slow dancing in a burning room

Waves crashed at either side of the bifrost as they continued on their journey towards Auster. Salt and ash bit at her nose, stinging the inside of her throat. Eris whined deep in her throat, pressing closer to Oxide. They ran shoulder to shoulder across the sands. Stay beside me. How could she ever part from him now?

Against all odds: nature, vikings, and common sense, they had survived. The volcano shrank into the horizon behind them as Eris finally set paw on Auster. For now they were "safe." Ocean waves still crashed hard on the shore, but they were a bit more distant now. "Oh... I feel faint," Eris murmured, leaning against Oxide's side and breathing hard. Her fur stuck up every which way from their run. "We should head... further inland... stick to the coast... until the ash... lets up," she panted, trying to strategize. Her navigation skills were finally coming in handy.