You keep going, happy to know that the valley is indeed close. You might be imagining it, but you think you can see a little bit of green in the distance. You've already drank more than half of your water, so the faster you get there the better.
"And where are you going in such a hurry?" the voice that says it is deep and slow.
You realize then that you've walked clear past someone; this creature looks a lot like Dune, the wolf you saw earlier, except this one is far more colorful. He seems to be amused, now that you've finally noticed him.
"Raith, you can call me," he says. "You're not too far from the valley now, but I don't recommend running."
You ask, "And why not?"
Raith looks over his shoulder. "First of all, that's a far run. Second of all, Aethunyc is somewhere up there, and I doubt he'll want to be stepped on."
"Who?"
He chuckles. "Aethunyc is a snake, and he's not terribly fond of people, let alone running people who could miss me. I mean, I don't blend in now, do I?" He gives you a wry grin.
