Chapter 3: The Trip

"A hunting trip?" Sylvanas asked and looked at her lover who was standing in the door and leaning against the door frame.

Kelrian's eyes rested on her. She laid on their bed, the lower half of her body was covered by her blanket. "We haven't spent much time together besides the time we spent with our children or our families. I miss doing something with you alone, so I thought it would be a good idea to go on a hunt while the little ones stay the night in my family's house. My mother would love to look after Sylvera and Raesh for a night," he explained.

"You are right, we haven't had much time for ourselves in the past years. It's rare that we have some free time with two children, so I would love to go hunting with you. We haven't hunted for a while. I miss that feeling. I miss the thrill of the hunt."

Kelrian smiled. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to her, snuggling up to her. Sylvanas put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around him, closing her eyes as she started to relax. Kelrian intertwined their fingers and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, bringing it to his lips to kiss it from time to time. They laid on the bed for a while, enjoying the presence of the other.

They didn't know how much time had passed when someone knocked at the door. "Yes?" Sylvanas asked sleepily.

The door was opened a little andAlleria peeked through the slit. "Are you both awake?" she asked.

Sylvanas yawned. "I'm still tired but I'm awake. What do you want?"

"I just want to inform you that your children are ready to go."

Sylvanas nodded. "Tell them to wait. We will be there soon to say goodbye to them. Give us a few minutes."

"But only a few minutes," reminded Alleria and grinned at her younger sister. "Not that it would end like the last time where you told me that you will come in a few minutes but then you took almost an hour to go downstairs." Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about that, sis. We will come in a few minutes. This time for real."

"Good," replied Alleria and closed the door behind her a few moments later.

A loud yawn escaped Sylvanas' lips as she stretched her back. She removed the blanket and got up, walking to her wardrobe slowly. Her gaze rested on Kelrian, a smirk appeared on her lips as she noticed that his eyes rested on her almost nude form. She was wearing nothing but blue panties which only covered half of her ass cheeks. Her breasts were exposed, round and full.

Kelrian's eyes were glued to them. He was unable to avert his gaze. Only when Sylvanas turned her back to him, so he couldn't see them anymore, he was able to avert his gaze. But his gaze landed on her well-formed ass and still rested there even when she had put on brown leggings. Who could blame him? Her ass looked more than just good in these leggings.

Kelrian walked over to her and put one hand on her left ass cheek, squeezing it. He put his head on her shoulder and wrapped his arm around her from behind. He put his other hand on her muscular, still exposed belly and caressed it. His hand wandered up eventually and cupped one of her breasts, kneading it softly. A quiet moan escaped Sylvanas' lips and another was hearable when Kelrian kissed her neck softly and left a few love bites there.

"I can't get dressed when you sabotage me like this."

A grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Sabotage?" I don't know what you are talking about."

"I can't put on a bra or a top if you keep hugging me like this."

"What if I don't want you to get fully dressed?" he asked and put kisses on her left ear.

"You know that the kids are waiting for us, right?"

"I know that my love but it won't hurt them to wait a few minutes longer."

Sylvanas sighed. "But only a few minutes. You horny bastard."

Kelrian chuckled, not feeling insulted at all. She knew that she didn't mean it as an insult. She only said that to tease him. Kelrian's hand wandered until it reached the waistband of her leggings. He pulled on it and sneaked is hand beneath her leggings.

"I know you also enjoy it, you dirty bitch," he whispered in her ear. Sylvanas had her eyes closed, she was biting on her bottom lip to prevent that any loud moan could escape her lips. Her skin tingled in excitement, the tips of her ears were stiff and a wave of pleasure rushed through her body. Kelrian kissed her neck while his fingers worked wonders down there.

He made her feel good and brought her over the edge quickly. He pulled his hand out of the area between her legs, regarding the sticky liquid that stuck on his fingers. He went to the bathroom opposite to their bedroom, washed his hands and dried them. Then he returned to their room and gave his lover a teasing grin.

"Are you satisfied?" Sylvanas asked and gave him a similar smile.

"Only for the moment. Are you?"

"Only for the moment," she repeated and winked with her eye.

They turned their heads as they heard more knocks at the door. "Are you ready?" asked Alleria.

