F06|| Dúlamán á Taiga

Dulaman scooped away dirt with large heaves of her front paws, kicking up soil behind her. She was enlarging a badger hole set deep in the side of a hill. Hours passed as she dug, occasionally leaving to visit the stream nearby before continuing her labor. Only young Daffni came for her company, as the rest of the Clan were a day's walk away in the mountains. It was evening when Dulaman was satisfied with her work and settled down to rest. She and the young female in her company were in a deep sleep when a wolf stepped into the forests surrounding the badger den.

A soft thump sounded beside Dulaman's head and she jerked awake. An incredibly handsome, rough-looking male was standing over her. It was Kaare, renowned as the best hunter in the pack. She could see why- he was so big, serious, and all muscles. The girls whispered that his three earrings came from the three bull moose he defeated alone. With wide blue eyes she glanced at the object Kaare dropped next to her head. It was a dead swan. No blood sullied it's white neck, and she could swore it still breathed with how perfect the feathers still lay.

"For your pups," Kaare growled, but pain laced his voice. Dulaman's ears flattened against her head. Did he really still love her? Her mind flashed back to last summer, where they were alone on a quiet, moonlit night. Dulaman could still feel his fur against her cheek, the way they curled up together with his head resting on hers. The night felt like forever, but the memory now was brief. He left her.