Shadewood tap your toes and clap your hands

She watched with some fascination the way his face could crumple into an irate storm cloud, spitting lightning in the form of a call for maman, only to morph back into a sunny day with dimples for days. She couldn't help the way her tail wagged when his eyes lit up, nor the intensity of her focus on his soft voice. A bear could've crashed out of the forest and she wasn't certain she'd have noticed.

Okay, she breathed, matching his hushed tone with a lowered one of her own, like they were sharing some secret between them. She tried to think if she had a favourite spot back home she could show him someday, but all that came to mind was now. Whatever her favourite spot had been abruptly fell from grace and was replaced by right here with Valravn and his smiles and his soft, boyish voice.