"Almost," said Sylvanas.

"Can I come in?"

"I'm not wearing any top or a bra yet. You can come in if you want but I've warned you."

The door was opened a second later and Alleria stepped in, closing the door right behind her. Her eyes landed on her sister who didn't care that her upper body was still exposed. Then her eyes landed on Kelrian who was standing next to her and handed her a blue bra. Sylvanas put the bra on and gave her sister a curious look. "I assume there is something important you want to tell me."

Alleria nodded. "A courier just arrived there with a message from the king."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "A message from the king?"

Her sister handed her an envelope. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to open it and read the letter in it. She put it on the nearest desk once she was done reading. "What does it say?" Alleria asked curiously.

"The king wants me to send a group of rangers and priests to Lordaeron. They should help Lord Uther, Prince Arthas Menethil and Lady Proudmoore dealing with the threats there.

"Threats?" Kelrian asked surprised.

"It seems that they found orcs who attacked a city but also undead creatures."

Kelrian frowned. "Undead creatures? You mean like the death knights that fought at the side of the Horde during the Second War?"

Sylvanas shrugged. "I have no idea if they mean death knights. The letter only mentions 'undead creatures'."

"I can only hope that they didn't make more death knights out of corpses. These warriors had been very nasty during the war. They were pretty powerful and hard to kill," told Alleria.

"But we killed them in the end, so we can kill them again if there are death knights in Lordaeron, which I doubt."

"How many rangers and priests will you send out?"

Sylvanas made a thoughtful face. "What about two dozen rangers, four priests and two mages?" Sylvanas suggested.

"I think that's enough for the beginning. We can send more if they need more men but for now, thirty men should be enough. The mages will be very effective against these corpses. Fire is always good against any creature except for fire and water elementals," replied her sister.

Sylvanas nodded. "I will send the units of Ranger-Captain Sweetblossom and Ranger-Captain Brighthair to Lordaeron. I will also send High Priestess Liadrin and her unit."

"These groups belong to the best we have. I'm sure they will help the humans to handle these threats," said Kelrian.

"I'm sure they will. I don't know how dangerous these threats are but I want to have them gone as fast as possible. There is nothing else we have to take care of at this time. The Amani trolls are still hiding for fifteen years and our borders are secured. The Horde won't dare to attack us. They were only seen in Lordaeron and Prince Arthas killed one of their commanders. Not many orcs have been there so I don't believe we have to send out more men at first," replied Sylvanas.

Alleria agreed with her. "If they need more men then the mages can return to Silvermoon and ask for reinforcements." She received a nod from her sister.

Sylvanas walked over to the mirror and regarded herself. Kelrian had helped her to put on her chest guard and her shoulder blades while they had talked. Only her cape with the hood was missing for the moment. Kelrian brought it to her and helped her attach it.

"Are you going somewhere?" Alleria asked curiously.

"We'll go hunting."

Alleria was surprised. "You are hunting? You haven't hunted for years."

"I know, that's why we want to do it. We haven't had much time just for ourselves in the past years, so we want to make use of this opportunity and go hunting."

"That's not a bad idea."

"Mother could use the meat to make a nice meal for us. At least for those who eat meat," said Sylvanas.

"Basically everyone except for you."

Sylvanas nodded.

"Are you ready to say goodbye to your children, Lady Moon?"

"I am."

Alleria walked to the door, opened it and waited until everyone had left the room before she closed the door. They followed the corridor and walked downstairs, arriving in the living room eventually. Sylvera and Raesh were sitting on the couch and doing nothing at all.

Raesh wore half-long, brown trousers, brown shoes and a blue shirt without sleeves. Sylvera wore a similar outfit but instead of a shirt, she wore a red blouse with long sleeves. In front of each child stood a backpack that was filled with only necessary items. Items they would need for an overnight stay like toothbrushes, pyjamas and other items. The twins got up as soon as they saw their parents and their aunt, walking over to them.

"Good afternoon, my loves," said Sylvanas and hugged them, pressing kisses on their foreheads.

"Hello mom and dad," they said in unison. Sylvanas smiled and so did Kelrian.

"Are you ready for departure?" Kelrian asked. The twins nodded.

