I savoured each and every breath that I inhaled, cherishing the effect that the unmarked air was having on my body. I felt exhilarated, each and every muscle in my body coming to life in a way that it hadn’t been able to do for what felt like forever. I had made the conscious decision that I would cherish this freedom while I could.
I was too aware of the fact that this was only a short trip. We would be going back to the pack as soon as the sun peaked over the mountains and that would be the end of it.
The terrain started to change, the ground underfoot becoming steeper with each and every step that I took. But I wasn’t phased by it. I had spent years running there very trails, memorising them in ways that would seem unnatural to an onlooker.
The calmness that had settled a
