Neverwinter Forest and — it was winter

Whatever their little family was, it had become the new normal, and now that their little troop of six had managed to set up a temporary shelter in the forest Hemlock was determined to try and keep them safe. It was a lot to handle; once one of three and now the only surviving adult. Each younger wolf was in a sense her child from the eldest Tapat down to the youngest Reed and then the two particular souls that hovered in between. She did not worry so much for Ceallach, who watched over them with a near hawkish manner, but in Eirlys sometimes she saw so much of Lotte it near drown her in her own despair. Hemlock had caught herself watching the young woman yet again and this time she did not swallow down the words as she came closer to the young girl. 

She reached up (oh, how tiny Hemlock felt even next to them!) to press a little kiss to the girl's cheek before she took a seat near her, vibrant gaze shifting outwards like the forest might betray it's secrets and tell her what she longed to know. "It was much worse last year." Hemlock admitted, and for some reason she decided it was time enough to open up to the older children about the bitterness of the previous year. "I was not here to see it through but the winter was cold and it was brutal - I had ranged very far from home to hunt a cougar down, the very same that gave me my scars. I heard there were even some wolves that perished the season was so bad." They were fortunate that this year was not so rough and that they were not facing the same terrible hunger that had claimed other's lives. 

Of course Hemlock worried. So far she placed herself last on the list, making sure each of the flock ate before she did. In another time or setting it might have rankled her to her core as her place as leader meant she earned those first precious bites - but she would rather each of the younger wolves fill out and know no hunger. She owed it to both husband and wife to ensure that their children were saved from as much of the world's pains as possible.