Phoenix Maplewood Oops, my heart went.....

She began her journey, feeling the urges of spring, and knowing it would be at least 2 moons before she made her way back to the coast. Winter still held it's icy grip over the domain, but here and there small signs could be seen- leaf buds on the trees, a bit of grass poking out of the snow. She was incredibly grateful. but for the ability to have food easily at her disposal soon.
She entered the wood, deciding a brief cutthrough before hooking up would give her an easy path.

It had been two weeks of endless travel, but now that spring was in the air and the snow was melting away, he found it pleasant enough. There hadn't been any sign of life in days; then again, Asa had been distracted. He had spent a few days chasing after a young buck before losing that trail, and then he had to figure out where he'd ended up, and plot some kind of plan. As the snow receded he became enthralled by the new buds popping up in its place: a grove of cherry trees with blossoms starting to pop, a little creek moving quicker than anything he'd seen during winter, a clear blue sky. Spring had always been his mother's favorite time of the year. Asa thought of her and a thin smile drew its way across his face.

A fire burned on the horizon, and it was beautiful. It rose up out of the remaining snow like a pyre; overhead, smokey clouds lingered but they too began to drift off, as if the spring wind was trying to put it out. It wasn't a real fire. The closer he got the better he could make-out the shapes of the trees, the boughs shuddering overhead to the gusts of wind. It was autumnal, caught between the blanket of winter upon the earth and the blustering fresh air overhead; gorgeous, this melding of colors. He tested the air for scents and found a few errant wolf smells, but nothing to indicate a fully established claim.

It meant, of course, that Asa's hunt was veering from "warm" to "cold" again, and he huffed to himself in frustration. The longer this took the less likely he would ever track down the man who had destroyed his family. In lieu of that, he caught wind of a feminine scent - almost sweet - and decided on a whim to trail after that instead. The trees calmed as he passed between them; the forest floor peppered with bits of red and gold, or the smallest clusters of new flowers trying to poke through the soil. He did his best not to crush these as he found them.

She hasn't traveled long when she realized she was being followed. It makes her wary, this stranger who hasn't introduced himself but persues her. She is a female, traveling alone, and vulnerable. Finally she turns, calling out, the crisp spring air carrying her voice. "I Know you're there. Come out and say hello."