Jade Fern Grove lying face up on the floor / of my vessel

After a time, Larkspur wondered if the resident weasel had gone to ground for the day. Not only didn't she see any activity at the mouth of the small burrow, she didn't hear any stirring within. Her lips parted on a sigh and she decided she'd have better luck elsewhere. She rose quietly and began to glide away, though she spared one last glance at the little dugout as if hoping for a stroke of luck at the last possible moment...

But there was nothing there, so she faced forward and gave a gasp when her eyes locked with an orange pair just a few yards away through the trees. Spur swallowed and froze warily, squinting slightly to discern the other canine's shape. He was slight of build, with a dark coat. It surprised her to see the shock of reddish fur along his back, not so unlike her own.