At first, Irene couldn't run as she made it southwest across the ice, but when she was able to jump onto what she knew to be shoreline, she went into a full-on sprint, deciding it best to run around the forest rather than through it. Even if it was likely a shortcut, she couldn't tell if there were obstacles under the snow that she didn't want to deal with.
Since it had been windy through these plains, the snow piled particularly high on the edge of bare forests. Rushing through the undisturbed snow was difficult, and a part of her wished she had gotten Sammy before going this far.
However, another scream rang out over the lands, and she knew it was too late to turn back.
Irene knew that her brother had caught up to her enough based on the shuffling snow behind her, and she pressed on until she was at the top of a small hill—whether it was because of snow or if there was actually a hill there, she wasn't entirely sure.
