Whispers

The girl picked her way carefully along the rocky slopes of the mountain, her eyes fixed on the ground just in front of her. She alternated between breathing through her nose, and breathing through her open mouth. The air here was thick, heavy and hot, and it dried her throat when she inhaled through her mouth - yet when she drew breath through her nose, the sensitive appendage was singed by the acrid smell of ash and molten earth. It was a harsh environment, one that caused her to focus on her inner world more than she already had been. Seasons had passed since the girl had last seen her family. On days like this when she traveled alone, it was hard to ignore the pain she carried hidden deep within. Most of the time, she ignored it and amused herself with new and exciting adventures. Today just wasn't one of those days.

She wondered where they were. Where had her father gone? Why had her sister left her? What secrets had her mother hidden, and where were the rest of her family from that side of her lineage? She knew well enough that her father had no relatives in this land - he'd come from a far away place that she was sure she'd never see. But she knew her mother had siblings, and plenty of other blood relatives all across Boreas. But what was their history? Who could she turn to? These questions all raced through her mind, yet she was no closer to the answers that she was sure would end some of her torment. Yet other times, she was sure that answers would lead to more questions, and would only add to her misery. That was why she blanked it out, detached herself from the wolves she'd been born to, and focused on creating a life for herself that was all her own.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, she was hardly aware of her surroundings except for the smell and the rocks right in front of each paw step. When she finally looked, there was a large, slate-coated brute not far from her, who seemed to be communicating with a large bird. The distraction was welcome; Saffron swished her white-tipped tail into the air as she trotted straight toward the brute and his fascinating companion. She slowed her pace as she drew closer, eyeing the both of them before settling her attention primarily on the wolf. "Now, this is a duo I've never seen before," she stated with a smirk, her emerald-flecked silver eyes flicking briefly to the round-eyed bird before fixing back on the male, "I'm Saffron. What do you two call yourselves?" Now she was curious to see if the bird understood, and would really say something in return.