Bearclaw Valley one voice tells me that they laugh

Cole’s sharp gaze lingered on Anatolia, reading the subtle tension in her frame and the faltering rhythm of her words. Her response was as vague as the horizon on a foggy morning, and while her attempt to explain was more effort than he’d expected, it wasn’t enough to convince him.

Still, he wasn’t about to press. Not here, not now.

Yeah—yeah, sure, he replied, the words smooth and easy, though his eyes betrayed his skepticism. Cole bent down to pick up the bone he had brought her, gripping it lightly in his jaws before motioning with a flick of his head for her to follow.

As they moved into the brush, his tone remained casual. We’ll scout the southern edge, he said, muffled around the bone but clear enough. Keep an eye out for anything worth noticin’. Tracks, scents, gimme a nudge if anythin'.