Wapun Meadow april showers

@Periane we can forward date this or backdate this, whichever works best.

she followed the adults of bearclaw into the meadow. though, she had no clue of whatever plans they had for the meadow. she just wanted to visit it. separating from them and instead surrounding herself with the company of the first sprouts. they were few and far between, but adalynn gazed out to this little prairie before and for many times. she knew the beauty of the wapun meadow better than anyone else.
the wolves, ugly beasts that they were, were the soon to be conquerors of this meadow of flowers. soon it'll all be trampled. adalynn was set to enjoy it, even in the dreary day and where most of the flowers were still deep asleep.

she stumbled through the snow, failing to mimic the elegance that the silver goddess* she'd met at the hunt. such a grace the girl only saw in the butterflies of her childhood.
they were better worth remembering than It, anyways. and never again, should she have to see anything as ugly as It ever again.

*reference to @Shamura

minor forward date!

the meadow stretched wide before her, the snow retreating in patches to reveal the first stubborn signs of spring. periane moved through it with quiet purpose, her steps careful not to disturb the tender sprouts that had dared to wake from their slumber.
but she was not alone.
a girl, slight and stumbling, wove through the meadow’s embrace, dark against the pale earth. periane’s gaze softened at the sight—at the contrast of clumsy steps against a world that deserved reverence. she had known such innocence once, long ago.
she did not call out. instead, she stepped forward, slow enough that her presence would not startle.
you walk carefully, she observed, her voice low, a thread of warmth woven between the words.
she tilted her head slightly, watching the girl with a quiet kind of curiosity.
do you love this place?

when adalynn's dark nose rose from the snow, and nuzzling the flowers, her eyes met with that of a pale woman. she towered over the girl, if only because adalynn was still just a child.

she was beautiful. pale coated with long slender legs, and thick fur that laid majestically on top of her like it was tailored. adalynn stopped her playing to stare. ...yes she finally answered, shy and mumbling.

who are you? while she didn't turn to look for her father, or any of the other adults, adalynn had come to realize how close the woman was to the territory. but it hadn't exactly been claimed yet. no border that the woman had invaded.

periane did not move to close the distance, sensing the girl's hesitance. she simply stood, quiet and patient, as the girl studied her with wide, wondering eyes.
her voice was small, but not afraid.
periane dipped her head slightly, a quiet sort of greeting. periane, she answered, her voice soft as snowfall. i greet you.
her gaze flickered to the tender sprouts the girl had been nudging, her careful reverence for them not lost on her.
the flowers, it was an observation, gentle and warm. do you tend to them?

adalynn mimics her bow, her ears flat against her head and blue eyes wide and full of curiosity. adalynn.. i greet you, too. 

not really. i can't tend to them when they're covered in snow. and when they were still around when she was born, she trampled them just as much as her sisters. she was still too young to see the value in them, only now when the landscape was one of pure white and dead trees did the silver princess appreciate what was the valley and its meadow.

but this woman understood her and her plight, simple as it seemed. but i want to. do you know how? ada didn't want to know how to hunt, how to kill. she should never be in a position where someone else isn't there to do it for her.

adalynn, periane echoed softly, as if tasting the name, letting it settle on her tongue. a pretty name.
she dipped her head in quiet acknowledgment, something gentle in the way she regarded the child. adalynn’s curiosity was open, honest—untainted by the weight that often clung to older souls.
gaze drifted over the meadow, the stubborn sprouts peeking through the frost. life, fragile and persistent, waiting for its time.
i do, she murmured, returning her eyes to the girl. it takes patience. knowing when to leave them be, when to pull away the things that would choke them, when to give them room to grow.
she paused, studying adalynn, sensing something in her words beyond the surface of them.

there was a strangeness to this woman that adalynn found more fascinating than the little garden before her feet now. her little tail brushed against the stems, though frigid.

she looked down at the flowers again though, to find whatever it was this woman spoke of. like what?
her voice as soothing as honey. and adalynn was just a bear, intrigued by the sweet allure of delicate words and the promise of wisdom that lied behind them.

periane watched the girl with quiet patience, the faintest curve of a smile touching her lips. young, curious—drawn by the promise of something unknown, something just beyond reach.
come, she murmured, voice warm as embers, beckoning with a gentle tilt of her head.
see for yourself.
she did not command, did not demand—only extended the invitation, letting the choice rest in the girl’s hands.
there is more to the world than what you know, child. more than what your eyes have yet seen.
her gaze flickered to the flowers, the delicate things swaying beneath the chill, untouched by the frost that threatened to claim them.
but you must step forward to find it.

briefly did adalynn look back to the valley. desolate in the snow, the winds of bearclaw howled her name. the girl kept a steady expression, her brows only furrowing as she deliberated.

she'd miss momma, daddy too. but not at all her sisters. but would they miss her? if they did, they couldn't hold her down forever.
there was a world beyond home. she'd caught a glimpse of it. sure, she hated every minute of it, but yet it beckoned her. finally, it took the shape of a woman, and the girl could not refuse its call anymore.

hesitantly, she rose to her feet, glancing around in case any adult was near to find her. when she didn't hear, see, nor smell anyone else, adalynn still made careful motions towards periane, steady and precise. there was no point in saying goodbye to them; she would see them again soon, of course she would. she would still be adalynn bearclaw.

blue gaze turned to periane. i'd like to see it, then. spoken sheepishly, now that she'd crossed beyond even the planned territory.