Bearclaw Valley Too bad but that’s the life you lead

Cole trailed behind the others, letting the familiar chatter of packmates and the sight of bounding young ones fill the brisk morning air. The frost clung to the meadow, silver under the warm hues of dawn, stretching toward the dense treeline that marked the valley’s entrance. He took it all in, the rise and fall of the land ahead, the quiet, deep roots of something stable and strong—a true home for those lucky enough to find it.

As the others filtered through the valley’s edge, he let out a low murmur, more to himself than anyone else, What a view.