Lost Creek Hollow we would only hold on to let go

They moved along at a comfortable pace. The area was lovely, but beyond being in a low point between great heights, there wasn't much familiar about it. She thought that probably appealed to Eshe — something completely new. It was strange to think that after more than two years of spending nearly every day together, there were still things she could learn about her sister, like the fact that in the face of sadness or struggle, she wanted to turn her back and start over. Then again, their coping mechanisms had never been tested before.

"You've been in the area long, then?" Bhreac asked. She hesitated slightly. "Where I grew up, it was only our family. I... worry about all the packs I smelled, on my way here. Are they — that is, is it peaceful, here?" She'd assumed, of course, Eshe wouldn't bring her into a war zone, and she'd been given no reason to think otherwise. But her only encounter as a member of one pack with members of another pack was the total annihilation of everything she'd known, and so experience, however limited, told her to be wary.

She took a moment before responding to his question, picking over her words. "We grew up in a small pack. Just family. Months ago, a bigger pack challenged us for our lands — it was a very bad day," she said with a wry smile. "I stuck with the bigger pack, after, hoping someone would come back. Eventually Eshe did, so I followed her here. Maybe we're all that's left." She hoped the sparse detail would prevent it from sounding overly dramatic, or any sort of grab for pity. It was as she said — a very bad day that still influenced her behavior, but like all bad days, it would pass.