Silverlight Terrace you're a taker, devils-maker

she thought of the nomadic, rugged wolves it seemed she only just left behind. galana felt stirred, prompted to move; perhaps it would be a trait she'd never shake from the band. she would return to ouroboros spine, likely before the sun rose. though at this moment she would remain confident in her wandering, nuutuittuq would guide her steps home and the girl would follow the star faithfully.

galana wore the moonlight upon her shoulders, no trees to block it. her body was still recovering, months of travel and little food did not hold a growing girl well. nonetheless, she would roam. it was a yearning she would satiate.

the boys' sister had come back. chickadee knew literally nothing about galana except her name and that she'd been gone a long time. any innerspeak from the moonglow family was withheld from her ears.
she hadn't meant to follow the girl. chickadee had been hunting with the intention of visiting brecheliant again soon, determined to keep her promise to both herself and the blackthorns.
but now she saw the ruddy girl up ahead. "hey," chickadee said softly, offering her mother's welcoming smile. "how are you settling back in?"

the feeling of being caught of guard shook her down to her bones; the breath she was holding let go once she laid her eyes on chickadee. galana knew who the girl was, but she didn't know her. she decided it didn't have to be that way!

she felt no lingering guilt when she looked into the green pair of eyes. it was a pleasant change, time or space shared with her family lately filled galana with shame.

❝it's been okay, just feels weird.❞ the fur that pricked along her spine from the flash of surprise smoothed over and she offered her a smile.

this was kivaluk's sister, and thus, her sister-in-law. "i'm chickadee, in case you didn't know. kivaluk and i are — together." was that weird? she hoped not. "i was going to get some pelts out of the lake for moon woman. would you like to go with me?"
it would give her a chance to get to know galana, and vice versa. chickadee was eager to know more about the side of the family into which she was marrying.

❝sure,❞ galana faintly smiled at chickadee, moving to walk in step with her.

she stole a few (hopefully) unnoticed glances as she thought of kivaluk. the short pause was unbearable, as was the words and questions just waiting to be spoken.

❝what's he like now anyways?❞ the heavy sigh would do nothing to take the weight from her shoulders. ❝it's- it's just been a while.❞

how much had really changed? she hoped chickadee's answers wouldn't hurt, perhaps kivaluk was the same as he'd always been. the girl didn't know if that would bring her relief.

"he's happy. he's — excited for our future, i think." that made her blush! should she even be discussing that with galana? "and i'm sure he's really happy you're back," she assured. family was important to kivaluk, and after that whole thing with kaluktuk and ariadne, she felt it would be even more so.
"you should come by sometime, for dinner maybe," chickadee invited on a whim, meaning it with all of her heart.

kivaluk was happy, and his plans to share his life with such a sweet wolf made her heart swell. she'd have no faults in seeing chickadee as a sister. the blackthorn girl's aura was welcoming, kind.

❝i'd like that.❞ she smiled, a bittersweet feeling tugging at her.

she'd have time to come with her brother. the time galana had been away only meant that being with her family was much more rewading.

"what do you like to eat?" chickadee chuckled. "or, we could hunt together. there's really good hunting and fishing in the wilderness, i could show you," the young woman twittered with all the gaiety of her namesake.
"and — i want to hear about where you went, but! only if you want to say," chickadee amended.
she wanted to know this sister, already missing her own.

❝i would love for you to show me, i'm not much of a picky eater.❞ galana replied with a shy smile and lowly wag.

❝and- maybe it's something to talk about over the meal.. i haven't exactly told kivaluk yet.❞ she paused, drawing in a heavy breath and she continued without any sort of convincing. ❝well... okay, just don't tell kivaluk, yet. i would like to explain it to him.❞

❝i hadn't left on purpose. met a boy near the outskirts, starting gettin more comfortable farther out. he talked very highly of the sea and i talked about moonglow and all the stories anaa would share. exaggarated a little... a lot, actually, both of us surely. he asked his brothers if i could go along with them for the day, go see the beach. one of them did something real bad by the time we neared it, and they didn't have time to turn around.. i think?❞ she felt just as small as she did then, but the blackthorn girl's eyes did not appear to hold judgement.

❝it turned into months, i think they were scared- to bring me back i mean. they taught me lots, to pull my weight. it's kind of weird what it became, but it got scary for me too so i ran. ran all the back home. slept the day away and followed the stars, when the sky was clear enough. they were not good wolves, chickadee, but you, kiva, anaa, my brothers, everybody here... they are. it got harder to come back with the more time that had passed.❞

her sister-in-law spilled delicious lore that chickadee had not heard before. with round eyes she listened, heeding every word.
something real bad.
she fastened to that.
the idea that galana had just been taken unsettled chickadee, set her stomach to rolling. she clutched the other's paw suddenly, wanting to reassure.
"i can see why you don't want to tell him that," she said, "so we won't. oh, galana! i'm so glad you got back and - and that you're okay ..."
something real bad.
was she?
"you're very strong to have gotten through all that. especially the kind of fear that makes you run."