Dawnlark Plains cold nostalgia chills me to the bone

@Rala

A father gone, a cousin lost.

Yuralria returned to the wilds with nothing to show for her efforts except an immense weight of failure that sat heavy upon her shoulders. Nutu had been so young when she had disappeared. What was she like now? Was she even still alive? She tried to picture her cousin's face but saw only a blurred outline of auburn fur.

The stargirl trudged gloomily through the snow besides a trail carved by an old caribou, its scent a welcome distraction that served to ground her spinning thoughts. There was nothing more they could have done; all options had been exhausted and - from Yura's perspective - her mother needed her now more than ever. 

Pausing to examine the tracks, she noted an odd pattern as if the cadence of its trot had been altered by a limp. Perhaps that was why the beast had separated from its herd - a welcome opportunity for a hungry wolf.

caribou scent drifted on the winds towards the nomad, snow crunching carefully under delicate, cantering steps. her tail swayed behind her, and the hum of an old tune spilt from her lips in a somewhat distracted manner as she surveyed the landscape around her - quite possibly embodying the notion of one having a 'pep' in their 'step'.

but it was the smell of a stranger that heightened nanuralaaq's senses, if only for a short moment. her ears perked, pale eyes appeared to focus, as the world around her became sharpened. the snowwoman realised, now, that when she looked down, wolf prints had appeared besides the caribou tracks she had been following beforehand. another hunter.

with a mix of newfound weariness and a healthy dose of curiosity, rala continued forwards, inquisitive and also hungry. two wolves were stronger than one, and the extra teeth were certainly helpful in taking down such a mighty ungulate - she could only hope that the stranger had the same thought, rather than resorting to hostility.

it would take her a few more moments to reach the wolves' earshot.