“That way looks as good as any,” Alasdair agreed, working to keep his smile to a reasonable length. He did not want to make Roe any more nervous, but was relieved and excited that she had agreed to let him go with her. Brave or not, two was definitely a more formidable number than one. They started walking in the direction she had pointed toward. There was no official pathway, so they had to carefully pick their way over roots and branches. It was peaceful enough, with the sun filtering through the trees, and crickets and birds chirping in the foliage around them. Straining his ears, Alasdair thought he heard rushing water in the distance. The sound distracted him, and his foot caught in the arch of a tree root. He stumbled and hopped a few times to regain his balance.

“So, you like reading stories?” he asked Roe, trying to act like nothing had happened. “What are your favorites? I haven’t read much myself, but I’m supposedly named after a character from a story.”

Before she had the chance to respond, Alasdair stopped suddenly, his fur on end. He caught a whiff of something musky and unfamiliar, and looked down to see footprints in the dirt. He could not make out what species they belonged to, but they appeared to be heading in the same direction he and Roe were walking. “Looks like someone—or something—was already here.”