Chimera Fields only then i'll have peace

the wind carried the scent of frost and pine as Kalyska padded through the snow-laden hills of Forneskja. the icy ground crunched beneath her paws, and the bite of winter clawed at her fur, but she pressed on, her sharp hazel eyes scanning the frozen terrain for any sign of life.  

she knew the odds were slim—winter buried most plants under thick blankets of snow—but still, she searched. the pack had welcomed her for now but Kalyska had yet to connect with the others. she needed to prove her worth, to show them she could be an asset and not a burden.  

her gaze landed on a small cluster of dried stalks poking through the frost near the base of an old cedar tree. she approached carefully, lowering her nose to sniff the brittle remnants. it wasn’t much, but it was yarrow, hardy even in the harshest seasons. a spark of satisfaction flickered in her chest as she pawed at the base, unearthing the roots.  

Not much, she murmured to the still air, her breath misting as she worked. But still help. the herbs were for wounds—useful in a pack where hunters and fighters faced the dangers of the wild daily she told herself.

she paused, lifting her head to glance back toward the distant mountains, where the heart of the pack’s territory lay. Forneskja was nothing like her birthplace, but there was strength here, warmth she hadn’t felt in so long. yet, a small part of her still ached with the weight of her past, with the question that lingered in her mind since the day her pack was lost.  

Why leave me? she whispered to the gods, her voice low and raw. Why spare me?

the wind offered no answer, only the cold touch of its embrace. but as Kalyska gathered the herbs in her mouth and turned toward her new home, she found that the silence didn’t hurt as much anymore.