The journey had been long, but already the northern born brute felt more at ease with his surroundings. There was snow dusting every inch of the place, and a brisk wind buffeted his thick pelage. As the sun began to descend towards the horizon, dark clouds had swept in from the far north. A storm was on its way, and being out in the open wasn't a good idea for the next little while. Before the blizzard that was looming on the horizon could sweep in and ruin any further travel plans, he toppled a few scraggly trees away from the entrance of the mines. From the darkened maw he could practically taste the dampness of the tunnels and emptiness of its winding corridors. Better to have ample fuel for a fire, if nothing else. Being cold in the dark was always worse than being cold in the light. By the time the windswept boughs were piled up within a partially collapsed tunnel away from the entrance, the sky was dark with bruise-dark clouds. Best to light the fire now, and get comfortable. Perhaps he could sleep through the storm, and dig himself out in the morning. Nothing he hadn't done a thousand times before, right? There had to be some rats or burrowing creatures living somewhere within the mines, which would be enough to keep him fed while he waited out the worst of the inclement weather for the next day or so. For now, the howling winds were growing louder by the minute as they swept over the mine entrance. From his alcove set further back into one of the offshoot tunnels, curled up by a crackling fire, the brute was able to start turning his mind towards a distraction. Some discarded nesting materials from some fellow traveler had been left in the back of this old caved-in tunnel, which he moved closer to his little fire. Cool temperatures had hardened the ground near the entrance of the mines, and this spot was no exception. It was far more comfortable to lay down on old straw and branches. From beyond the reach of the small, flickering flames, daylight was leeched from the entry tunnel ever faster. Half-lidded eyes focused on nothing more than the dancing of his fire as he warmed himself. Eventually, he'd likely fall asleep only to be woken by the flames dying out to smouldering coals. He'd check on the state of the storm then, and add new kindling if he needed to stay longer. ""

The howling winter winds had been bitter, to put it mildly. They chilled Grey to the bone, and the snow that had freshly fallen and the ice on top certainly hadn’t helped matters. He shivered, plodding his way through the tall snow.

But soon a very welcome sight filled his eyes - a small cave, and he thought he saw… a fire inside? Or smoke?

Either way, any sort of shelter after the time spent outdoors would be greatly appreciated. And if there was a fire in that cave, there would likely be someone else there as well.

“Hello?” he softly asked as he approached the cave. Grey would slowly make his way into the cave, showing he meant no harm.