Nova Peak β

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this quiet gnawed at skorpa. ayovi and the stranger shared something he did not, a common tongue. hearing them speak at all had plunged skorpa into a fetid headspace. but doggedly he came along, limping; he would go back for his bearskin another time, leave it to freeze where he had thrown it.

silent snow knew these places. even in his pain skorpa saw how surefooted she appeared to be, how without preamble she brought he and ayovi to a wolf's den.

long inhales of stale air suggested it was unused, that it had stood empty for some time. his shoulders scraped soil from the walls as he pushed himself inside, curling into the darkness until only his eyes glowered from those depths. "should you choose to leave, regnvand, i ask only that you call."

his words were for the rainstorm; skorpa was aware that she still would not understand, and so speaking the words aloud was a comfort to him alone.

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