3/15/2026, 6:19 AM
y’var’la did not break stride when his flank brushed hers, though her ear flicked once in acknowledgment. the contact lingered only a heartbeat before she eased ahead again—no protest, but there is little joy to be had in a mere tease. his challenge earns the faintest tilt of her mouth before her attention slipped back to the scrub ahead, where something small shuffled through dry stems.
reassigning her attention to the task at hand, hazel eyes fix on the brush ahead where the faint stir of wings betray movement. a pheasant, by the sound of it—heavy and careless in the reeds. she listened for the bird’s next step, then flicked him a brief look.
it is a basic skill,she remarks under her breath. was a political woman with knowledge of the hunt truly so novel?
everyone should know how.
reassigning her attention to the task at hand, hazel eyes fix on the brush ahead where the faint stir of wings betray movement. a pheasant, by the sound of it—heavy and careless in the reeds. she listened for the bird’s next step, then flicked him a brief look.
ready?