Snowforest Taiga you dangle on the leash of your own longing

She’s lost in thought long enough without interruption that she’s lived an entire life in her head. Her mother—Ocracoke—had been the one to raise her, to teach her everything Tahani and her siblings had, and they lived somewhere warm where she wasn’t forced to go somewhere else so she felt comfortable. Currituck doesn’t know where they came from, since Tahani had been too busy to answer any more questions lately, but surely she’ll be able to find it. She came from there, she can find her way back.
 
When another wolf comes into her peripheral, it takes her several seconds to actually register. She jerks in surprise, stumbling to one side and feeling her heart fling itself into her chest. Wide, olive eyes stare at the stranger for a moment before she settles her nerves and slows to a stop.
 
The other wolf has a wide berth between them and her head tilts, leaning out to sniff the air. He looks young, too, and he isn’t big and white and burly like she’s used to. Instead, he seems more… her size. And shape. And color. They don’t share a similar pattern really but he certainly sticks out against the snow, like she does, and her jaw shifts into a grin. She bounces a few steps forward, eager to get to know the stranger. The way he looks over, the wag of his tail, tells her he’s much nicer than the last stranger she met and so she musters up as much confidence as she can to continue closing the distance.