Great Bear Wilderness snowheart

he was the shade of gentle morning clouds, his eyes jovial as the sunwarmed water of anik lake.

panting, the fox still struggling weakly in her teeth, akmaaksi stared up at the man with a possessive darkness in her hawk's-eyes. 

and when the thing ceased its movements, she set it down.

against the earth, it did not look real any longer.

akmaaksi glanced again toward the man, curiosity overtaking her wariness.