Bearclaw Valley follow me into the golden wild

she doesn’t answer right away, her eyes flickering to the horizon, where the mountains edge the sky in the distance, a sharp reminder of how far she’s come and how much further there is to go.

yeah, i guess i’ll manage, she mutters, voice rough but a little more grounded now. she exhales, low and steady, her shoulders easing under the weight of his words. there’s something to his calm certainty that makes her think it might be worth believing in, even if she isn’t sure she believes it for herself.

she glances back at him, the faintest of shrugs lifting her shoulders.

if i’m not fine, i’ll drag someone back with teeth, just like you said, she says with a half-smirk, the playful challenge in her voice offering just a hint of her old stubbornness.

but i'll be fine. probably. her eyes flicker over the valley again. just... don’t tell anyone if i’m not.