"Are you excited?"

They nodded again.

"Okay, let's see if Zendarin has created a portal to Suncrown Village in the meantime. He should be in the backyard. Why don't you go outside and look for him? We will join you soon"

The twins nodded at him and picked up their backpacks. Both ran as fast as possible because they wanted to be the first to leave the house. Kelrian told them to not run so fast but they have already left the room so they couldn't hear him.

Sylvanas chuckled and shook her head amused. "They are as euphoric as you are. They have all the time in the world but they still ran as fast as possible because they can't wait to see their grandmother."

"They love her and not only because she gives them lots of sweets."

"Liana is a wonderful woman."

Kelrian smiled. "She is, you are right about that."

"Why don't we visit her and go hunting in the nearest forest to Suncrown Village?" Sylvanas asked and stared into his eyes, wanting to know what he was thinking about this idea.

"That's a good idea, I like that. I rarely visit her and Varo. They usually come to us so do my siblings."

Sylvanas put an arm around his waist. "We should do that then."

"Good, let's go to the little ones," he said and slapped Sylvanas' butt. She gave him a wide grin and elbowed him gently. Alleria rolled her eyes and walked forward without commenting on what she had just seen. The couple followed her and left the house, arriving in the backyard.

The ground was covered by green grass, lots of trees stood on the left and right sides. There was a greenhouse in the back half and a large table with lots of chairs near the pond in which lots of ducks were swimming. The croaking of frogs was hearable so were the buzzing of bees and the twittering of birds.

The three rangers spotted Raesh, Sylvera and Zendarin quickly. They were standing in front of the pond next to a portal which was large enough that two persons could walk through it at the same time. Zendarin was sitting on a chair and held his cat in his arms. It was a cute little cat that was not much older than three months. It had brown fur and green eyes. The twins were regarding it and even caressing it.

Zendarin put the cat on the ground and got up when his cousins and Kelrian approached him. Zendarin wore a blue robe, his fire-red hair was loose and reached to his shoulders. "Good morning, cousins. Good morning, Kelrian," he said and shook their hands.

The two sisters and Kelrian greeted them in return. "How are you doing?" asked Alleria.

"I'm fine. And you?"

"We are fine as well."

"The portal doesn't last for too long so I would suggest to say goodbye to your children and let them go through it before it closes."

"Kelrian and I are coming with them," said Sylvanas.

Raesh and Sylvera's faces reflected surprise. "You are?" the boy asked curiously.

"Yes, we want to meet your grandmother too but we won't stay for long. We will go on a hunt and won't return before tomorrow."

"But you will pick us up tomorrow, right? Or do we have to go ride home?" asked Sylvera.

Kelrian smiled. "Of course not. We will return to the house of your grandmother and pick you up. I will open a portal so we don't have to travel back to Windrunner Spire."

Sylvera nodded.

"Are you ready?" their mother asked. Sylvera and Raesh nodded. Sylvanas looked at Zendarin. "See you soon

Her cousin nodded. "Have fun."

Sylvanas' gaze fell back on her children. "Alright, you will go first." They nodded and walked through the portal together. Alleria wished them good luck and received thankful nods in return. Sylvanas took Kelrian's hand, stared into his eyes for a few moments before she walked with him through the portal. They came out in front of a house made out of white concrete. The roof was covered by red tiles and the front garden was not too large.

The couple and their children walked to the door and Kelrian knocked at it. The door was opened a few moments later by Kelrian's mother Liana who was regarding them with a happy smile on her lips. She greeted her grandchildren first and hugged them. Sylvera didn't mind the long hug but Raesh didn't like to be hugged so long. Nevertheless, he didn't say anything and just waited until his grandmother pulled away.

Sylvanas was the next one who was hugged by Liana. Then it was Kelrian's turn to be hugged. He put a hand on his mother's back and caressed it slowly. Liana smiled as she pulled away, regarded the four for a few moments and then requested them to come in. Kelrian and his little family didn't hesitate to enter the house and take off their shoes, placing them in front of the shoe cupboard.

Everyone followed Liana who brought them to the living room of her and her lover's house. The pieces of furniture were simple and not extravagant. They were made out of solid wood but still looked pretty good. The carpet that covered the ground had a beautiful pattern. It was a mandala. There were no wall paintings or pictures that decorated the walls but there were heads of animals that hung on the opposite wall.

