Hideaway Strath Quiet when I'm coming home

Simmik hardly minded the snow; it only caused issues when she was trying to hunt, but she had dealt with worse. Now, though, she just let the icy precipitation gather on the edges of her top coat as she quietly considered the new state of her life.

Approaching steps pulled her from her trance, and she paused the cleaning of her paw to watch Kynareth moving towards her. Her heart skipped again, like it had that day on the borders and often after that when they were together. His soft greeting had a smile curving her lips, but she could tell there was something off about his laugh—he had been looking for her all over and she figured he might have grown worried when he didn't find her. 

She stood and shook the snow from her fur before reaching forward to nuzzle his neck. I'm not going anywhere, she assured him, finally saying the words out loud. Until now, they had just been a thought in her mind—a realization she had come to slowly. Saying it made it more concrete, yet she didn't regret it. Guilt swelled in her chest, though; she imagined Mal and how worried he must be. He was probably searching for her. But if he found her and she refused to leave—what would happen then? It was too painful to think about, so she dealt with it in her usual way and avoided it all together. She would rather focus on Kynareth and easing his worry. That was much easier.

She turned and began to walk but paused to look over her shoulder at him. Let's get out of the snow, she suggested. He probably wasn't as fond of it as she was, and they weren't very far from his den. 

As they moved inside, she realized she left the remains of her meal out in the snow. She would just go back later and move it to a cache. She slowly stretched and settled on the ground, her expression inviting him to lay next to her. Did you have a reason for looking for me? she asked. Or did you just want to make sure I hadn't left?