Chapter 57. Smell

Nicolas's POV

"Where are you going?" I inquired as Ray abruptly veered off course and sprinted past the cave. "The cave is just there!"

"The lake," he replied, "we can't go look for Zara smelling like Terra. She would be furious, and I don't want her mad at us."

I acknowledged Ray's point and nodded in agreement, but it would cause us to fall further behind schedule.

Dammit! Why would Zara decide to run away at a time like this? Couldn't she just stay put?

When the lake finally appeared, the sight of its pristine blue water was mesmerizing. At least the cave was not too far away.

Ray always loved water, and he crashed into it, making a huge wave.

I let him run and play in the water for a minute so he could enjoy the cool water.

"Feeling better?" I asked after he returned to shore.

"Yeah," he answered. "We also smell a lot better."

Ray shook his fur to remove the water, then scampered back toward the cave. I