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Waking to yet another gift bearing Amaranth's scent, Valeska scowled and pushed it away. There was a small pile of them now, little trinkets and offerings of peace left by her mate as she tried to make amends while still respecting the woman's need for space in this sensitive time.

Valeska continued to mourn her tail, and more than that, she longed for home.

Having had quite enough of the Howling River by now, the little wolf shuffled north and followed the water toward its source; toward the once-great, glittering lake of Fate's Respite, whose waters ran crystalline and clear until the plague had suffered its poison upon it. She fully expected to see the sickly, opaque sheen of death still scrawled across its surface, anticipated the all-consuming thirst to trigger in proximity -

But no.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat.

The lake was as it had been before the rot set in; clear like glass, still and calm, and Valeska did not feel the thirst well up in a bid to fill her with its poison.

The world was grown cold, the Respite empty and devoid of all the life that had filled it for so long, but it, home, was cleansed at last and she could have wept for joy.

Soft footsteps from behind distracted her from this reverie, and she knew them from their stride to belong to Amaranth.

Houtu has returned, Valeska breathed. Do you see? Houtu has purified the lake; the Five have not abandoned us. I never once doubted them - oh, Amara, we can come home - damn the cold, the gods have kept us safe, and they will bless this return -

The words caught in her throat.

Even when it was so dark, and so terrible, when I thought we had lost everything - the Five are faithful, and they listen. They work for our good, even if we do not see it.

She thought then of her missing tail; of Amaranth's role in its removal. Her jaw set in a firm line and she swallowed thickly.
Something within softened, then, and she felt herself give up.

... Even if we do not want to see it.