Dawn Treader Valley whisk away your heartsigh and bury it in mine

hope it’s ok if Merel joins in!

These lands were strange to her, but Merel no longer feared strangeness.

She swam sleek and swift through one of the marshy lakes that sealed off the valley. The vast bottomless sea made her nervous—but ponds and streams were no such obstacle to her. Seeing her dark brown fur slicked down by water, her mother had once smiled and called her otter-pup as she splashed in a brook. The memory warmed her against the water’s chill, but it also left a hollow ache.

She pushed that hollowness to the back of her mind when she caught the scent of another. A younger female, and not of any pack that she could smell. Curious, Merel wandered closer, tail swishing with friendly calm. She made no effort to hide herself from the stranger’s cool gaze.

“Mind if I join you? I could use a bit of sun myself,” Merel asked.