Shadewood maquktuq ⛈

The empress sensed, within the tenebrosity of plaguing sorrow, a softening had taken hold of her soul - it felt soothing, tender, and before long her own eyes began to sting with unshed tears. Within the past few suns, she'd been terribly emotional; something that was so rare for the frosted queen - she had learned to steel her expressions, heavy her heart, and lock away any hints of upset. The past few days, terrible as they may have been, had relieved her of such built up stress. It had been released, and now, she felt stronger.

As though, just maybe, she could do this.

Gwen's fathomless gaze met the lightness of Kukutux's, and a gracious smile began to tip her lips, a growing warmth - "I agree." This was a pack-sister, one linked not by blood but by her very spirit, the bond that would emerge from their shared hardships. She prayed the bond would last, would strengthen and evolve; she missed having family, and the Keep's claim was a masterful attempt at creating a sanctuary for others like herself and Raziel. There was nowhere that the duck could belong more.