"I just hope this road doesn't turn or anything," Luke said a bit nervous about being without a guide up front.

No no turns.. Just a fork in the road..
The stallion quips as his clip clops over the fork in the road, with out stepping on it..

"Fork? There's no fork in the," And then Luke looks down, "Oh, oh har har. Funny horse."

Doc smiled, takinghis own looks around as the buildings started to disappear till there was nothing but tree's. He enjoyed the forest more so than anything else as it was very peaceful and calming. He knew there were dangers here as well but figuring since there were two large carniverous predators in the group pluss the others being canine they surely shouldn't have any trouble, but this concern passed as quickly as it had come and he brought his attention back to their surrounding, letting a small smile form and looking back at Zanna.

"It's a great feeling, i'm glad you like it. After a while it can be so peaceful out here, heh I loved it so much that after I was taken in by my owner i'd slip away and head into the nearby reserve" Doc chuckles a little at the thought "Actually there was one time when I couldn't find my way back and I was stuck out there for two days until I heh found a camping ground with some people having lunch. Nearly scared them to death when I came out of the bushes, covered in leaves and dirt" Doc was laughing a little remembering that experience and then trying to convince his owner to even let him go back out, after a second he calmed himself down but a smile was still present. As they were walking he carefully stepped over a fork in the road.

"Heehee... Puns..." Tesla giggled, snatching the fork up from the ground and dropping it in his pack. The little dog shaded his eyes and looked from side to side, scanning for the campsite.

Moonbeam stops, sniffing up into the air, curling his upper lip onto his nosering..
He looks back longingly at the farm the group has just passed, and that they are now down wind of it.. starting to make a slow turn to go back.

"Has the longing of adventure already left?" Luke said to the horse.

Hmmm eh? ahhhh No not at all.. Smell something delightful!! just back aways there, a whole new kind of adventure..
Flagging his tail up into the air, along with his twitching sniffing nose..

Luke scratched his head for a moment. Then, he sniffed the air.

Uh oh. He thought.

"Oh no you don't," Luke said, getting it finally, "Do we need to use this to keep you focused?" He added, pointing to the ring.

Zanna laughed along with him and smiled back. "Well, its nice to know some of us can look intimidating if we run into trouble."
She glanced up at Doc's headfur. "Even if their not covered in dirt and leaves." The husky giggled.



"And what kind of adventure would that be?" The husky inquired with some amusement.

It is the most, wonderful and special kind of adventure you can have!
It's...?!!
He cuts off, As a cougar scented finger is hooked into his nose ring. Pulling his head, and attention back around to the road ahead.
Ooowww! hey! No no No!! I wanna go that way...Please???
Moonbeam follows along obediently down the road away from the siren-song lure of the farm they had just past, going along where he is being directed by the ring...
Aawww yous no fun.. (snort) Your just like my owners!

"It's something best discussed for another day," Luke said, cutting him off. Luke led them a little ahead of the others, "We'll just be a little ahead guys."

"Are you out of your mind? Do you realize exactly HOW much trouble you almost got into?" Luke whispered angrily to the horse.

Tesla wattles alongside Zanna, watching as the horse was led away, "Awww... I kinda wanted more adventure...." He pouted

Moonbeam tries to look away from the cougars angry glare..
Umm i guess i was.....
Still trying to look away from the now angry predator, altho the whole time his attention is completely focused is on the held ring in his nose, which in turn was keeping him in direct eye contact with the cougar.
Umm quite a lot... <thinking about it now.> Guess my owner are right, i'm not ready to be off on my own. Good thing you were there to keep me goes down the right path..
The equine says, now trying to butter up the would be one day farmer/ranching cougar.

But the smell of those apples pies cooling on the breeze, was just so tempting.

Luke almost chuckled.

"Yes, they most certainly can be," he added, slowing to get back with the group. And when they were, let go of the ring.

"Say Doc, how much farther would you say the place is," he asked the red wolf.

Doc chuckled a little bit, the smile still present and the fond memory still having an effect. He glances down then looks around for a second, keeping an eye out around them.
"Oh i'm sure nothing will bother us, you have my word I won't let anything happen to you guys"

Doc let his tail swing and he kept a very slight bounce in his step, trying to keep upbeat till he noticed Moonbeam drift and turn, though before Doc could inquire about this the Cougar was already on top of it, using the resourceful nose ring to guide the horse back.
Then Tesla joined the duo in the back, commenting on more adventure Doc couldn't help but laugh a little and let a grin form

"Don't worry when we get to our camp site the real adventure can begin"
Doc contemplated what they would be doing first and how much they could fit into the day, then as the Cougar and Moonbeam slowed a bit towards them, Mr.Cougar asked where the camp site was, Doc looked around to if any landmark's were visible but as they were starting to get into the tree line, Doc took a second before recognizing where they were and that they weren't too far away.

"We're almost there we need to keep on this road, we should be seeing a dirt road splitting off somehwere up ahead and that will take us straight to the camping area"

Travis' figure had anchored off beside a corner of the porch, merely contemplating on the matters of choosing a destination. When Mercury had asked her of where to go, she simply shook her head with a puzzled expression. She stood there in deep thought for a few seconds, off to the side, with her right paw resting on the chin of her muzzle and her profound gaze piercing at the curb of the steps. That was, of course, until she proposed an idea.

"There's an alcove up above a secluded, high hill," She mentions, coy at first. "It has a nice view that shows much of the surrounding landscapes before it, up until the horizon. Its includes the entire neighborhood, undoubtedly."

"Heh, all righty, I guess we'll just," Luke said, and then he happened to look down and stop.

