The Heartwood she doesn't know she's in love

she laughs.  of course i'll come with you, terance.  i'd be very happy to be in a pack with rannoch and his friends again.  she does not mention that she had been waiting for them all along.

moonspear.  she'd hold onto the name — it meant nothing to her (how lucky she was she had not washed up there) but she connected the dots easily enough and decided it was important enough to remember.

he does seem to always be there for his packmates.  after everything that happened... i don't think rannoch would act that way towards anyone.  i left on good terms, but now i guess i really understand how kind he is.

he comforted her and it struck her as silly.  she wanted to laugh but thankfully resisted it bubbling over her features.  here he was, comforting the counselor.  it is in the past now.  it was all she had left to say on that matter.  thank you for taking my ramblings with such grace.

she had the tendency to forget what boundaries were sometimes; she felt a kinship with nearly everyone, and it bled over into her speech and mannerisms.  she watched with the same amount of attention as he had offered her as he bore his scars and told their stories.

they were much more interesting than hers.

a bear?  a cougar?  something surfaces, a bleary and waterlogged memory that dazes her for a moment.  you are lucky!  i am glad you survived!  she breaks his personal boundaries, ghosting closer as he stutters and fumbles.  you do not have to worry about your words with me, terance.  she didn't know if she was speaking as a counselor or a tentative friend, but she let the words come forth anyway.  we're packmates now.