Bearclaw Valley remember me,

@Cole if you are up for a thread <3

nestled against the trunk of an old oak, nephele slept.

snowflakes descended, dusting her in a blanket of white while she rest. dreams came easy some days, and difficult others. some days she wished for them and others she did not.

the abrupt twitch of her paws might have suggested that a dream held her now, but in the empty pit of the stormcloud's mind, there was only a void.

snowfall continued, and with it so did the woman's slumber. eventually she stirred, rousing beneath the coat of fresh powder that covered her as the storm softened to an ease of flurries.

there she stood and stretched, head tilting upwards as she tried to gauge if she'd slept for a few minutes or a few hours.

Cole approached with a steady gait, his amber eyes catching sight of the pale figure seated beneath the oak. Snow flurried lightly, the scene quiet save for the sound of his steps crunching through the frost. His shoulder twinged with each movement, the wounds still tender, but his focus was on the woman before him.

Thought I'd find you here, he greeted, his voice low and even, carrying an edge of warmth despite his usual stoic demeanor. He stopped a few paces away, nodding toward her.

The snowflakes clung to her coat, her recent stretch betraying her earlier slumber. Cole took a moment to scan her, ensuring there were no signs of distress. You holdin' up alright? he asked, the concern subtle but present in his tone. Whatever she needed, she'd get—his own injuries could wait.

her focus remained upwards as the sound of approaching footsteps drew near. the sun had shifted — she'd slept longer than what she had planned. strange, she tended to do that often these days.

she rolled a stiff shoulder as her attention streamed downward, a soft smile forming on her lips at the welcomed sight of cole. she aimed to close the distance between them once he'd stopped, her steps a little swifter when she noticed the wound upon the man's shoulder.

"i should be asking you that," she let out as she stepped near to try and inspect the injury. "what happened?" concern laced her tongue as she glanced toward the guard, a furrow of her brow marked with worry.

Cole shifted his weight slightly, his usual stoicism tempered by the softness in Nephele’s voice. Her concern was evident, but he waved it off with a dismissive shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly.

It’s nothin’, he said, voice calm and low. Couple’a coyotes got too close for comfort. And then Rala—new woman—brought some friend along. She weren’t too nice. He scoffed softly, a dry humor bleeding into his tone. Didn’t end well for her.

His amber gaze met hers briefly, steady and assuring. I’m alright, though. Seen worse. He gestured subtly with his uninjured shoulder, as if to prove his point.