Permafrost Hollows I cannot stay where nature's embrace is lost

Their conversation petered out with the departure of the stranger. "Cousin?" Satori busied herself with tending her pelt, shaking and ridding it of cobwebs and dust with a few hasty licks as she got to her feet and turned to Faust in full. Adrenaline still masked most of the pain; a blessing that would wear off in the hours to come, but for now she was relieved to stand in one piece. "You haven't told me much of your family."

A topic she would quiz him on later. "But if you'd excuse me, I better go clean myself up." The druid shot him a grateful smile, moving to nudge his cheek briefly before she pulled away and began to pick her way back up the slopes. What limp she would develop later was invisible for now, obscured in the hurry of a woman eager to return to her den and stew in flustered isolation.

exit!