Nova Peak ❇ Sóóts'ii

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her nose lowers to the fur he holds, brushing it gently as if the scent might rise up again. cedar from old den. from before i go. her ears flick, uncertain how much to share, but she does not stop. now i make new.
a pause. her gaze lifts back to him. unsure if a man like him would ever say yes aloud, but hoping.
silatuyok does not speak of the past often. she does not pry into his. but the way his eyes grow distant tells her enough. whatever it is he carries, it is heavy. and though she cannot name it, her silence stretches gentle, like a quilt over chilled bones. soft. understanding.
handsome, she murmurs, meaning more than just the fur.