Bearclaw Valley cross my heart and i hope i die

in the valley was where Marija regained some consciousness.

autumn breeze rolled behind her. she cocked her head left, right, up, down, sideways,... and she swore she did it backwards too. it seems she'd taken a seat on the grass, the drying grass. a reminder that soon winter would arrive. she'd already noticed how much harder it was to chase a hare now. added with the freezing cold, and Marija won't last for much longer.

but the Marija of right now does not care for the version of herself that rattles in her head about how doomed she is, perhaps that's why she only realized just now where she was standing.

This was not a wolf. It was a pale thing, a pink-nosed thing stirring in the grass. Amneris watched from a distance, fascinated yet fearful. Like a wolf, but not a wolf.

And beautiful.

She watched in silence, in stillness, ready to call for those who had made themselves her guardians if the creature started toward her.

eyes. she'd gotten used to those. the problem is who the eyes belong to. god forbid the dog encounters a repeat of the last time she had this sensation. she stood, brows furrowed.

who's there? she asked, though not before consulting her nose. it was faint, but she could pick up the presence of someone in the valley alongside her. that alone got her heart to race. she would only believe the innocence of this someone only when her eyes met theirs.