Cara panted looking back with a gasp she fell down as the black shadows pounced on her making her squeal out with laughter. The large wolfish hounds covered her face in happy licks whining and yapping as they kept her pressed to the ground with towering frames while she smiled brightly petting as many hound snouts she could. A few hopped around the outside howling in excitement while she tried to avoid the ones poking her in her sensitive sides with little success that only brought on more laughter. Feeling her cheeks began to hurt from smiling and laughing she knew she had to end her pleasant suffering.
“Alright, alright! Let me up you pups!” She shouted gleefully as they backed up while she pulled herself up sweat-drenched copper baby hairs sticking to her forehead. Her dark brown eyes held nothing but warmth as her plump pink lips pulled back into a bright smile. Her giggled escaped from her throat watching one of the black hounds with deep brown eyes pupils grow larger as they playfully snapped their jaw in her face. Cara smiled moving her hands to tap the sides of their face as they swung their head to nip lightly at her hands making the ginger giddy with amusement. Holding her hand still, the hound held her hand in their mouth looking at her with pupils that almost took over the brown of her eyes.
“Good girl, I know I can always trust you,” Cara cooed moving to pull the hulking mass closer as they groan before leaning into her chest feeling cold fingers come through her fur. Moving to sit with her head bowed the other hounds moved to tackle and play with the leaves fallen to the ground while Cara nuzzled her face against the hound’s neck. “Good Shadow, such a good girl.” Cara continued to coo loving praises as the hound moved to lay down between her legs. That is when a flash of light crackled through the air making Cara jump slightly than a whistle making the pair get up and running towards it with thunder rolling towards them. The other hounds followed along close on their heels as they made it back to the house. Waving to her aging Grandfather, Cara leads the dogs to the shelter connected to the house. They ran in while she moved to pull down the flaps to protect them from the rain before walking in taking to fix the blankets and fixing them while they moved to lay down rolling around as the sound of rain began to fall down. Looking up at the ceiling she tilted her head looking around.
“Any leaks?” A deep but calm voice called from behind the wall.
“Not yet Grandpa! Looks like we took care of them all!” A loud roar took over the sky made Cara turn to the hounds to see they were calm and relaxed curling up together. Smiling she walked to the doors stepping out and closing them slipping the latch in place. Pulling the thick scarf around her neck up around her head, Cara fashioned it into a hood to protect her eyes. Keeping her head bowed she walked into the house where a blanket was wrapped around her numb form. Pulling it closer Cara’s grandfather walked her to the fire where she sat near the edge rubbing her hands together. Placing them close to the crackling flames she let the heat seep into her skin.
“Look at ya, pale as a corpse, if I didn’t know you I’d say you were a walking corpse,” he joked rubbing the top of her head. Rolling her eyes she glared lightly at the thin old man who grins sitting down. Cracking a small smile she looked back towards the fire pulling the blanket closer around her. “You need more sun.”
“And turn pink as a pig? I don’t think so, Grandpa. The gods have cursed me with my father’s pale skin. I won’t risk burning myself with that dreaded monster in the sky,” she growled out while he moved to open the pot over the fire stirring its contents some. “Almost ready?”
“It’s done, you sit there and keep warm,” he told her getting up to get bowls and spoons while Cara leans in closer to smell the stew he brewed. Closing her eyes she relaxed further into the warmth he had provided with the fire and blanket. Opening her eyes she pulled herself back to keep the fire from burning her. Shifting her back to the fire she pulled off her boots dropping them to the ground and padding her way around the fire to a chair that she pulled her body into becoming as small as she could so Cara could wrap the blanket completely around herself.
“It’s getting colder each day Grandpa, winter is coming,” she told him as he grunted moving to scoop the stew into the bowls while she pressed her face into the fabric looking at him.
“We will be ready before it gets too cold. You worry too much child.” He turns to hold the bowl out to Cara who let go of the blanket and took it feeling the warmth of the stew from the bowl.
“Your lack of worry makes me worry enough for the both of us,” she mumbled as he smacked her lightly over the head with the spoon. Pouting she snatched the spoon from his hand turning away slightly. “I can’t help it, Grandpa. I just want to make sure everyone is okay.”
“Where does that leave you?” He asked sitting down with his own bowl while Cara remained silent before scooping some of the stew into her mouth. She could already tell he was shaking his head without having to peer up at him. Cara knew he understood she simply cared for his and the dogs' well beings, which still didn’t excuse her from the lack of care she put into herself.
“I’ll be fine,” she mumbled. Silence fell over the pair at opposite ends of Death’s path worry filling their minds over the other eating them from the inside. Cara looked up from swallowing another bite of stew and smiled. “I’ve been writing. I’m thinking of sharing it with the others in the village soon. It’s nothing like the tales I hear the Valkyrie write and tell.” Her grandfather looked over at her nervous smile as she shrunk further into the blanket while he only gave a smirk.
“You should share it, you’ll never know till you do.” Cara nods her head in agreement looking back down at the stew left in her bowl.
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