Partners in Crime

The late afternoon sun painted the Polar Sound in hues of gold and amber, casting long shadows across the valley floor. Aresenn and Absinth moved through the quiet taiga, the distant sounds of birds and rustling leaves accompanied by the rhythmic cadence of their footsteps. The air held a certain stillness, broken only by the labored breathing of the two wolves as they navigated the uneven terrain.

While the distance from the healer's den to where Absinth's den wasn't very expansive, their pace was relatively slow going. Though it didn't bother him, his concern was with Absinth and the amount of effort it would take her to make it to their destination with as little help from him as she could get by with. She made it very obvious that she wasn't comfortable with the vulnerability that had be thrusted upon her. Each step was a painful one, but the greatest grace he could offer her wasn't his pity or encouragement. It was silence.

The fallen tree, the entrance to Absinth's den, loomed at the edge of their field of view. A silent exhale of relief flooded from his lungs as he recognized that they were almost there. But even still, he maintained a steady pace. Never pushing Absinth to move faster than she could.

"Aresenn Praetor"