well, these are big

Fern smiles as Puff’s question gets a laugh from the smaller wolf. Nodding her agreement, the gray girl follows Audra into the pit, looking closely at a couple of large bones along the way. Audra talks to the stoat and Puff listens intently, trying to put the puzzle together in her small, stoat head. Following the petite wolf closely, Fern adds, “It is amazing how they all seem to be intact. I mean… I can see a body and head.” Outlining the profile in the dirt, with a wave of her paw. Looking to Audra she adds, “The group my mom traveled with would leave the body of dead loved ones in the open. They believed that death brings life and so, would offer the bodies to scavengers. Not much would be left after a few days.” A shrug of gray shoulders shows that Fern doesn’t disagree with the method, just is amazed to find so many intact skeletons.

When Audra touches a fossil, ocean-hued eyes watch intensely. Everything seems so old here, as if… touching something could make everything crumble and disappear. The russet wolf gives a small laugh and comments about them being all over and Fern turns her head to look out over the land. As her brain tries to comprehend the sheer volume of bones that they can see and how many more could be lurking underground, Puff peeks her head up between Fern’s ears and says, “Huh. Wonder what killed so many of these huge things. I mean, if I had teeth like that…” the stoat points a small paw toward a skull with exceptionally pointed teeth, “I wouldn’t be scared of anything.” With that the stoat curls its paws around the fur on Fern’s head as she continues to stare out at the landscape from her spot between the gray girl’s ears.

"Fern" | "Puff"