Understandably, Valeska needed space.

It's not that she didn't still love her mate. Amaranth was a part of her very being, etched indelibly into the frame of her soul, the air in her lungs, the star to guide her path...

She was also the woman who had just chewed her fucking tail off.

"I did it to save you," she had said, or some variation of the phrase. "The Plague was killing you!"

The crease between her eyes deepened as she stole a glance back toward the nub where once a glorious banner waved. Never again would her tail thump the ground with joy at the sight of her grandpups; never again would she curl it warmly around her haunches, never again bury her nose in its plush softness.

A strangely familiar voice called out through the breaking dawn, one she had rarely heard so far from its home. Wardruna? What could have possibly brought her out this far from the mountains?

Valeska broke into a trot, hurrying to meet her. It had been some time since they'd met last, and she was always delighted to see any of Ragnar's blood; he had meant a great deal to her in life, a longstanding friend and ally, and his legacy in death had only grown.

Wardruna! she called out, closing the gap between them. Her rump began to sway, looking for its missing tail, and she nearly wept. She must rally. It is good to see you! What has brought you so far from Northfall? You look well.