Ankyra Sound one thing on my mind

she ran, she ran, she ran --

up the stony face of dragoncrest, her heart hammering --

up past scree and rubble, where stubborn trees established their wiry existence against the cliff face --

up past where the great bear had once killed her kin, past the graves of her granmere and great granmere --

up until the footing leveled, and her sides and heart hurt so much they felt torn from her body --

she looked back down, and the grotto's mouth was a tiny blot of black between a sea of murky sand and red.

a shiver rent her recovering body. sobeille did not linger, afraid that the voice of the witch might take corporeal form and wind scouring tendrils of black around her legs and drag her back to the grotto.