Ravensblood Forest halichoerus

it was important to show she did not mean harm. that was a lesson taught by her mother to her brothers and to her, and then repeated each time they were alone and playing, and it had been so long since sulukinak had felt the urge to play at all — but she felt it now, and was glad to have a friendly face.

she kept herself bowed and with her tail low but sweeping. and the other was quick to bolt for cover, leaving sulukinak to listen and to watch and so she did these things, rising from the bow to stalk the snow and then she turned to listen to the forest and then there was a snap of something and a crunch and someone was there, and she was bowing again and turning together — but the stranger had already hidden away again.

a low humming sound came from sulukinak, a cajoling, and she took off after the shape even when she couldn't see it and her long legs devoured the landscape, but so too did the snow devour her, and suddenly she was chest-deep again in the snow without the power to plough through it, but she tried to leap and half-escaped.

when sulukinak was atop the snow again, she spun in place and crooned her invitation through the crags of the trees and hoped her playmate hadn't already gone away.