Need a Little Ray of Sunshine

Sterling was fascinated by the new lands she was exploring. She couldn't get enough of it. Each and every day, she discovered something new, whether it be a great landmark, or simply an intriguing stone, plant or waterway, there was something of interest to be found with every step she took. The cold and hunger didn't bother her. She felt more alive than she had in a long time. Learning to hunt and fight with her parents, her siblings and her pack mates was fun, but exploring the wide world was something different completely. It made her feel more accomplished than she ever had before, and she wanted more of it.

Her silver-tipped paws carried her to a lake of impressive and boundless proportions. She wasn't sure she'd seen water so vast, except for the sea. But everyone knew the sea, that salty water, had no end while inland water was always much smaller and more valuable. But when she saw this lake, Sterling was sure that all animals could thrive off this lake for eternity. There was no way this water could run dry. There was just too much of it.

The girl padded along the edge of the water, her paws occasionally splashing through the shallows, but wary of getting too soaked at this time; after all, if her coat got wet down to the skin, what chance did she have of drying out and warming up? As much as she would love to bound through the water like a careless pup, she knew better. It was winter after all, and there was a real danger to getting soaked through. So, she moved carefully, enjoying herself while also preserving her safety in the long-run, trying her best to think ahead. What would her parents think if she never came home? And what if she never saw her siblings again? Okay, she had to be safe; but she was allowed to have fun, too, right?

When she lifted her head, eyes casting upward and away from the water, she noticed a figure also walking along the water's edge. An excited, prickly sensation ran through her spine; curiosity and caution plagued her at the same time. This would be her first chance to meet someone new, someone outside of her pack and in lands unknown to her. Thrilled, Sterling put on a burst of speed, closing the distance between them as fast as she could, arriving just in time to hear the young man calling out to the sky.

Sterling paused in mid-bound, tilting her head. Wait, was he actually talking to the sky? And what had he actually said? As she tried to gather her memories of the past few seconds, she realized she hadn't understood a word he'd said. Not because she hadn't heard him clearly, but because he was definitely speaking a language she didn't understand. Wandering a little bit closer to the boy, less cautious than she should have been, Sterling looked him up and down, her head cocked to the side. "Who were you talking to?" she asked carelessly, her emerald eyes absorbing his features as she tried to understand what was going on, tail flicking back and forth thoughtfully.