Firestone Hot Springs summer

It wasn't a rare thing for the magpie to venture out from the safety of the Heartwood, though she tended to stick close to her home during the winter months. It had everything she really needed — berries, shelter, the occasional company. It got boring sometimes, though, and she liked to catch sight of the other inhabitants of the Wilds. If she was lucky, she even got to see the wolves out on hunts! If her luck was double, sometimes they were successful and Shiv would manage to make a meal out of whatever the pack had left behind. Today didn't seem to bring her such an opportunity, however, and the little bird instead flew in a random direction, her travels eventually bringing her to a strangely warm place.

With curious chatterings, Shiv landed on one of the rocks that surrounded the many small lakes. It was oddly warm underfoot and the steam rising from the waters made her head tilt to the side with interest. How had she not learned of this place before! Protected from the harsh winter surrounding the area, there seemed to be near no evidence of snow on the rocks. Even the pools were untouched by frost. Humming with delight, the bird bounced a few boulders towards the waters, half-opening her wings as she bathed in the warmth.