Whitefish River a crack in the mirror

She crossed quickly over the icy river, each step producing a crackle as the ice underfoot shifted and the snow ground into it. It was strong enough to hold her weight and require a good hit to break, but she wouldn't have wanted to see a bear walk across it.

She met the responding woof with another, as well as the flagging of her copper tail. She caught back up with the strangely angular wolf at the edge of the river, on his side now, with his head bent to the surface. Saena stopped a respectable distance away, as she was unwilling to invite his wrath by encroaching. She was poised on the tips of her toes, ready to turn and flee if it turned out he was unfriendly.

"It breaks if you hit it hard enough," she said loudly to draw attention fully to herself at last. Her ears fanned out as she spoke, then pointed straight once more, as though she was unsure whether it was better to appear relaxed or alert in the presence of a stranger.