kangaroo court

It was over. She lowered herself further, belly to the ground, to show @Borlla the respect she'd earned. Blood still trickled from the nostrils that quivered from breathing heavily, falling to the snow-covered ground in thick, fat drops. It didn't feel so bad, letting go of the position she'd never really gotten used to; in a way, Lucero felt a breath of relief. Maybe now she could go back to being just a girl─carefree (for the most part), young, impressionable as she always had been. A shrill, if soft, whine lulled from her throat as her friend and leader made to move closer. Daring not to move an inch, Luce remained as still as ice as Borlla's jaws closed around her muzzle. The dance of dominance was an ancient act, and one that seemed quite natural to the creamy furred woman with the shining, orange eyes. She found comfort now in her counterpart's proximity and welcomed the affectionate, caring touch, even leaning in just a hair as the warmth from Borlla's tongue seeped into her cold nose.

In the moments that followed there was little time for it all to sink in, but with the weight of a temporary leadership lifted from her shoulders, Lucero's mind went directly to a place she'd been keeping far away: @Ataneq. He was gone. Not so much as a goodbye between them, or a 'see you later,' or an exchange of their friendly, sprouting love. It had torn her deep, down to the core of her being. There wasn't much time that went by when she didn't fear for him, out in the wintry world where the elements were merciless and the predators were hungry. Lifting her gaze to search for her friend's, Lucero knew that one chapter in her life had come to a close, and another, a lonely, dark one, was just beginning.