Qeya River D for effort

The entirety of it all seemed foolish to the yearling—Wren had swept them North in a whirlwind with a tale of danger… It was obvious she had been terrified—but it had also been obvious to the youth that the danger was tied to her, and her family… Acantha hadn’t been fully on board leaving the hollow behind and taking her younger siblings out into a world and place they had known nothing about—hadn’t scouted ahead. Hadn’t determined anything.

Yet here they were.

But they were making the best of it. The day found Acantha trailing along what the proposed borders would be—stopping every so often to leave a scent marker. The warmth of spring beckoned her—the stretch of her legs a welcome change from being nestled close to the den and by her younger siblings.

If chance had it, she could find a bone or something to bring back for them to play with.

What she hadn’t expected was the sight of pallid cream against the horizon—a stranger. Acantha wasn’t much of a guardian—her willowy frame certainly wouldn’t hold well in a battle against him—but she also wasn’t about to leave an unknown man unchecked.

Drifting forward, her cerulean eyes skimmed over him, question brimming in her gaze. “Can I help you?”