Arrow Lake — tied knots in the laces of my worried shoes,

not-so-subtle transition to a joining thread, maybe?
paging @Oath, you're up next! ♡

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Despite a conscious effort, the dove couldn't help but shrink back ever-so-slightly, puffed ears finding themselves submissively pressed back against her skull at the sight of the towering figure of the hessian that approached from the flank of Aure. Although quiet, a deep and reverberating tone soon followed, quite rightly questioning the appearance of a stranger in diasporian territory, and Goose could feel the words drum within her chest — if the ivory had not been there alongside him, the yearling would surely have been spooked.

Before she could fathom about pulling herself together to respond, Aure thankfully intercepted and spoke on her behalf. The dove found her eyes trained on the ground as words of praise danced through the air between the three, but not before a shy smile found itself curled across heated features first, face surely red underneath those speckled cheek tufts. Brave. What a word to be called! It had never once been used in any such way to describe the feeble girl. Thin shoulders rolled themselves forward with embarrassment as she peered up from between fluttering lashes, inwardly struggling to recall the appropriate protocol in regards to responding to kind accolades from even kinder strangers. This was a rare predicament she did not often find herself in.

"Y-you, I must say you speak far too kindly of me, uh, I must just have been in the right place at the right time, yes?" A nervous chuckle tinted the last few words of her question, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "You were the brave one I would say, taking on such a horrible beast as the one in that cave! I-I mean, I mean you would have fared well without me! But yes, I mean, yeah, I am glad I could be of some help." The dove nodded, a timid smile pulling at the corners of her lips as she stood up straight once again, preparing to maybe move off. It was early, after all, and she was sure these kind folks would much rather be sleeping or attending to their duties. "I — uh, yes, I am glad you're okay. Sorry if I have awoken you, I thought, maybe, sunrise would have been an ideal time to stop by, but I see I have stirred a few souls..." She trailed off, but not before her features settled back to a more somber display.

"I'm afraid I should be going; I fear leaving my companion alone for too long by herself in case something were to happen to her—" (Which was a huge concern of the dove's, the ever-present burden of failing to find their flock, apace with the possibility of losing her other half always weighing heavy on her breast) "—and we must be on our way to find our next refuge."

And just as she pondered her farewells, the idea abruptly unveiled itself without so much as a warning, and entirely without an ounce of reasonable logic: I wonder if we could stay here— Uh, absolutely not, and how rude of you to assume, uninvited inner-voice! Goose bit down on her tongue in response, afraid the intrusive thought would physically catapult itself off of her vocal chords and shoot out of her mouth, her esteem saturated with pure shame that she could have even hoped for such a thing (despite how short-lived it was and unintentional it was).

And whilst doused in the over dramatics of her inner turmoils, the pale then failed to register the familiar pats of brown-doused paws approaching from behind her.

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