Wapun Meadow leave a light on

uktark hums low in his chest, a sound more felt than heard.
he lowers himself then, large frame settling into the snow so he is no longer towering over her. the ground creaks beneath his weight. his eyes flick, once, to her foot… then back to her face.
hurt to walk, nephele? he asks quietly.
he merely wondered it to himself, but said it aloud nonetheless to gauge the state of her pain. he did not like to see it; regardless if she knew him or not.
for a breath, he watches her the way he watches terrain—measuring what it would take, what it would cost. the bypass rises unspoken in his mind. the path. the shelter. whether she could make it.
his tail shifts once, thoughtful.