Ara was beyond grateful that spring had come. Winter had been a trying season for her - while she was an optimistic wolf, after being without her wife for so long she had begun to lose hope. How long had it been, anyway? She hadn't seen her at all through the winter before this one, she remembered that, as the cooler seasons were always the hardest for her. It had been more than a year, she knew at least. Perhaps even closer to two. She'd held onto hope for so long. Novel loved her, and she loved her just as fiercely. Maybe something had happened to her on the way to Ahlon. But there wasn't much she could do about it. Somehow, she'd never even learned where Ahlon was; perhaps even Novel hadn't fully known how to get there.
What she did know was that she had been without her for a painfully long time. At least with spring's arrival she could keep herself distracted enough to not fall apart entirely. Dormant plants seemed to come to life as the earth thawed, as the sun's rays grew warmer and the world overall more hospitable. The air was full of scents today as she made her way through the grove of young redwood trees, tail hanging limply between her hind legs. Her attention was, for now, on the scents that surrounded her. One in particular caught her scent - yarrow. It was a common enough flower, but one she hadn't collected for awhile, and could prove to be useful.
Her nostrils flared as she wove between the trees, searching for a cluster of the flowers. As she moved, she was hit with a sudden wave of sadness, something she hadn't anticipated in the slightest. Her chest felt heavy and she found against the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. No, she told herself firmly. I will not cry. Ara trudged on, trying to distract herself as she searched through the underbrush here and there to find where the yarrow might be located.
