The season was a bitterly cold one this year, and he supposed it was a good thing he didn't return to Winterfell. To be fair though, he didn't really have a reason to return. His brother had left while he was serving with Hjarrandi. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, an empty feeling in his chest. He had always supported his brother and always welcomed him with open arms...but no matter what, his brother seemed to be pulled away by whatever forces deemed it necessary. So instead of returning after his Osprey brought him the news, he opted to go on his own for a while. He felt alone despite having family in the North and likely others scattered throughout the lands...but he was never as close to any of them as he had been to his late mother and his brother Tyranis. They kept his mind...clear. Or at least, clearer than he could ever keep it when he was alone. His paws moved quietly on the snow-dusted ground, his companion flying high above his head as he kept his eyes peeled for any prey. Cloud hadn't eaten for a day now, but it wasn't for lack of prey to find. It was more the fact he just wasn't feeling too hungry when his thoughts decided to turn over to those who had left him yet again. But now as his stomach rumbled, he knew he should eat. Winter was hard enough, he didn't want to find himself in a position that he could have avoided. As he walked under the dim shadow of the raptor, he heard a call that indicated the bird had his eye on something and he glided ahead. Cloud following his direction. "Speak"

art by Risketch

high in the halls of the kings who are gone
the priestess would dance with her ghosts

More often than not, Karine's mind fell to things other than food. Typically this was her work, but as of late, she had...well, none to do; she no longer had a den to tidy, a garden to maintain, patients to treat, or even a border to guard. On the contrary, she'd been forced to put most of her energy into traveling--away from where and who she once called home. Her destination remained a mystery, but what she did know was that wherever she laid her head at night, it didn't feel quite right. And so her travels would continue--and other things would oft be forgotten--until it did.

But the fallen priestess spotted something that day to alert her to an uncomfortable lightness in her limbs, an emptiness in her gut. She needed to eat. Karine's gaze floated upward to the skies as a caw rang out over the valley, and she paused for a moment, pondering the idea of investigating before instinct eventually grew impatient and pushed her forward. The sooner she quieted her stomach, she figured, the quicker her busy mind could return to everything it was trying to process, and the quicker she could return to her aimless trek.

Karine's gaze, ever attentive, quickly landed upon someone else on the horizon whom, like herself, was well camouflaged against the snow aside from sparing splotches of black. It seemed he, too, was pursuing the bird's find; perhaps it belonged to him? If that was the case, then she'd do well not to be greedy...but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to cooperate. A decisive blink steered her slightly off course, then, so that her path would inevitably cross his.

By the time she reached him, she was nearly parallel with him, her attention having returned to the direction from which the bird had sounded its alarm. "Might you like another set of paws?" Her voice came lowly, softly, so as not to resonate so far as to frighten off their potential prey. However, those soft words left little room for him to protest.

"

the ones she had lost and the ones she had found
and the ones who had loved her the most

table by Lowin art/character concept by Electra song by G.R.R.M.