Dawa had formed a new routine. It was different here than in Jokhang, where everything had been so regimented and carefully prepared; back before the accident, and before they had to flee. When the sight of the sky made her ponder, and the wind in the grass sounded like white noise. Before she became truly attuned to what was around her - now, the sky was something she barely thought of. The grass was just grass, filled with so many scents that her mind often got overwhelmed. Things were different. Now, Dawa woke and tended to herself in silence. She groomed her legs and her tail, she found the same patch of flowers every day and rolled to add that extra scent. Her legs propelled her six steps straight, eight steps left, four steps up the ridge every morning. To where a cache had been set up for her, and her alone.
Her breakfast changed every few days, but she did not complain. For an Alpha, the woman was far from powerful.
On this day, Dawa could not see the clouds that blocked the winter sky; but she felt the breeze, she smelled the icy chill, and knew that there was something amiss. She had tucked in against the cache and descended upon it with careful strokes of claws, uncovering the hidden gem beneath the soil - or what should have been there, but wasn't. Her paws met with air. The dank scent of earth indicated that the hole had not been covered, or perhaps it had been pilfered, and filled with snow. She would go without breakfast today.
The woman noticed her hunger, but she was lethargic; or something just as hollow. With a slump of her thin figure, Dawa rolled on to her side and lay prone next to the divot - unsure of what to do next. Perhaps someone was around who could help her? With a lift of her head, the hybrid let out a short yowl-like bark, and waited.