Blacktail Deer Plateau Hide Away

Desna.

The longer she watched the dark one, the louder the name rattled through Nanook, and as the other girl spoke, the quip and glare sealed the recognition. Nanook could give nothing but silence in return. This was Desna, and under her sister's stare Nanook let her gaze instinctively drop and fix on the gentle ripple of the grass, a sickening sensation tempting her to run from her as she was all too familiar with doing.

But as she turned away, a shock of fear prompted Nanook to fix her attention back on her sister - a fear that Desna would recognize her if she turned away. For she knew Desna knew too - she had said it herself. You look like my sister.

This was Desna, and Nanook clenched her jaw against the panic that threatened to spill across her face, if it hadn't already. The polar girl tried to act casual, but the roll of her shrug came stiff and forced. "I'm grey. I look like a lot of wolves." Could Desna hear the tightness in her voice? Nanook's spine tingled, and she felt a familiar ice crawl up to paralyze her legs. Her heart quickened, and Nanook struggled to fight against saying nothing at all. "And I wasn't sneaking up on you. I was going around." 

Her voice fell to the buzz of her heart, the longing she felt to be with her sister clouded by the conviction Desna fared better without her. Nanook only had to look to know - from what her eyes could see, her sister was healthy, well-fed and fit. Nanook couldn't boast the same, and for the first time felt a self-conscious awareness of her tussled fur and haggard frame. She scuffed the ground and averted her eyes, unable to say more, but unable to move. Desna's presence filled her with a pain and confusion that tore at her, and made her want run and stay all the same.