The Blood Moon had passed in the new week, Dalmatia found herself staying awake late into Sunday night, until dawn breached into Monday morning. It was then that she could rest, then that she could finally let tears of relief flow.

In the coming weeks, Dal would ready herself. It would not be long before she and N​ó​ttin announced their engagement to the whole of Dawnbreak. And she was fidgety, finding ways to distract herself like trailing the rocky path down Frostvang Vale's protective mountains and into the wilds beneath, where she would find plentiful berry bushes among the raging river. It wasn't like there weren't many of them up in the arid, frosty mountainside, but a varying array here that would allow her the benefit of multiple ones, each different enough to provide distinct vitamins. Or at least, Dal hoped so, to justify her coming all the way down here.

Nonetheless, the spotted dove found herself trailing the river, her imperfections of soot-stained spots covered by the elk's pelt she held so close and dear. Around her homeland, she'd learned to shed the pelt, but outside of her home... Well, she needed some sort of security. And what was better than the shell she used to hide in?

Rensley