gjalla's ears flicked at the words, catching the names in the breath between their steps. she clung to the sound of his voice like it was something solid, but his words do not ease her. storm reach. mythris. they meant little to her spinning mind, and suddenly she regrets asking—she should have known it would not be helpful.

she let out a low grunt of effort as they pushed through the last of the trees, water shimmering paces ahead, cold and inviting. gjalla pulled away from him with the last scrap of her strength, stumbled forward until her claws scraped river stones, and collapsed at the edge. her muzzle dipped greedily into the water and she drank deep, the chill of it shocking her senses back into sharper focus. then, with unhurried movements, she waded further in, until the current pulled gently at her chest, dragging away the soot and blood and scorched debris from her form.

as the grime sloughed away, the woman beneath was revealed in full. star-incarnate come again in a stunning wash of storm-touched blues and black. her mane curled wildly around her cheeks and throat, thick and untamed, framing a face hewn in striking, sharp lines.

her eyes found his again as she resurfaced, pinning him through the dark. intense—unnecessarily so. at last, she speaks clearer. thank you. a breath, i am gjalla.