Phoenix Maplewood sweet adieu

The glacier; her mother had spoken of it often, weaving tales of a realm forever cloaked in snow and silence. She had spoken, too, of Yvonne’s father, of his strength, his greatness, how he once roamed those frozen lands long ago.
The desert flame before her stirred a flicker of curiosity. If this woman hailed from the sands, what business brought her so far north? Yvonne’s gaze followed the stranger’s lone sea-green eye as it shifted away, then returned to meet her own. „Why come this far?” she asked at last, her tone calm but edged with suspicion. Surely there was purpose behind such a journey.
Her icy eyes swept the clearing; and then she saw it. A glint of gold amidst the shadows: a watcher. Yvonne’s muscles tightened. Was this mere coincidence… or had she been stalked all along? She stepped back, widening the space between herself and the flame-clad stranger, all while keeping that golden silhouette in sight. Straightening to her full height, she narrowed her gaze, voice low and cutting. „If this is some sort of capture attempt,” she spoke coolly, „it has already failed.”