Kelrian remembered that his mother's boyfriend was a hunter. He was very good with a bow but he only hunted animals. Unlike Kelrian and Sylvanas, he was not a Farstrider, so he didn't use his skills to kill the enemies of the Alliance. He didn't want to participate in any battles if it wouldn't be necessary. Hunting was more like a hobby for him. He was working as an author of children's books.

There were the heads of deer, wild boars, lynxes and even lions. There were no lions in Quel'Thalas, so Kelrian assumed that Varo had hunted in other territories. On the right side of the living room was a green couch in front of which a small table was standing. There was a large table in the middle of the room around which six chairs were standing.

Liana led her guests over to the couch and sat down, waiting until the others sat. "It's good to see you. I have missed you all."

"We missed you too, grandma," said Sylvera and smiled at her. Liana put her right hand on her head, caressing her scalp softly. Her other hand rested on her lap. It was an artificial limp so she couldn't do much with it. She could neither hold something with it or do anything else with it. It was just for show so she looked complete.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat?" she asked.

Kelrian shook his head. Sylvanas told her that she just wanted water and the twins told her that they wanted to drink some juice. Liana got up, left the room and came back a few minutes later with a tray she carried with only one hand. There were three glasses and a bowl of sweets on it. The blue eyes of the twins widened, the corners of their lips formed happy smiles. They waited until their grandmother had placed the tray on the small table, then they pounced on the didn't argue about them, instead, they divided them fairly.

The adults regarded them while they ate the sweets happily and drank their strawberry juice. "Where is Varo?" Kelrian asked eventually.

"He is in Silvermoon with his daughters but he promised me to return before the evening. How long will you be away?"

"We will return tomorrow but we don't know yet when we will return," answered Sylvanas.

"Take your time. You are not in a rush. Stay away as long as you want. I don't mind having them for another night."

"We will keep that in mind," said Sylvanas.

"What will you do?" Liana asked interested.

"We are going on a hunt," said Kelrian.

"Orcs and trolls or wild boards and deer?"

"The last one. The trolls are still hiding from us, so are the orcs that had escaped the internment camps and follow their new leader Thrall. A small group of them had been spotted in Lordaeron but Prince Arthas Menethil and his men took care of them."

Liana's eyes reflected worry. "I hope history won't repeat itself. I don't want another war against these creatures."

Kelrian put a strand of his mother's blonde hair behind her ear and gave her a comforting smile. "They are far too weak to pose a threat to us. We defeated them fifteen years ago when they had a lot more warriors and even dragons. We would defeat them again if they dare to attack us. Don't worry about them."

His mother nodded and put her good hand on her lap, stroking over the soft silk of her blue dress. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It was fifteen o'clock. "We should go. We have to pick up two horses and ride to the nearest forest which will take at least an hour."

"You are right. We won't have much time before it would become dark if we wait for too long," said Kelrian.

Liana and the twins got up with them and accompanied them to the door. "Stay safe," said Liana and hugged them.

"Don't worry," her son said. "We will. We went on many hunts, so I'm sure this one will run smoothly."

Sylvanas looked at her children. "And you will listen to your grandmother and don't get up to mischief. Is that clear?"

Raesh and Sylvera nodded. "We will behave well," promised the girl.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Sylvanas smiled and ran her fingers through their hair. "We will return tomorrow. Have fun and don't annoy your grandmother too much, okay?"

They nodded. Liana brought them to the exit. Kelrian and Sylvanas said goodbye to her and her children who wished them good luck. They waited until Liana had closed the door behind them, then they turned around and left the property. They followed the plastered road until they came to a stable. It was a large and long building made out of wood, its roof was covered by straw.

They entered the stable and spotted a young man, in dirty dungarees and an old shirt, mucking out one of the loose boxes where the horses were held. He put the pitchfork aside as he spotted the potential costumers. He wiped a strand of black hair out of his face and walked over to them, lowering his head in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ranger-General. The same counts for you Ranger-Lieutenant Sunsinger."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. Are you the owner of the stable?" Sylvanas asked.

