The Heartwood I am a traveler of both time and space

Lotan had set his sights on the outrider trade, and now that he was well acquainted with the nooks and crannies of Ouroboros Spine, he was ready to take on the outside world. Early in the morning, as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, he departed from his new home. He marched across neutral territory, a snow-blanketed plain that seemed to stretch out endlessly around him. When he had put some distance between himself and the Spine, he looked back over his shoulder; the mountain range stood imposing against the hazy orange sunrise, and he smiled.

A few hours of travel brought him to a gathering of trees, most of which seemed to have lost their vegetation for the winter. Low hanging branches and scrubby bushes tangled near the ground, making travel difficult at some points, but he eventually found himself on what appeared to be a well-worn path. With no real destination in mind, he began to follow the trail, copper-backed ears standing tall on his head as he took in his new surroundings with all senses.