Nuuu! That may have been a good thing, though, to not tempt Electa any more than she already was. She kept driving steadily northwest. The states changed from California to Nevada. By around six a.m., the route had grown so steep that Electa had to keep changing gears as she steered the truck up the twisting roads. She knew that hidden in the predawn shadows, there was a drop of several hundred feet to one side, with only a flimsy guardrail between it and the truck. In several places, the sweep of the truck's headlights showed skid marks, where cars had crashed.

Vex shuddered every time he saw any sign at all that marked someone had crashed at all. He didn't like car crashes.

Finally, on the mountain side of the road, she spotted the hard, rocky scrabble that she remembered from the camping trip with Jake, when they'd first found this place. Engaging the four-wheel drive, Electa steered them off-road and the truck obediently started up the hill. A minute later, they'd rounded a bend, taking them out of view from the main road.

He watched around them, feeling curious as his wide teal eyes took in anything they could.

She had to really concentrate as she drove; the way was even worse than she remembered, even in a truck like this. They moved slowly, rocking from side to side as the 4x4 crawled upward.

He didn't mind the rocking, despite that his wound did. It didn't hurt as bad as when he'd been shot so he was glad for that. He tried to keep his hair from his eyes but it kept swaying into his face from the rocking. So he kept having to shove it back.

Which didn't help her concentration any. After more than an hour, the finally came to a high, stony valley, with grass and shrubs growing resolutely between the rocks. Electa parked the truck. They were in a sort of bowl in the middle of the mountains; around them, the morning sun tinged the peaks with a golden light, making them appear to glow from the inside.

He looked out the window in curiosity, teal eyes sparkling a bit as he looked around. "Woah." he breathed softly.

Climbing out of the truck, Electa suddenly felt happier than she'd felt in a long time. The air was so fresh up here that it hit you like a rush of adrenaline, waking you up and making you feel alive. She grinned at Vexin. "Come on, it's time for the hiking boots."

He got out, seeming shocked by the air its self. He smiled back to her, that real dazzling smile again.