The man shook his head. "No, that's my father. He must be somewhere in the near."

"Do we have to speak to him or can you lend us two horses for two days?"

The man thought about it for a moment. "I think it's better if you speak to my father. I assume you want our best horses and I'm not allowed to lend our best horses to anyone, so you have to talk to him."

"Bring us to our father, please," Kelrian requested politely.

The man nodded and signalized them to follow him. They walked through the stable until they came to the last two loose boxes in front of which a man was standing who wore similar clothing and had similar facial features to the stable boy. It was unmistakable that he was the stable boy's father and the owner of this place.

A surprised expression appeared on the man's face as he noticed who was visiting his stable. It was visible in his eyes that he would have never expected to see the Ranger-General in his stable. He wiped his hand on his shirt, which was not as old and ragged as his son's, then he gave Sylvanas his hand who shook it without hesitation. "I greet you, Ranger-General. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," responded Sylvanas and gave him a small smile.

The man ignored Kelrian entirely and just looked at Sylvanas. He hadn't even greeted Kelrian and it didn't seem that he intended to. "How can I help you?"

"We need two horses for two days."

"I assume that you want the best of the best," the man said and pointed at the two loose boxes behind him. In the right box was a white horse with a black mane. In the left box was a brown horse with a blond mane. Both horses were male and looked very fit.

"They look good," complimented Kelrian.

"Thank you," said the owner. "I'm glad you like them."

"How much do they cost?" Sylvanas asked.

"Each cost fifty gold a day."

"Fifty gold, that's a lot," said Kelrian and raised a brow, eying the owner closely.

"They are the best in the region. I can guarantee that. Besides, I'm sure the Ranger-General earns enough money to afford both of them for two days."

Sylvanas stared into the owner's eyes. "Forty."

The owner returned the staring. "Forty-five."

"Forty," Sylvanas repeated and tilted her head a little. The owner held eye contact for a few moments but then looked away nervously. "Forty," he said eventually, his voice was much quieter than before.

A satisfied smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "I'm glad we came to an agreement. I will give you the money in advance, so I hope your horses are as good as you promised."

"They won't disappoint you," the owner said and opened the boxes, allowing Kelrian and Sylvanas to guide the horses out of the stable.

The owner and his son saddled the horses, so Sylvanas and Kelrian could finally climb on them and take the reins in their hands. Sylvanas gave the owner one last glance and said goodbye to him and his son before she looked at her lover who signalized her that he was ready. They spurred their horses, making them start moving. The horses followed the road, leaving Suncrown Village rather quickly.

They were greeted by travellers, traders and citizens of Quel'Thalas while they followed the long road to the east. They greeted them in return but didn't stop riding. Their horses galloped as fast as they could and arrived after an hour in the forest they were looking for. They let their horses stop in front of the forest and dismounted, guiding them to the nearest trees which were not too thick, so they could bind the reins around the tree trunks. That way the horses wouldn't be able to run away.

"Are you ready?" Sylvanas asked.

"I have my bow and twenty-four arrows, so I think I'm ready."

"Let's go then. You still remember what we have to keep in mind while hunting?"

Kelrian lowered his voice. "We have to be quiet and take careful steps to avoid that we make any noises while moving."

Sylvanas' voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Exactly."

She took her bow from her back and regarded it for a few moments. Her bow didn't look similar to the bows most rangers used. It was clearly visible that these bows were made out of wood. Sylvanas' bow was also made out of wood, the best wood in Quel'Thalas, but it was splendidly decorated that it seemed it was made out of a different material.

It looked like it was made out of iron and coloured in blue and silver. Sylvanas could use an iron bow if she wanted. It would be more stable and better for blocking a blow from a weapon but she preferred bows made out of wood. They were a lot lighter and easier to repair.

Also, the bow had been enchanted so that it wouldn't break that easily. Kelrian's bow was also made out of the best wood in Quel'Thalas but it was not splendidly decorated like Sylvanas'. But he didn't mind that. He didn't need a good-looking bow. He just needed one that was light and good for shooting arrows.