"Woo! This is gonna rock!" Tesla cheered in his squeaky voice befor bumping into Luke, "Uh, what's wrong dude? Thorn in your paw?" The Corgi asked, genuinely concerned
~~~~

"Oh? Secluded hill?" Mercury responded with a curious half-mumble, half-giggle, "That sounds like a great place! But..." He trailed, rummaging in his Bag for his sketchbook befor continuing, "Eh, nevermind. I have what I need." The cat smiled brightly as he took a step off the porch befor stopping again, "You're very poetic y'know."

As they walked along the path Zanna started to preoccupy her mind with the things they would do on their camping trip. Based on the TV shows she'd watched it consisted of fishing...setting up tents...eating marshmellows (her thoughts lingered on this for a second longer. Yum!)... and the occasional run ins with Sasquatch. Her thought were interrupted when the leading the animal stopped in her tracks.
"What happened? Did we get there already?" Trying to see what Luke was looking at.

"Okay, this may sound strange," Luke said, glancing at the paw prints in the road, "But has there been any cougars besides me seen around these parts? Cuase, those prints, aren't mine."

Don't look at me... I didn't know there was cougars and wolves anywhere near around here!.. let alone tame collared ones.
He starts looking around nervously, showing the whites of his eyes as he lifts his head to sniff at the breeze..
It's a trap, the cougar lead us into a pack of cougars! were alll going to get munched and crunched!!!
he whinnies panically.

"Oh please," Luke said, "It's probably just a lost stray. Who is miles away by now. These aren't fresh prints, and about 3 days old."

Doc followed along, till the others stopped in which Doc looked around till the cougar explained what it was.
"Cougar prints huh? Hmm well if you're right, hopefulyl they did move on but still might be helpful to be careful"

Doc started walking again till he was next to the cougar, he began inspecting the prints himself. He caught a faint scent of the print and the cougar was right it was old but he didn't want to take any chances, he was sure with the groups size most predators will be warded off but still.

Tesla bent down to take a look at the tracks, "Wow, those are pretty big!" he said. The pack on the dog's back, being heavier than Tesla himself, pulled the corgi to the ground, effectively toppling him over, "Oh... Um... A little help, guys?" he croaked, wriggling around like a turtle on its back

"Eh heh, you sure you don't want to be on the horse?" Luke asked Tesla, helping him up.

Oh... well... you never know.. when your a herbivore.

Moonbeam looks around again...

So is it a male or female puma print?

"Er, well, uh, I'm good, but, not that good," Luke said, getting embarassed for some reason.

Travis retorted, chuckling, "Yeah, I get that quite a lot. Sometimes."

As Travis led the way towards the favorable spot, she knew it would be best to strike up a conversation, in the meantime, as time would slowly slip away, and the dreary, somewhat distant hill becoming partly visible from its pinnacle, despite the forestry. Since Mercury was tagging along to a route that she was familiar with, and one that Mercury might not have been in favor of, presumably, Travis spoke to describe it along the way.

She began, "There's a narrow trail that picks up from yesterday's lake, and it's not too much of a hike to get to where we're going."

the horsey looks the big cat over..
You can't? If'n that was hoof prints, i could have told you if'n there were from a mare, stallion or gelding.. by the scents around them.
The big horsey teases.. having forgotten to be scared anymore...

"All right, fine, it was female, and she is young, and no, I'm not getting my hopes up," Luke said, lowering his head.

And thus begins the teasing. He thought to himself.

Mercury giggled happily, "That doesn't sound too bad. It's a nice day after all!" He said, shading his eyes to catch a glimps of the hill. Nearby a squirrel heckled the pair jokingly befor running off, Distracting Mercury and causing him to trip and stumble into a dazed somersault
~~~

"No! Never will I ever ride the horse! Today..." The corgi exclaimed, trotting ahead haughtily, before stumbling again, "The answer is still no!" He puffed, defeated

"Aw come on Luke! Maybe she's still around, tracking you! Trackingception!" Tesla prodded good-naturedly after he stopped pouting, "We could have her over for camp brunch!" He giggled again

"Getting his hopes up for what?" Zanna looked genuinely baffled, she had her head tilted to the side and one of her ears flattened. "Is he worried that she doesn't like camping? Or that she not hungry? Or..." She looked to the rest for answers.

"Are you kidding Tesla? I don't think Moonbeam would appreciate it, I think he's had his fair share of predator scare today. And besides, she's probably not around, and, probably wouldn't like me anyway," Luke said.

"Oh come on Mr. Big-Strong-tough-cougar, it couldn't be all that bad!" Tesla piped, "I mean it would be nice to have special lady in your life, eh?" The little dog gave a quick glance at Zanna before turning back to the big cat

Trots around in a circle, scanning all around. O.o....
No i'm a strong stallion.. i can take a few more s-s-scarrres..

Luke got a dreamy look in his eye.

"Yeah, yeah eventually," he said, then he snapped out of it, "But, not right now." He noticed Moonbeam's antics.

"Eh heh, suuure," he said to him.

Tesla saw Moonbeam and cackled under his breath, "A few more scares, eh?" his giggling continued as he reached into his pack and tossed something into the brush. Reaching into his pack again, Tesla retrieved a little remote of sorts, housed in an anchovies tin, with a barely concealed, wicked grin, the dog hit a button on the remote and a faint wrrring noise came from the brush

Not knowing exactly what was going to happen but knowing enough, Luke thought he could try to avert disaster by talking the small dog out of his plans.

"Tesla, would you like to chase a horse through the woods today instead of going camping?" He said, whipping his head around this way and that way.

`

Moonbeam flicks up his ears?? looking strangely around, his nostrils flaring out widely..
Strrrrange.. I suddenly hear bees!!.. but can't smell the honey anywhere..
Is it a swarm? we going to get stung!!