Bearclaw Valley i don't wanna share this space

if im jumping the gun, lmk! just hoping to catch up on development for her <3

the world was cold.

literally.

she did not know what to do with this change. likely nothing. more often than not, these days, she had accepted doing nothing. the once bold girl who was prepared to discover the world had simmered into nothing. hardly much of an ember.

she laid upon a stone now that overlooked a waterway. eyes feeling heavy despite her lack of activity.

slowly closing them, only one ear softly flicked.

Cole’s paws crunched softly against the frosted earth as he wandered along the waterway, his sharp gaze scanning the landscape until it landed on a figure perched on a stone. The faintest flick of an ear betrayed her awareness, though her posture spoke of weariness. He paused a moment, taking her in before stepping closer, his voice warm and steady.

Anatolia, he greeted, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity, softened by the weight of winter’s chill. Nephele’s girl.

His tail swayed gently behind him as he stopped a respectful distance away, his golden eyes watching her with quiet curiosity. You look like you’ve been deep in thought. There was no pressure in his words, only a quiet invitation to acknowledge his presence, should she wish to.

she wondered how much her mother liked this man.

it must be a lot, she figured, to come away with him with her girls. she didn't begrudge him. in fact she was far too tired to conjure any deeper thoughts or feelings about it.

he was nice.

mother liked him.

the world was out of her control.

her eyes did not open just yet. not really, she confessed to him in a low and soft voice. just...kind of tired. and this was an answer she had likely given adults far too much for it to be the only thing going on.

Cole eased himself down beside her, his broad frame settling into the earth with a quiet sigh. His head rested on his paws, golden eyes soft as they regarded her, though he kept his tone easy and light.

I'm Cole, he offered simply, his voice low but warm, breaking the silence with his introduction. There was no pressure in his words, no expectation—just the quiet reassurance of his presence.

He let the stillness linger for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the water before he spoke again. I can get that, he murmured, his voice carrying the faint weight of understanding. Been feeling that same kind of tired myself lately.

Turning his head slightly to look at her, he added, What do you like to do? You know, when you're not this tired? The question was gentle, not prying, as though he were simply curious to know more about her.

cole.

cole, the nice man.

it was easy enough to remember and she finally opened her eyes. examined him with a lazy gaze. he was big. she did not know yet that when she was full grown, she would tower over his height. perhaps the giant paws she kept with her said that, though.

he was feeling the same way.

she found it hard to believe, if only because it felt so lonely in these feelings. how could anyone else ever feel them?

it even made it hard to remember the things she had liked to do. she thought of morwenna who had showed her hunting. found a weird ache in between her ribs for the thought. something dull and tender at the same time.

i like bones. she told him plainly. collecting them. stashing them. a thought as she tried to find something that didn't feel so childish.

i want to hunt, sometime maybe. when i'm not so tired.

Cole's ears perked at her mention of bones, a flicker of interest lighting his features. He lifted his head from his paws and gave her a curious glance before sniffing the air, a spark of recognition crossing his gaze.

Wait here, he said, his tone easy, almost conspiratorial.

With a practiced efficiency, Cole rose to his feet, his nose to the ground as he sniffed the crisp air, moving a short distance away. He followed a trail only he seemed to know, his movements deliberate, and soon enough, he paused at a patch of disturbed earth.

This was it.

Digging into the frozen soil, he unearthed a well-buried treasure: the femur of a deer. It had been one he'd stashed during a kill, shown to one of Ameline’s girls as a lesson, a moment of shared discovery.

Satisfied, he turned and padded back to Anatolia, his golden eyes glinting with something akin to pride. Stopping in front of her, he dropped the bone at her paws, his tail giving a small wag.

Bone, he announced simply, settling back down beside her, his head tilted as he watched for her reaction.

she lifted her head to watch him go.

some part of her wanted to follow, to stalk after him. instead she stayed still and only let her gaze look after him. what had so swiftly sent him elsewhere?

it wasn't forever, but her curiosity had steadily grown in his absence.

his return was met with a wide-eyed look. a bone placed at her paws was regarded with an even wider look. this was perhaps the first thing that had stirred a reaction within her since they had arrived.

bone.

i can have it? her teeth ached to score along it, to rewrite a new story with the markings. she had not forgot the bone she had left behind in the wilderness. this one would never wear the same marks but it would be a start to replacing what had once been.

Cole settled back down beside her, his broad frame easing into a comfortable position as he watched her reaction. Her wide-eyed look, so full of life compared to her earlier weariness, made the corner of his mouth twitch ever so slightly. He rested his head on his paws, golden eyes glancing from her to the bone and back again.

Yeah, he said simply, his voice low and steady.

Nothing else needed to be added; the bone was hers. He let her have the moment, watching silently as curiosity and something like joy began to stir within her.

her teeth, marking and creating ridges.

she kept at this for a moment or two. the grinding of teeth against bone was the only sound she heard. it was the only sound that mattered.

until she stopped.

considered him for a moment. her green gaze heavy with the unspoken things she carried within her.

she rolled the bone back to him.

Cole’s brow raised as the bone rolled toward him. Slowly, he leaned forward to inspect it, his gaze flickering from the ridged surface, marked by her teeth, back to her face. There was something heavy in her eyes, something that didn’t match the simplicity of the action.

He nudged the bone gently with his paw, tipping it back toward her. Don’t like it? His voice carried a note of teasing, but there was a softness beneath it, an invitation for her to share whatever weighed on her so heavily.

Settling back slightly, he watched her, his curiosity tempered by patience. Whatever it was, she’d say it in her own time—or not. Cole wouldn’t press, but he wouldn’t let her retreat entirely either.