Ravensblood Forest the seas did not forgive, and they did not welcome their wayward children home

cry’s stare followed kukutux longer than the girl thought possible, and she found herself itching beneath the weight of it, checking back along her narrow shoulder to ensure he had not come after his possession.

she had traveled all of that night and into the next morning, resting on the moors. kuktutux hunted nothing, eating instead what she had brought. with no true destination in mind, the girl would not settle.

being in such proximity to the sea soothed the duck; soon the feeling of the shaman’s gaze lightened and she began to sing quietly. afternoon was turning to dusk; kukutux kept the ocean within view as she turned her steps toward a great expanse of forest and took timid steps into its shadow.

if this place reminded the girl of the keep, it was not a fierce memory; the scent of the sea rose proudly here, and soon the little duck moved with more confidence, the light dappling her narrow hips and slim shoulders, shapes that had become more apparent now that her winter coat had been shed. 

breathing; kukutux froze like a doe, ears swiveling as wide eyes tried to pinpoint the direction of the laboured sound.