Looking to the future

The world had grown even darker these days, and Kiela wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. She feared for what the changing world might do to the health of her herd and how they would recover once this strangeness lifted… if it lifted at all. Perhaps this was their new normal, but she feared what these changes would mean for life as she knew it. Spring was due to be here by now, of that she was sure, and the world seemed no less bleak than the one she'd been enduring for so many months now. In the winter the cold seemed to cling tightly to the lands, the snow not yet showing signs of melting yet. The darkness seemed to have permeated each and every hour of the day, only the faintest hints of daylight visible at the edges of the horizon in the form of a faint, barely-there glow. Even the brightness of the moon and stars did little to ease her worries; they were no substitute for proper sunlight. Not that the north was usually abundant with sunshine but it played its part in keeping the world running as she knew it.

She heaved a sigh, low and thoughtful, as she continued her journey through the forest. At least here the darkness seemed more fitting, and the fog that hung close toward the ground, all but obscuring her visibility. She moved mostly by instinct, keeping her nose tipped low to the frozen dirt as she occasionally veered around massive redwood trees. She intended to stay away from these strange new growths as much as possible, though with the fog it seemed infinitely more difficult. The crystals grew often at the base of trees, now the size of small prey animals. At least their bright colors and luminosity made them easier to spot in the thick fog and darkness. The Jarvela woman let out a soft huff as she managed to dodge a cluster of pulsating mushrooms growing in the center of her path. They were nothing like anything she'd ever encountered before, growing here even through the ice and snow in the harsh north. It didn't make sense to her, but then again she didn't try to look into it too much. All she cared to do was let these oddities pass, though she worried it was an omen of a changing world. Things were certainly getting worse before they got better.

Though she wondered if things were much better off at home, it wouldn't deter her from staying here in the northern region of Boreas. Not only would the journey ultimately prove difficult with the limited daylight hours, but… the herds here needed her. If there was a time for her to stay here it was now. The herds might not fare well in these changing circumstances. It wasn't long now before calves would be born, at the end of spring, and if the world was so dark and foreboding, how would they manage to grow strong? That was, if they survived at all. Keeping an eye on the herd she'd chosen as her own had proved difficult thus far through the winter but she knew it would only become trickier as the seasons went on. The north already presented challenges of its own, but this, on top of it? It seemed difficult to comprehend the danger that might lay ahead of them.

She feared what it meant for their future overall. And for her future secondly. Without her herd thriving she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. This was a lifestyle she'd dedicated to herself for so long. Kiela slowed as she neared another tree, this one larger and more easily discernible through the thick, clinging fog. These crystals were like nothing she'd ever seen before - they reminded her of ice, though she wouldn't get close enough to see if they were just as cold. Some seemed brighter than others, though they all glowed and pulsed like they were living, breathing creatures - and Kiela knew that in a way, they were, just different from the wolves that walked these lands. She was blissfully ignorant as to the sort of infections they caused, having been relatively isolated in the far north for so long now without contact from anyone in weeks, but they were strange enough anyway that she wasn't too eager to touch them. Kiela was worldy enough to know that things that were this far out of the ordinary never meant anything good. Strange, brightly covered plants often meant they were poisonous - she didn't doubt the same was true in this scenario.

They were intrinsically beautiful, at least in a way, just not enough for her to risk her safety by getting too close. Kiela could certainly see how some wolves of different temperaments might try to investigate more closely, even try to break the crystals off and take the objects with them. She herself wasn't the type to take anything; she liked leaving lands as she found them, making as low a mark as possible unless absolutely necessary. And these things… Kiela was sure, with the way they glowed, that they were their own entities in a way. The animism she'd been taught as a child was something she'd never forgotten. These crystals no doubt had a soul of their own and acting upon them in an unnecessary way would be vile. Perhaps if she viewed them with a measured curiosity that they would pay her the same respects. She didn't linger much longer before she pulled her attention away from the oversized crystal and started back on her path, continuing her trek through the forest. She'd been traveling awhile now and the thought of finding somewhere to rest of the night, hopefully untainted by mushrooms or crystals, was a top priority. Shaking off the bit of rest from her paws she picked up her pace, ever-alert as she started back through the redwood forest.

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