Cairn let out a deep, satisfied sigh, nostrils fluttering with the force of his breath. After days of trekking through the Furnace, he'd finally reached an exit that would lead him back to the caverns above. Humid air rolled in tepid waves through the tunnel, carrying with it the rich scent of plant life, and best of all, water. How nice it would be to not worry about rationing for a few days. Freja would enjoy it, too- there was far better hunting in the caverns than in the inhospitable furnace.

His soot-streaked hooves rattled across the cobblestones as he swung along at an easy walk, his guard down now that the caverns were in sight. The six months he'd spent on the first level had taught him nothing too deadly lay up there; the furnace, on the other hand, had done its best to kill him and Polaris. He was glad to be free of its infernal clutches, no matter how briefly.

He'd miss Polaris, he thought as he neared the cavern entrance. They had become a close friends and confidants; how could he not have, when they'd spent weeks together surviving all manner of challenges in the dungeons? With Cairn heading aboveground, the other courser had decided to prolong his stay below, saying something about a strange marking he'd wanted to investigate. Cairn had shrugged and accepted it. He wasn't surprised Polaris hadn't wanted to return to the surface. Cairn still craved the blustery moorland wind in his face, but Polaris had little to return to.

His reverie was broken with a squeak. Suddenly alert, Cairn scanned his surroundings for signs of movement, catching sight of a shadow scampering behind a rock. Freja ruffled her feathers from her perch on his back. She'd heard something too.

Probably just a cavern rodent, he thought to himself, but as he moved past the pile of fallen stones, he kept a close eye on it in case something more sinister was lurking. He knew his hawk would have the upper hand in sensing something out of the ordinary, and the fact she hadn't reacted beyond a simple shift of her body gave him some confidence.

A few strides later, he seemed to be in the clear, his hooves crunching through leaves that had dried out in the heat.

That was, until he heard the tiny crunch-crunch of miniature paws following him. He turned and the creature froze, huge eyes fixed on him as it trembled under his gaze. Fine orange fur covered its body, with a streak of white along its muzzle and black-tipped triangular ears that seemed too big for its head.

A fox! And a kit at that. Cairn approached it slowly, nostrils blowing a stream of warm air towards the tiny critter. Its fur was too fine and its body too small for it to be any more than a few weeks old. It definitely looked far too young to be away from its mother.

Its trembling increased as Cairn got closer, but it stood its ground. It smelled healthy enough, and still carried the milk-scent of a nursing kit.

"Where's your mother, little one?" Cairn said softly. The kit inched forward to bump its tiny nose against Cairn's, and his heart melted.

"Oh, Polaris is going to love you."