something had her return to the plains, where snowfall and time had neatly tidied up the scorched mess that was. she'd walked through the old territory with gaze searching for remenents of what had been, finding only scorched, spindly trees rising forebodingly through the snow, and a sort of silence; what had happened here had not been forgotten entirely by the wild. come spring, and renewal, the scars here would fade. grass would replace grass and the few trees would make their slow return, and soon this place would resemble nothing like she last remembered it. 

she moved through and onward, not ceasing her careful lope and not shifting her path. it was something like coincidence, combined with having exhaused the sparse other options that existed, that had her find the Willows. the borders had not been here before. 

a brief inspection had her fur prickle and ears pin; here he was, so near to the plains. she moved paralell to the borders, picking out scents and feeling dread settle fast. Sunny was evident here, and Aliac. Pema, she could pick up likewise. she moved for a quarter of an hour along the border line, careful in her step and silent. when she'd discerned all she could, she paused, drawing up alongside a thick copse of willows, their branches trailing in the snow. where was he? she'd assumed only that he would stay, but surely then she would find his scent at this borderline. he'd forsaken them, as had she, one way or another. through accident or death or choice, and the thought weighed heavy. she wheeled and moved swiftly off, mind darkly troubled and filled, now, with doubt. three. in a few moments, all that would remain was the scent trail, making haste for the range to the east. were they all that remained?