Sylvanas was the one who entered the forest first and Kelrian didn't hesitate to follow her. They made no noises whenever their feet came in contact with the dry ground that was covered by green grass and lots of branches. Their eyes rested on the ground because they were looking for footprints of wild animals that might have crossed this place some time ago. Their pointed ears were very useful in catching animal noises. They had a far better hearing than humans, so could hear even the smallest animal from a much further distance.

They could hear the quiet twittering of birds in the far and they could hear some squirrels in the treetops. They could even hear mice, frogs and rabbits. But they weren't looking for these little creatures. They would have to hunt lots of them if they wanted to satisfy the hunger of every member of the Windrunner family.

Instead, they were looking for wild boars, bears or deer. Even lynxes were fine. They looked for tracks but they didn't find any within the first half-hour. But then they spotted a trail. Sylvanas squatted down and run her hand over the ground. There were footprints of an animal that had two toes, which tips were rounded, and two dewclaws.

"The tracks are fresh," analysed Sylvanas.

"These are boar tracks, aren't they?"

Sylvanas looked up at him and nodded. "They are. I don't think the boar is far away from us and it is alone."

"It seems to be fully grown," added Kelrian.

"Seems so. And pretty heavy, judging by the depth of the footprints."

"You are right,"

"Come, let's follow this trail," said Sylvanas and got up, following the tracks with her lover. They found the wild boar eventually. It was resting next to a small river and was drinking out of it. It was over four feet tall and nearly six and a half feet long. It was pretty thick and had dirty, brown fur.

"That's a big one," whispered Kelrian and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He drew his bow, knocked an arrow and aimed at the spot near the knee of its right foreleg. There was the boar's heart. The animal was still drinking, so it had no idea what was awaiting it. Kelrian let the arrow loose. It would have been a perfect hit if the boar wouldn't have moved at the last moment. The arrow didn't hit the animal's heart but its belly.

A painful cry escaped the animal's snout. The boar started to run, so did Kelrian. The boar was pretty heavy so it was not very fast. Kelrian followed it easily and drew his bow again, aiming while running. He shot another arrow which hit the boar's right back leg, causing that it became slower. Kelrian aimed again, whispering a few words to enchant his next arrow. Thanks to the enchantment, the arrow pierced through the boar's thick skin and its heart with no problem. The boar stopped after a few seconds and collapsed.

Kelrian rushed over to the animal and tested if it was already dead. It was. Sylvanas squatted down next to him and pulled the arrows out.

She put her hand on Kelrian's shoulder and patted it. "That was good. It seems you didn't forget how to hunt."

Kelrian smiled. "Of course not. I may not have hunted for years but that doesn't mean I forgot everything."

Sylvanas returned the smile and kissed his right cheek.

"Do we bring it back to the horses? Or what do we do now?"

"You will bring it to the horses."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "And what will you do?"

"I will hunt another animal. Maybe even a deer or a lynx. Do you remember where my cabin is?"

"You mean the one where we had our first date?"

Sylvanas nodded.

"Then I remember where it is," said Kelrian.

"Good. Meet me there."

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?"

Sylvanas chuckled. "I have hunted on my own since I was sixteen. Sometimes I hunt with someone but most of the times I hunt alone. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Kelrian put his hands on her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "I believe you."

Sylvanas stepped on her tiptoes and leaned in, pressing her lips against his. Kelrian returned the kiss, sneaking his tongue in her mouth once her lips were parted. Sylvanas did the same and let her tongue engage a fight for dominance which she won easily. They held this passionate kiss as long as possible, only pulling away then they ran out of air.

They stared into each other's eyes while drawing heavy breaths. Their hearts were beating rapidly in their chests, their skins tingled in excitement. Sylvanas licked her lips and gave Kelrian a satisfied smile. "That was a very good kiss."

Kelrian mimicked her smile. "You can say that again."

They held gazes for a while, not knowing how much time had passed when they averted their gazes. "Take the boar and go to the horses. I will hunt another animal and then come to the cabin."

"See you later my love," Kelrian said and lifted the boar up with Sylvanas' help, putting it on his shoulders and his back. It was heavy but he was able to carry it. He looked at Sylvanas for the last time before he turned around and walked towards the place where they had left the horses. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to head in the opposite direction, her gaze rested on the ground as she searched for more animal trails.