Chapter 2

From that moment on, her feelings for Moo had subtly changed. In her eyes he no longer was a pet. At night she no longer wore panties and a nightie. She much preferred to lie naked against Mooblis fur. She enjoyed feeling his heartbeat against her.

As winter progressed, she loved to go out into the snow and cavort with him in the drifts. She threw snowballs for him to chase and threw snowballs at him. He retaliated by jumping on her and burying her in the snow. They chased each other around, over and through the drifts. Unnoticed by her, the distances began to grow, the speed increase. Her stamina and build increased. Moo slowly increased as well. While not noticed by those who were around him often, strangers and occasional visitors were disconcerted by his size and pronounced muscle tone.

As spring arrived, and temperatures rose and the snow retreated. Ever longer runs were capable. Moo either at her side, urging her on, or just in front leading. As summer gained a foothold Kirsty found that the heat was slowing her down. Moo was also starting to tire faster, his thick coat of fur a burden. To help combat the heat he was plunging into the cold mountain streams with increasing frequency.

It was Saturday afternoon, the sun was shinning high in the sky. Moo was pacing around the house restlessly. Eventually her mother lost her patience.

"For heavens sake, would you take Moobli out and burn off some of that energy. Else he'll damage something."

Kirsty switched off the TV "Okay mum."

Moo pranced round her as she walked to the door. "Stop it. Bad dog." She lovingly cuffed him over the back of the head. At the front door she slipped on her trainers, having to push Moo away from her to get the room. Leaving the house, she bent to pick up a stick. With as much force as she could muster, she threw it towards the end of the garden. Moo just watched it soar through the air and land in a bush. He looked back at her.

"All right, so you're not a dumb 'Fetch!' dog."

Kirsty headed around the house to the back gate, stretching her muscles in preparation of the abuse to come. Moo lurked at her side, his posture looking more like that of a wolf than a dog. She opened the back gate, allowing room for Moo. He just gave the gate a disdainful look and leapt the fence. Smiling, kirsty closed the gate behind her and broke into a slow jog, Moo at her side in a casual lope.

Rather than go straight up the hill, Kirsty followed the animal track that wound along the valley. The surrounding hills caught and funnelled the slight wind, making a refreshing breeze in the hot, clammy air. In the distance, a group of deer were at rest in the heather. Both parties ignored each other as a common sight. In the air above, an eagle called out to its mate.

The path wound down, to run alongside a small stream. Kirsty paused to decide whether to follow the stream up to its source or to follow it down. Remembering that it flowed into a pool amongst a small glade of pine trees, she chose down.

With the small path heading down, the going was easier and she sure footedly leapt the small rocks and dodged the hummocks of purple heather. Moo ran along the bed of the small stream, occasionally splashing her with refreshingly cool water. In the distance the small pine copse materialised. With a burst of speed, she quickly covered the remaining mile. Moo lagged behind, the level of the stream higher, the going harder.

As Kirsty entered the welcome shade of the tall pines, she slowed down to a walk. Stretching, she dispersed the built up lactic acid and gave Moo a chance to catch up. When he caught up, he gratefully bowed his head and lapped the cool mountain water.

"You know, people in cities pay good money to drink water of that quality. I hope you appreciate it."

Moo sneezed into the water.

"Urgh! You're a typical male"

Feeling her muscles start to stiffen up, she continued on into the trees. A red squirrel chattered at her intrusion from the safety of a lofty pine. She had never known red squirrels existed, till she had moved north. More used to the common grey urban commandos.

The trees fanned out to reveal a large pool of water bathed in sunlight. Kirsty knelt at the waters edge, and scooped crystal clear water to her mouth. Rinsing the water around the inside of her mouth before she swallowed, she wondered if she would be able to stomach the taste of city water again.

A shadow loomed over the water, then she was soaked as Moo plunged in.

"Moo! Can't you have jumped in somewhere else?"

He barked at her as she pulled the wet fabric of her T-shirt away from her breasts in mock disgust. She looked at him. Moo was contentedly swimming around. She had to admit, that it did look inviting. She undid and removed one of her trainers. The sock she put inside the discarded shoe. Gingerly she dipped her foot in.

The water was cold but not unpleasantly so. She removed her other sock and trainer and ventured further in. Moo barked encouragement from deeper out. Making up her mind, she waded back onto the bank. The heather tickled the soles of her bare feet. She slipped out of her shorts and pants. Her T-shirt fell to her thighs, just covering her lightly haired mound. She kept her T-shirt on as protection from the sun, rather than any vestiges of modesty. Moo had seen all she had to offer, the rest of the surrounding wildlife wouldn't care and the odds of someone watching were laughable.

Going back into the water was easier, until the water reached her knees. The point at which she had turned round and left the first time. The cold water created a strange feeling as it crept up her legs. When the cold water lapped her bare cunt, an involuntary shudder ran down her back. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and sank below the surface. As her face sank below the water and her body registered the temperature change, she expelled the contained air in a mad rush of bubbles.

Invigorated, she waded out deeper towards Moo. Deliberately splashing him as she got closer. She laughed out loud as Moo tried to escape the sprays of water her hands were creating. Moo retreated to the bank and looked back at her reproachfully.