Ryan's expression darkened. "It sounds bad."
"If it weren't for him leading the way before, I wouldn't have found you so quickly," Mary said urgently. "Cleo only ran into danger because she chased after him. He didn't do it on purpose."
Ryan hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright. But we mark the route clearly. We can't afford to get lost again."
Mary immediately took out a small bag of flour from her mindscape and began scattering thin white lines along the path as they climbed, marking every turn.
The fox's cries continued, growing clearer and more desperate the higher they went.
When they finally reached the source of the sound, Mary stopped short.
The little white fox was there, crouched beside a much larger fox, his small body trembling as he cried. His voice broke again and again, echoing across the mountain.
Mary hurried over and squatted beside him. "What happened?"
