The earth underneath his feet was damp, springy, and released an odor rich in decay and growth with every leap he took. Though the dew clinging to his fur was cold, and the deeper, more protected areas of the hills still shrouded their snow patches protectively, he could smell the heat that the not-quite-risen sun was bringing with it. It smelled like spring. Like new beginnings. It smelled like life.
He slowed to a trot, his muscles worn but well-used, and shook his head at the first slip of sunlight over the horizon. It would be a beautiful day. Of that he had no doubt.
* * * *
The mattress dipped behind him and Randy smiled into his pillow. The conscious part of him had been telling the unconscious half that it was sunrise for some time now, but he’d been doing his damnedest to convi
