Meadowlark Prairie toothaches from kissin' me

roan nodded, his dark muzzle dipping once, slow and deliberate. he didn’t press her for more; didn’t ask where she wanted to go or why. he knew the weight of places like this, the way they clawed at the heart and made escape feel like the only option.

we’ll go, he murmured, his voice a low rumble, steady as the earth beneath their paws. when you wake.

he cast a brief glance at the gravestone, his gaze unreadable. the scars of loss marked him as surely as they marked her, though he carried them differently. quieter. tucked deep where even he couldn’t always find them.

his tail flicked, a motion as muted as his words. he wouldn’t pretend to understand her faith, or lack of it. wouldn’t offer her platitudes she wouldn’t believe. but he could give her this. a promise. a place away from here.

rest, he said finally, shifting his stance to guard her in silence. i’ll keep watch.