Mount Apikuni i can feel the light shine

a scent. her paws slowed, focus narrowing on the faint trail that drifted through the forest. she hadn’t intended to get distracted, but the healer’s presence was unmistakable. @Bracken, still under her care. the thought of her condition lingered in morwenna’s mind like a weight. healing took time, and time was rarely kind.

the caribou hide shifted over her shoulders as a light breeze caught it. a gift. a reminder. she pulled it tighter around herself, letting its warmth steady her thoughts. she wasn’t just a scout today; she was a caretaker. a role she had not always known but one she now held close.

bracken, she murmured under her breath, the sound of her voice barely carrying past her own ears.

she turned, following the trail with a quiet determination. the forest around her felt muted, as if respecting her focus. she thought of bracken’s wounds, the delicate balance between strength and vulnerability, and hoped she had done enough to ease the woman’s burden of pain.

the forest thinned, and her steps grew lighter, purposeful. she would find bracken and ensure that she was healing, whole. the doctor checks in, after all. always.

she had grown restless.

partially fearful that she had made a hasty decision. perhaps it was time to go stretch her legs again, roam wide and find some morsels of information to at least return with.

she had considered veering down into the valley again. just a quick visit... it would be nice to see the faces she knew again. some sense of familiarity might award her a bit of knowledge to feed into the mountain pack.

instead it seemed the valley had come to her. cloaked in...caribou?

loudly, bracken grunted a greeting. certainly looking better if not still thin. although that would likely never change.

bracken!

morwenna's voice lifted with a cheer, her stride turning into a bound that carried her closer to the figure emerging from the trees. relief eased the tightness in her chest as she took in the sight—bracken looked well, no blood, no limp. the worry she had carried softened at the edges, giving way to a small swell of pride for the healing she'd been a part of.

as she drew nearer, a new scent touched her nose. faint but undeniable—a pack. her brows furrowed for just a moment, something unnameable prickling at her chest. was it possessiveness? she shook the thought away, unwilling to entertain it.

how are you faring? she asked, her voice warm despite the quick flicker of doubt. you look so much better than before.

her gaze lingered, studying bracken with care, searching for any hidden signs of strain or unease. whatever questions lingered in her mind, she kept them at bay, focusing instead on the genuine joy of seeing her again.

did she?

she looked over herself as if this was news to her. warmth in her cheeks a bit of a sheepishness. she had missed the doctor from the creek, it was true, but she had not missed the embarrassing tangle of emotions that it inspired.

not bad, but messy. complicated. new.

it was much easier to not think about them too long.

not bad, her voice might have been meek if she could have managed it. instead it was low and husky as if she wished to hide beneath the depths of her voice. how you? the creek?

morwenna hummed softly, her head tilting as she let bracken’s words settle. there was a flicker of warmth at the sight of the woman before her, healthier, steadier, but still carrying that familiar edge of quiet resolve.

it is well, she replied gently, her tone measured but carrying the smallest hint of relief. her gaze lingered, thoughtful, before she dared to ask, and this place? the pack—what is it like?

her eyes traced bracken’s expression, searching for clues even as she waited for the words. there was a pang of curiosity, perhaps even something more, but morwenna kept it tethered. her own emotions, complex and unwieldy, were for another time. for now, it was bracken’s story she sought.