She yawned extravagantly and twisted herself into a tight ball, her eyes on him.