kick the tires

He was sitting there all toasty warm in his little scarecrow jammies when a yearling wolf came onto the scene. Sunder eyed her keenly, hoping she was here to take him up on the offer and not just to gawk. When she confirmed his hope he broke into a toothy grin and bounced to his paws. “I did, yes! I’m tinking we’ll run to dat little tree waaaay down dere. You see it?” He pointed to a small, distant shape. In that direction it was the only tree. “Winna reaches it first. If dat works fo you, count it down from tree; we’ll run at ‘go’.” Sunder then fell into a ready stance without waiting for her to agree. Heck, he might even run without her. He just wanted to run.