The Heartwood Pouliá

"she's — really pretty. dark fur. red accents, like around," sorcha gestured helplessly. "um, yellow eyes. she — she almost drowned. or she did. but when ani came back she sort of — her head shook. it was hard for her to walk, too."
her eyes burned and the tears stung as they came again.
"we were supposed to both marry this guy from some village. stratos. he came back to visit, but — then she disappeared. haven't seen him again."
why was she telling him this? sorcha wiped her face and pushed on.