Qeya River insurgent

tag for mention and/or joining!

the warmth of the den wrapped around star eater like a second skin, thick with the scent of dried herbs and caribou hides. winter pressed hard against the world outside, but within these walls, there was stillness. a small refuge. she stood amid it, paws sifting through the spread of plants she had gathered, her voice a quiet murmur as she counted.
five sweetdust. three bitterroot. willow bark... less than before.
her brows knit slightly. she would need to gather more soon.
beyond the den’s entrance, the faint sound of other shore’s movements reached her ears. she had been permitted to explore—but only close by. star eater had been firm on that. the girl was weak still, bones weary from exhaustion, and star eater did not take in mouths that could not pull their weight.
but there was something about her.
perhaps she was softhearted, as @Sun Eater feared. perhaps she had simply learned the burden of care. either way, she would not let the girl disappear into the cold alone again.
she turned another sprig of dried herbs over in her paw, listening, waiting.