Ouroboros Spine winter (nocturne of ice)

Getting to know the village's children really made her aware of how much she missed her own. She kept up her diligent patrols while the leaders were otherwise preoccupied, though more and more her thoughts strayed beyond the spine. She worried about the youngest three, particularly Caracal. And what about her sweet grandson? Why had she allowed those two to go wandering off into the wilderness in winter? Of course, that's what nearly grown wolves did and neither Towhee nor Killdeer's parents could have really stopped them, but...

She didn't even realize how much she was dwelling until the sight of someone crossing her path dragged Towhee up and out of her funk. She blinked her orange eyes and focused on the unfamiliar wolf, another youngster. Her tail twitched and she woofed, trying to grab the girl's attention even as she approached.

-"Hunting?"- she wondered, having noticed the telltale tracking behaviors.