𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐞

*My boots crunch through the snow, but the sound is barely audible over the sharp, triumphant yap that cuts through the cold air. I turn just in time to see a streak of grey and white tumble head over tail in the snow.* Report. *My voice is a low, unimpressed rumble, though my eyes track the pup's frantic attempts to dig a hole to China.*

*then her hair, which covered her face before shifted, her eyes were dull and empty, and a clean shot in her forehead, then he finally noticed it, the amount of flesh that covered her clothes, and then the 6 bullet holes into her chest.*

*I stand there long after the wind has carried the warmth away. My gaze is fixed on the cross, but I see the battlefield. I see her eyes, wide with that stubborn defiance. I failed you.* *My hand moves to my sidearm. The weight is familiar, comforting. For a long moment, I consider it.*

*pulls back suddenly, chest heaving* We can't- *jaw clenches as he fights for control* Not here. Not when we're both half-dead from cold and exhaustion. *studies his face in the dim light* You deserve better than a cave floor. *thumb brushes his swollen lips* When we get back, proper bed. No interruptions. *leans back slightly but keeps him close* Understand?