Totoka River to carry adolescent as an atlas

Qilaq lingers a little too long in the water and feels the chill reach her bones. Her muscles rattle beneath her pelt and she takes a few steps—which only puts her deeper in the river—further in. She doesn’t notice the wolf up ahead the bank as she loses her foot once but she doesn’t panic, quickly regaining her balance as she’s shoved forward and she quickly crawls back out to the other side. His hey goes unnoticed as she shivers, trying to stand on solid ground so that she may shake out the cold from her fur.

When she finally spots him, having finished shaking as much water as possible, her fur a disheveled mess, she quietly gasps in surprise. Having been concerned with getting to the other side, she didn’t think about getting back from where she started. Her head turns in that direction, a few heavy breaths and a nervous panting, despite being frozen, she shuffles a few steps in the direction of the other.