Whitewater Gorge thy waters rise

The woman told her gently that she did not mind if Pumpkin looked at her scars, but still, the idea of openly doing so made her feel uncomfortable. Her mother had taught her to think about how she would feel if someone did something to her before deciding to do it herself. And if she’d had that many scars, she wouldn’t feel good if someone just sat there and stared at all of them. Or… maybe she would. Maybe her scars would mean she had survived many battles! She supposed that if they were war wounds, she would feel proud of them…

The woman asked a question, and Pumpkin shook her head, coming back to the present. “Yeah, I guess I’m traveling,” she said. “I’m Pumpkin. I’m looking for a pack to join. It will be Autumn soon, and I’d rather not be on my own when the weather turns. Besides… being alone is… well, lonely.” She remembered her siblings and wondered why they had all decided to split from one another. Would it not have been more fun to remain together? Explore the new lands together? A small sigh escaped her. Well, it was too late to think those things now. Of course, she had run into her brother a small time ago, but their reunion had been short-lived, and they’d once again gone their separate ways. She wondered about Cinnamon, her sister, and where her adventures had taken her.

“And what are you doing out here?” she asked casually, as a way to spark conversation. It was rude to ignore someone who had been talking to you.