Felltree Marsh the hanged man

Her ears drew backward when the woman broke the silence, her accent immediately bringing to mind the girl’s own mother. Avicus spoke the way she did due to an impediment, Masque had only recently learned. She wondered if there was something wrong with this stranger’s tongue, though from the glimpses into her mouth when it moved, nothing appeared amiss.

Masquerade took a moment to process the words spoken before shaking her head and replying, No. She paused before elaborating, I came over here to see you.

Careful not to gaze too directly into the woman’s face, Masque raised her eyes. They skirted over features that might have been white, had they not been streaked with filth. She was slight in build, with a sharp face. Her fur wasn’t just dingy, it was disheveled too, sticking up in little tufts here and there. Something about the way she held herself brought a small smile to the child’s lips.

Redirecting her gaze back to her own forepaws, Masque wondered, Do you live here? She held out her right foreleg, gesturing at the swampy backdrop.