Bitterroot Valley ✢ Drive-in slasher flick again

@Katarzyna

map for your reference

sega guided her from the maplewood at an easy pace, snow soft beneath their paws. behind them, @Barrett split away with a nod, drifting off to his own duties, leaving the chief to lead the dark-furred traveler alone.

this way, sega murmured.

the path dipped through pines and opened into the wide bowl of great sky’s valley— white hills, stone ridges, drying racks swaying with clean pelts, the faint scent of caches tucked beneath snow. he kept her beside him, close enough to guide but never crowded.

they paused on a small rise overlooking it all.

here, sega said, warm breath curling in the cold. great sky. safe place. rest if you need.

his golden eyes slid to her gently.

i show dens next he added, voice low. and water. and hunt.

she followed a few paces behind sega and callahan, giving them enough space as needed. then, sega came to halt to announce they had arrived. she caught up to both of them and looked down the hill into the valley below. callahan had left to attend to other duties,

"thank you," she turned and dipped her head toward sega. while it wasn't the flat highlands of her youth, kasia thought that the basin would provide decent refuge for now. she stared at the vast expanse before her. it wasn't nearly as small as the patch of land her family 'owned' nor was it as vast as the lands she used to roam with her syndicate.

sega told her he would show her the dens, where others resided, and where she could hunt and drink water. she waited for him to continue on.

sega nodded once and moved ahead, guiding her down into the basin. a small cluster of dens sat beneath roots and stone; some scented with wolves, others empty.

he stopped before the open ones.

these free, he said. choose any you like.

once she’d looked them over, he led her a few steps farther, brushing snow from the edge of a hidden cache.

food here, sega added. plenty for winter.

sega led her to a set of dens, some were claimed, some were not. she walked near one of the unclaimed ones and lightly scratched the surface beneath her paws, sort of setting her claim. she saw sega had started off elsewhere, so she trotted behind him.

she saw the food cache and noticed that it did have plenty for winter like sega said. she nodded in acknowledgement. it seemed the wolves of great sky looked out for each other, she liked that in a group, but she had one thing to ask,

"do you need anything in return?" she knew the law of groups like this one, if they offered you protection, you were indebted them as well. however, considering the fact she wasn't coerced to follow sega and callahan, maybe great sky was laxer with its laws. she obviously understood she would have a role to play, she would scout borders and hunt, but she wanted to know if the group had any personal scores to settle.

his gaze softened just a shade.

hn. only… kindness, he said, the word rough but honest. great sky like family. we look for each other. not take from each other.

he stepped aside so she could see the valley more clearly— open, unforced, no walls except the snow and pines.

if you stay, you hunt with us. scout with us. roam when you want. a small nod. free paws. free mind.

he flicked his tail once.

so. you stay?

only kindness. kasia could handle that. she might be a little rough around the edges, but it seemed that great sky's idea of 'kindness' included looking out for others, unfortunate souls like herself. she sat and figured a bit,

"i think i stay" she told him, "you won't chain me to some debt i have to repay." she glanced at the ground below her. this was extremely different from the syndicate who forced her to join after saving her from near death as an adolescent. for a long year-and-a-half, she couldn't leave. when she finally made her escape, it nearly cost her life,

"you have my loyalty."

sega’s ears tipped toward her, the faintest ease settling through his shoulders at her choice.

good, he said simply, a small, approving nod. then you stay.

no chains. no debts. only the word she’d given.

he stepped aside, giving her a clear view of the valley below— dens, river, forest, the quiet pulse of a home.

welcome to great sky, kasia.

his tail lifted once in quiet acceptance, the gesture of a place freely given.

feel free to fade in your next post or archive at this one