Whitebark Stream Within that nightmare, I met a young survivor.

Fading here.  :)

He was glad to venture from the realm of discomfort and into one of light-heartedness. There was a quiet appreciation for Kora's good humour despite the awkwardness of their first meeting, for her desire to join him on what remained of his patrol. She laughed easily with him and Artyom wagged his tail, content to carry on in this less serious manner.

"It's not every day that I get to play the role of 'damsel in distress'," he joked, pressing on at a smooth pace - mindful of the wolfess' disability but unwilling to draw attention to it for fear of rousing any hard feelings.