fa'liya eyed the gift where it landed in the snow. she stepped forward, nosing it once, then again more firmly. she had a small collection now—bone, antler, feather—each one brought by him. they sat in a hollow near where she slept, guarded as fiercely as fresh kill. this one would join them later, but for now her paw came down to claim it, light as a whisper.
at his words, her ears pricked. She didn’t catch their meaning in full but she understood his tone the word hunt. her tail gave a short sway, and she stepped from the bone and trotted a few paces forward into the open snow, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a quick, bright look. a silent answer.
yes, she was ready.