SSWM Word Count → 357
The tawny coywolf trotted briskly through the snow-covered fields, once untouched and unmarked by paw prints like in a child’s dreams. Now, however, she could see the ruts caused by others meandering through the Waste as well as the herds that moved through Inferni. While her large ears remained pricked for the sound of mice or other small prey moving underneath the snow, she kept most of her attention focused on the borders. It was hard to let old habits slide, and though her job wasn’t necessarily to patrol like this, it eased her mind to walk the familiar trails and let her focus on vigilance rather than internal worries.
She sighed a pale cloud in the cold air then paused to sniff as she picked up the scent of another clan member. A small and pleased smirk crossed her face, and she broke out into a run north until she could spy the tiny russet shape of the Caelum—the rank right beneath hers.
It still didn’t cease to astonish her that she had been chosen for the Triumvirate tier, sharing the space with two veterans by comparison. She’d heard plenty of stories about Halo Lykoi—perhaps not all of them pleasant, but the woman was apparently a mighty warrior—and had met Myrika Tears and found her to be competent and still better company than most Inferni coyotes.
At least the job was one she knew she could do, though the pressure had come at an otherwise inopportune time. Vesper had maintained a more or less content expression until she reached Zana’s side, greeting her with a word and a tail wag, and followed her gaze north toward Ichika no Ho-en. She shifted her weight, feeling uneasy and not the superior of this more experienced and spirited woman. She’d hated the thought of following canines in a pack, and leading them didn’t come to her any easier.
With some difficulty, she turned her cool-hued eyes to Zana once again. “How goes the patrol?” Vesper managed to ask, her voice sounding detached and uncertain to her ears. She felt like an unsociable vagabond all over again.
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