Phoenix Maplewood I feel it in my bones.

Due north of the tangle that dominated the boundary between the world's edge and the interior, there were massive stone protrusions. Most of them were thickly layered with moss or at least partially buried by earth, creating an irregular hillside - like a sprawling gravesite on the edge of the maze. She'd spied the near-black mess of trees from the cliffside and became intrigued; the way the morning mist settled between the trees reminded her of the grotto and Usha was briefly smitten. It took most of the night and early morning for her to get as far as the plateau that rose out of the mist due south of those stones, but once she made it Usha could spy upon the entire valley from the vantage point the ridge afforded her.

It was breathtaking. The morning mist had begun to drift and fade by afternoon, but there was still a sheen to the greenery and an enigmatic glow to the foreign surroundings. The wide open sky overhead was perfectly blue — she looked skyward as she roamed further along the ridge and as she began to climb down, Usha realized there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The vast, vibrant, glorious blue of the sky made her grin like an idiot. It was a good thing that Willow and Nettle were back home — they'd surely be making fun of her by now.

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The wolf was nearing her limit as she marched her way south-east, seeking shelter now. The open sky was beautiful until one realized the dangers of it. It was a good thing Usha wasn't as burly as some wolves, or as dense with coat, because she was feeling too warm and exposed beneath the beating sun.

It was only spring! Usha wondered if the summers in this land were going to be much better; her home had been termed the summerland but when compared to the warmth here, it was nothing. She didn't carry herself with the same swagger or energy as she roamed, now. The girl knew she was hungry, thirsty, and in need of some shade - so when she finally spotted the infernal reds and golds of yet another forest, she was more stricken by its proximity than its appearance - and made herself run most of the way across the uneven landscape until she passed beneath the boughs, sinking in to the chilled shadows of the maplewood with a sigh.

It occurred to her afterwards that this was a prime location for a pack — but after some cursory glances and a little investigation, she couldn't find any sign of other wolves. A part of her felt relieved, but deep down Usha knew her mission would fail if she didn't find more bodies soon. For now she focused on finding somewhere to rest her tired body, and once she had done that, she'd get to work hunting down something suitable to eat. She slowed her pace to something more casual as she investigated the shadows, bends in the natural paths, and even gave a few sniffs to some of the older maple trees - having never before seen such colors on any tree before - until finally deciding to settle in a heap on the ground.

Katora lay in the shade of a thick tree at the edge of a small forest.  Her thick coat, meant for the harsher northern climate, was doing her no favors as the sun shone mercilessly overhead.  She was grateful to have found the stream that led her to this forest.  She had followed it from the north along its winding path.  That had been all well and good in the morning hours, when the sun was diffused along the horizon and angled severely in the east as it rose.  Now, it was all Katora could do to keep from overheating even as she lay there, panting, next to the stream as it continued to wind deep into the forest.  

                 She had never traveled so far from home before.  In her land, the sun would barely be shining and the grass would not even have thought of shooting past the remaining snow yet.  Her thick winter coat had not fully shed yet which added to her misery.  It was not only bad for her insides, it weighed her down and made hunting more difficult.  A task which was already very difficult considering the mental strain she was experiencing in tandem with the physical.

               Her whole pack was gone, died under mysterious circumstances.  They had not been killed, as there was no sign of struggle, or blood upon them.  She had known then that she would need to leave.  Without the necessary numbers to keep her family's coveted lands and borders protected, anyone could come and make a quick end of her.  Leaving the lands that her pack had held onto for so long hurt in ways she could not quite comprehend or describe.  She shook her head to clear the thoughts.  Continuing to survive after such a trauma was difficult enough without continuing to dwell on it.  

               As she lay, she thought she heard sounds that were distinct and different from the normal forest sounds.  She raised her head and ears in tandem to better distinguish what she was experiencing.  The wind blew away from her so she could not smell anything different.  She could hear the wanderings of another animal though.  It was only when there was a louder sound that reminded Katora of a falling animal did she get up.  

If it was an animal dying that would be amazing, Katora thought as she picked herself up heavily off the forest floor and went to investigate.