Kintla Flatlands For just as Every Seed holds the Power

Coming down from the mountains, the blackbear felt refreshed and energetic. The bitter cold disappeared on the valley floor, although it was cold enough still to see snow on the ground. Easy still felt warm.

She howled periodically for Sumac — not summoning him, but letting him know that she was back. There gathering had ended, and she was not sure where Sumac might have gone. Moonglow, perhaps, so she set off in that direction at persistent clip. Valiant and Minnow would be there, too; her tail swung high in the air as she contemplated this. Sumac had options now, she thought, but she wouldn't push him to make any choices if he wasn't ready.

And she wasn't quite ready to part from him, either. She missed him, she realized, and her tail wagged harder as she added another helping of anticipation to the coming reunion. But it wasn't Sumac she first caught sight of. Instead, a young woman cloak in silver and gray drew her eye. Still with a spring in her step, she trotted closer. Was she part of the recent gathering?

"Hey there," she called out, not wanting to catch the woman unaware as she drew nearer to her tree. "It's shaping up to be quite the winter, isn't it?"