Moonspear Dreamcatcher

She slowly sat up, groaning under her breath as pain wracked her body. She closed her eyes, breathing through it, letting her spine come to rest against the tree. After a time, Wildfire opened her eyes, her head tipped back to stare at the naked branches overhead. Not long from now, the tree would bloom with lustrous green leaves, pleasantly pink blossoms and, of course, tender rosy fruit. She wondered how it could survive up here, what with the wind and the rocky terrain, but as her gaze fell to its roots, she saw they dug deep, likely tapping into a wellspring of freshest spring water buried beneath the ground and giving the tree itself a solid anchor.

A quiet chuff caused Wildfire to start, her back going rigid. There weren't many places to look, so her eyes quickly found the slender, dark figure of her Alpha female. She really would have preferred to be left alone—she hadn't come all the way up here looking for company—yet the sight of a familiar, feminine face offered Wildfire the tiniest measure of relief. She could tolerate the presence of another female right now, even if she didn't outright welcome it.

"Hey, Ame." Wildfire peered at her speculatively, wondering if she had seen Floki. Maybe she was even here looking for her, to find out what the hell was the matter with her. But there was nothing telling about Ame's expression, so Wildfire would act as if nothing was amiss. She was grateful for the night's rest; it would give her the energy to pretend. She noticed the other she-wolf peering at the tree and she glanced upward again and murmured, "It's a peach tree. It will be beautiful in the spring."