You Feel Like Home

It thrilled him more than expected to hear she was glad to see him, too. And she’d missed him! His haunches wiggled slightly at the slight giggle, even though he wondered why missing them all would warrant a giggle, but he grinned, the expression helped onto his features by the sound of it. She almost seemed embarrassed by her own words… or maybe the giggle, and he watched the sky-blue gaze drop as she spoke words that he’d been hoping to hear.

Thank the gods for small blessings. When her eyes lifted, it was to find a gentle smile on the crimson features, the new scars under the right fathomless sapphire eye the only change apart from the underlying weariness of the last few seasons. “Then welcome home, Solveiga.” By the gods, he hoped she never saw fit to leave again, though she was more than free to go where she wished.

He rose, stepping aside to turn back inward toward the heart of the territory, offering for her to walk beside him. “It’s been… very quiet since the challenge. My fault, really. I haven’t been… Well, I haven’t really made any attempt to nip tails into action.” His head drooped slightly at this admission.