Bearclaw Valley in the end i danced with a ghost

her mouth pressed into a hard line, but she hesitated, tail curling stiffly at her hocks. the girl was looking now, fixing her with a narrow stare, that blank-muzzled what? like twitch was the one out of place here.

she exhaled sharply through her nose. shifted her weight. debated, for half a second, just walking away.

"didn't—uh," she started, then stopped. her voice came quieter than she'd meant. "didn’t see you there." another pause. longer this time, her ears twitching. "you been there all night?"