Greatwater Lake some women are lost in the fire, some women are built from it

Unable to pry her eyes open, Qilaq slumps into the wet soil. The lake water occasionally meets the tips of her lips but it’s barely more than a tickle and certainly not enough to disturb her. The warm sun heats up her dark fur and the ground is warm around her, giving her enough comfort that she can forget some of her hunger for a little bit of sleep. Too tired to do much else, even quench her thirst, her breathing becomes even and slow until a voice startles her awake. 

She fumbles forward, sucking in a breath of water and then sputtering, eyes wide and blurry with an attempt to force herself backwards. Qilaq stumbles over her own feet and plots down, swinging her head toward the source while her sides heave with long, troubled gasps.  The words spoken to her are long gone as she stares with glassy, blown pupils. Her front legs give out from beneath her weight and she hits the ground against, snout burying into the mud as a whimper slips out as a pitiful cry.