The Heartwood imperfection's glow

There was a minute part of her that was delighted when the defensiveness crept into Magpie's tone. It would have served her well to be defensive, because after all, they were both free agents left to roam the countryside. And those dangers that she implied, dangers that Echelon knew were very real, did actually lurk out there. She knew exactly what she spoke of but betrayed it, only offering a hmph sort of sound as she gnawed tirelessly at bone.

"It doesn't bother me to be alone," she commented nonchalantly, which was only half-true. Many of her nights, for the longest time, had been spent in Tonravik's company. But now she had been on her own so to speak for weeks turned months; whether or not she would actually see Tonravik again troubled her as much as the premise that she herself needed to find a place to stay.

"So why don't you join a pack then? Free security." If only it were that easy.