The Heartwood I will find you.

Spring was unlocking the iron grip winter had on the northeastern land, releasing the blossoms and sprigs that Meldresi was aching for as her stocks slowly disappeared. With the ceremonies she had to perform over the winter and the fight with Swiftcurrent, her stocks were nearly nonexistent by the time winter ended. It was a blessing to her to see that the cold months were over. With her pups grown and her body fat nearly gone, the priestess left the shadows of her kingdom (queendom?) and explored the newly blossoming lands.

She wasn't a stupid woman; it was too early to do any real harvesting. The priestess merely wanted to check the surrounding lands for signs of growth for the different plants she needed, which she would mark before heading back to the woods.

She found only a few plants budding; the winter snow still held its grip over much of the land, with the patches growing slowly as the days grew warmer. The dark woman wandered through the woods, knowing that the trees would prevent the snow below from melting for a long while. There were still patches and bushes on the forest floor that could still bear flowers and leaves for Meldresi to use. As she peered into the bushes the alphess smelled a vaguely familiar smell. Her indigo eyes flashed to the smell, recognizing the figure. Dark Brother Burke. Meldresi was ready to bark a greeting to him, but paused when she saw the tail. The most recognizable thing about Burke was his tail, or a lack of one. This wolf looked exactly like Burke, minus the tail. Interesting. "May I ask your name?" She said softly.