"THANK goodness you came along, Firetruck," McLovin sighed, leaning onto the taller coursers shoulder. "Surely a monster would have come by and eaten me had you and Crispin not been around."

The small group of coursers was trudging on together ever since Firetruck and Crispin had come across McLovin stuck in a moldy crack in the Overgrown Caverns. They'd made it look so easy, pulling him out of the crevice. It almost made McLovin feel silly. It didn't take much conversation (unfortunately, because McLovin loved to talk) to discover that Firetruck had contracted Crispin to take them into the Earthen Furnace. Coincidentally, exactly where McLovin needed to be, in order to find their missing top. Both Crispin and Firetruck were amicable to the idea of taking McLovin along. With a sore ankle, McLovin almost decided to turn back... but when again would he get a chance to get not one but TWO helpful guides to take him into the Earthen Furnace? It didn't take long with Crispin in the lead to get from the Overgrown Caverns to their true destination. It was abunantly clear to McLovin, who's mane immediately frizzed up in the heat.

So that is what brought our little party together. Firetruck, seemingly the heroic type, replied, "Think nothing of it, McLovin. All in a days work. You're sure that your ankle is ok?"

"Yes very much fine, I promise. Cross my heart," McLovin teased. His flirting was cut short when Crispin's butt suddenly stopped McLovin in his tracks. Before McLovin could make an indigant noise, Crispin barked out.

"The lava is rising, look-- we need to go back, quickly."

Sure enough the stone path on which the trio were walking was getting closer and closer to the floor of the cave.. or rather, the floor of the cave was getting closer and closer to the lifted bridge, as it seemed Crispin was correct. "Hurry," the reknowned adventurer repeated. He turned on his heels and bolted back the way they came.

Firetruck whipped around without question, and McLovin scrambled to keep up. The heat was unbearable as the sound of gurgling lava got closer. The glow of the heat shined against McLovin's underside. Crispin, further ahead, rounded the corner of the path and began scaling a cave wall. Firetruck was waiting (somewhat politely?) at the base, waiting for McLovin. Fumbling, stumbling. McLovin was truly not meant for this. Just as he was thinking about how nice a cold glass of water would be, McLovin's hoof came down on a loose rock. And again, the silly horse stumbled and crashed to the ground in a heap.

Embarassing.

"I-I'm ok!" he shouted to no one in particular, trying to right himself. A flank pressed against him to help, and McLovin looked up to see his reoccuring hero: Firetruck had come back for him.

Now McLovin's cheeks really were warm.

With the other coursers help, they wobbled up to the safe spot Crispin had found, and waited out the lava.