Cedar Sweep watching me is like watching a fire take your eyes from you

the trees in this place were ominous in the dark, towering and uniform in their stature and shape.  were it not for the stirring of life in the wind, the rustling of trees, the birds overhead, she might have been intimidated by its shadow. 

snow fell down around her in small, whirling flakes.  at her feet it powdered loosely, the grasses undeterred by the thin blanket that covered them.

tessa wasn't, either.  she traveled through the night, seeking northstar vale.

small pale paws left faint tracks etched into the thin layer of snow. a gentle snowfall covered them as the minutes passed, erasing the winding path forged by the lone witch. antha walked alone, searching. traces of her sister lingered in this forest.
ahead, the familiar feminine figure of tessa took shape from within the piercing darkness. fancy meeting you here, she called lowly into the dark, voice glimmering and brimming with joy and adoration. the autumn witch moved to embrace her sister, kissing her cheek. warmth softened her touches to a gentleness reserved only for tessa.

she almost missed that silent step, but she held an awareness for her sister's presence that she could for nothing else. with tessa, antha could never go unnoticed. 

oh, antha, she breathed against the witch-woman's cheek. i missed you so much. it felt like her soul had been restored; and so much sooner than she thought. i thought you were on the mountain?

a tension she hadn't been aware of faded from her shoulders, her tight jaw; among unfamiliar wolves in unfamiliar lands, antha had grown accustomed to living on a knife's edge for some days. but tessa was here now, and her presence meant safety and kinship. a familiar face amidst the unknown.
she smiled lightly at hearing her question. i met a man, she began, then paused to add: actually, i met two.
the first drove me away from the vale with words of war. the second... her voice dropped slightly, as if she feared being overheard. he leads a pack, i think. he's traveling now with some older children in search of a new home for his pack. i offered help, and he offered me a place among his people. i spoke to him about my plans, and about our craft. i think... a shy smile came to her face then. if wolves could blush, she would have done that, too. i think he may have potential. as a husband. his own goal is nearly the same as mine, and he's very straightforward about it. i never imagined it would happen like this, but maybe it's best to be practical. romance is a fickle thing anyway. and... i do like him. so far.

they picked up as if no time had passed between when they had last met. it was comforting to be able to rely on that bond between them. gratitude rose through her, which was quickly struck down by fear at the idea of war.

the vale was to be avoided. in tessa's eyes, antha could do no wrong, would never do anything in order to provoke a response like that. she marked this in her mind.

but the second was much more interesting. the leader of a pack? antha had done so well for herself. i trust you, she says, and i am happy that you are able to realize your potential.

there was no doubt antha would do so, with or without that man.

do you think he would let me stay?

antha had expected nothing less than complete acceptance from her sister, but to hear it filled her with joy nonetheless. her smile bloomed in full, shedding the shyness in favor of a brighter expression. tessa knew she'd wanted this for... so long.
ever since...
i believe he would. his village is home to many children. families. your skills would be welcome, and i know your charm will win them over, she pressed on cheerfully, willing thoughts of the past back to their rightful place. she could not look back. we'll talk to him, of course. i wouldn't settle anywhere without you. i couldn't. tessa was her other half, as much as a wolf could be. they could not be parted, except through death. maybe not even then.

the sisters were soulbound, eternal together.  it meant the world to hear to hear it, to have it verbalized that she would never be abandoned.  she had worried about it for so long, felt like such a burden through her sickness. 

sometimes, when antha was gone, tessa wondered if her sister would ever return from her quest.  maybe like julien, she would never return, and tessa would be alone forever.

she worried no longer.  it sounds like you chose the right place, she said with a playful glint in her gaze, choosing not to verbally acknowledge the feelings her sister's words brought forth, knowing it was clear in her body language.  i miss the children.  their spontaneity. 

maybe antha would have some of her own, and tessa would have nieces and nephews to care for.

antha found she could not refrain from pressing a merry kiss to her sister's cheek, laughing softly to hear her speak of what was to come. children! not their own, not at first, but it would be so lovely to see the joy and hope of youth again. she missed her own youth dearly, though she knew that time had long passed. besides, this new reality suited her better than wandering youth ever had.

i've met them already, she confessed, still beaming. you'll love them, tessa. come, come! antha beckoned her onward, and led her to where they would soon speak with issorartuyok and take the first step toward their new life.