Nova Peak let the bird of loudest lay

SHIT!

From a stand of pines on the mountainside, there exploded both a youthful voice and a pair of startled winter birds. They winged into the midafternoon sun with indignant chirps, leaving the owner of the voice standing in the snow with limbs splayed. Heaving an irritated huff, Cairos craned his neck and scraped his tongue roughly over the thick fur of his shoulder, willing his ruffled hackles to lie flat.

No stupid bird was enough to scare him. No way. He just... Had a bad shiver. Yeah, that's all that was.

The six-month-old flopped his dark hindquarters to the ground, wincing as cold seeped up into his haunches. He squinted around at the trees and rocks, scanning his surroundings as though he would discover the name of it all if only he walked to the correct spot. But life was not a game and Cairos did not have a convenient world map tucked into his back pocket to reference, so all he could do was slump his shoulders in defeat.

He had followed his sister's scent toward the mountains but lost it when the snow began to swirl and scattered it all around, and now he had no idea where he was or which way she had gone or which way was home. What now? he asked no one in particular.