「 closed starter 」 aldara and neva @howmcnythings
THE SNOW HAD SETTLED INTO THAT QUIET, untouched stillness that made everything feel paused—like the mountain itself was holding its breath. aldara moved through it without sound. her gaze tracked the ground more than the horizon, sharp and deliberate, following the faint d i s t u r b a n c e of prints half-filled by fresh snowfall. she slowed near a cluster of trees, crouching just enough to brush her gloved fingers over the marks, studying the spacing, the depth. “ it’s favouring the back leg. ” she said, voice low, more certain than speculative. “ not recent… but not old enough to have healed. ”
she straightened, brushing the snow from her hand as her attention shifted—not startled, just aware. she hadn’t needed to hear neva to know she was there. “ you took the longer path. ” aldara added, glancing over her shoulder, tone even but not without familiarity. it wasn’t a question. it never was with her. a pause, brief, before her gaze softened—subtly, but enough to be there. “ i thought you might. ” she turned back toward the trees, stepping forward again, slower now. “ it’s close. ” another beat, quieter this time, as her eyes scanned ahead. “ you can feel it, can’t you? ”