Bearclaw Valley part time love ain't my destiny

they stood still, the rustle of the trees and the soft groan of sloughing snow the only sound between them. finally the russet woman spoke, breaching the icy silence with an apology that was stonily received. her amber gaze swept pointedly across blondine's henna features, a scowl etched thinly across her features.

their last encounter had baffled indra, and she had been slow to accept blondine's hasty departure as anything less than a crude slap in her face. a deep sigh expanded in her small chest and she looked away, unwilling to appear vulnerable despite their history. she wanted to reconcile, but she also was stubborn, perhaps a little too much so. "why?"

the question had been on the tip of her tongue for days, and finally now saw its moment. she was not asking why blondine was sorry -- but rather -- what manner of demons had hounded her russet companion and had compelled her to act so uncharacteristically that day?