Quietly, cautiously she creeps through the thick underbrush by the river. Every now and then her eyes find Blackthorne again to ensure he hadn’t seen her. His wretched face had been burned into her memory for some time now, ever since she was a young pup. He was a vile snake wanting to steal away her and her siblings. It was an encounter she won’t easily forget.

She had never expected to see him again after almost four years and yet here he was. At least she could count on him being seemingly distracted by the presence of that other female for now. She’s nearly slinked past his position undetected when her gaze happens to shift and fall on a complete stranger. His voice had unknowingly captured her attention.

Through the lush summer leaves her eyes find his and at once there is an overwhelming feeling of… something. She couldn’t place it. A wholeness, warmth, a type of fire being stoked in her core until she feels that her skin may melt off her bones. Panic - or was it something else? - causes her to push through the brush and make a beeline for the river. Why was she so hot? She felt as if a thousand suns were burning just beneath her skin.

She makes a splash into the river and wades deeper in, revelling in the cool current as it washes over her. She pivots, slightly floating a few yards downstream with the current, and she unexpectedly finds the face of the one who had caused her condition. The white-hot sensation was now simmering down and felt more like a nice, comfortable warmth deep in her soul. A feeling that she hadn’t known existed.