Emberwood cruel canvas

She had been through this forest before. That much she remembered. It was strange to be there now, seeing how it was no longer alight in vibrant colors. The dark wood provided ample contrast to the starkness of the bright snow, and at least here she did not worry of being blinded by the snow. Echelon, like the dark wood around her, stood out crisply. She was an ink blot that may as well have oozed from stout trunk to trunk. She could have also been a woolly caterpillar on the go as well, plush and long ready for the winter in coat alone. The weather felt warm, but it was betraying in comparison to the dampness around her. She could feel the chill in spite of her coat and it ran a short course to her frozen feet.

But cold feet were really the least of her worries. She had done well to evade any predators that would have also been out moving in the mild winter. This included other wolves for the most part, though the days in between seeing some and none were sometimes far and few. They were hard to avoid and as the day pressed on, she found that she too desired some company from time to time. This company came at an inopportune time; she spotted the male standing in the rib cage of a long dead prey a bit late. There were curses readily beneath her breath as she continued to close in her gap, knowing that she had probably been sighted. She should have paid more attention, this was turning rather unbecoming of her. Chuffing gently, she kept a respectable distance, though interest was hastily scribbled across her features. What had he found? And would he share?