Those damn not-crows were still circling up ahead. Goud and I had been walking towards them all day, and yet they didn't seem to be even an inch closer than they were yesterday. To add insult to injury, the honey cake I'd been saving had fallen out of my pack and straight into the mud. I was tired, my hooves were sore, my fur was matted and I was getting GRUMPY. Why did I even care so much about a dark hound?? I heaved a sigh.
Goud pulled alongside me, and nudged me gently with his shoulder, shooting me a smile. "Come on, Sweep, it's not all bad."
I looked at him incredulously. "I'm sorry, what's good about this?"
Goud grinned. "Look around!"
I looked. Grim, grey moors filled with bones and tattered flags. Creepy not-crows flying endlessly. Grey skies. Cold, stinking mud. Mud that had swallowed my last honey cake. I looked back at Goud as I answered. "I repeat, what's good about this?"
Goud laughed. "Give it a moment." We stood there in silence. "Three, two, one...."
Goud fell silent, and then I heard it - a faraway barking, insistent and strong. I closed my eyes and gathered my resolve.
"Let's do this."