Bearclaw Valley [m] go back to sleep

sobeille was quick to move past that briefly uncomfortable moment — which for her was more tense than painful. she had never had someone touch her like that before — the ripple effect it caused under her skin would be ruthlessly dissected at a later time.

she did not mind the long silence. during these spanning seconds sobeille studied the gristly bones. what had their bearer looked like? how many lives had she killed?

when athalia spoke once more sobeille dragged her gaze from the moss-studded bones to her face; measuring the rhythm and the hesitance as it outpoured from athalia’s speech. sobeille did fully understand — but she worked to try to piece together the snippets she comprehended.

it was not empathy that guided her, but a shared sense of kinship. so hurt. sobeille urged, a budding excitement setting flame to her heart. what would athalia do - and moreover, who would be caught in her destructive path? it excited sobeille to think about the thousand outcomes — the little webs that grew bigger with each move. jus’ don’t do it in your own backyard, ya?

eventually it came time for sobeille to leave — but the bruingirl stayed in her thoughts for a long time after the sun set on her path home.