Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

She'd grimly gathered herself and leaped. Most of the stepping stones she cleared easily, and she'd been beginning to relax, more confident now, until... Corbie felt the stone crumble beneath her paws as she landed, and for one heartstopping moment she found herself heading straight for the lava. She barely managed to get enough grip to throw herself forward, catching the next stone, but found herself overshooting in her haste and nearly going over the other side of it. She scrabbled at the rock to catch herself, feeling the heat of the boiling rock against her face. A bubble of lava burst, and she shouted out loud at the sudden horrific pain that lanced her ear as it was splattered. A second pain as teeth clamped into the back of her neck and she felt herself jerked away from certain death as the odd creature that guided her pulled her up to steady her. She had to crouch there a moment with her heart pounding before she could trust herself to continue. They finished the stepping stones without further incident despite the distracting pain of the burn. It was blessedly going numb - though perhaps that was a bad sign - as her paws reached the other side. "Thank you," she said quietly, though intensely, to the borzoi-like creature. Whatever else she had expected from the angry looking guide, it hadn't been saving her life. Whatever else happened, she could appreciate that.

Taking a deep breath, she studied the next obstacle with a frown. She couldn't entirely trust the strength of her body just now. Her muscles felt a bit like jelly after the mad scramble and adrenaline let down. She would jump it if she needed to but... perhaps there was a better way. She didn't want to impose on her guide any more than she had already, but he seemed like he was quite familiar with the terrain, so she turned to him again. "How do we get there?" she quietly ASKED THE GUIDE.