lonely in a crowded room

It was time for the hoofed mammals to bed down for the night. Oscar and Kyren had curled up in a thatch of pines, the needles and fallen branches creating a cushion on the hard ground. Not too far from them, Rannoch had chosen a place to rest for the night. Taiga was a bit more nocturnal than the hoofed trio, but her wake and sleep cycle had shifted somewhat to coincide with that of her 'herd.'

With the donkey and reindeer sleeping, or at least getting to sleep, the behemoth of a cat made her way through the pines towards where the elk lay. The pair, though drastically different, had some similarities that couldn't be denied. They were the last of their kind in this place. It was a lonely existence and she knew that the young elk felt it deeply.

As she moved through the pines, the sound of wolves met the lioness' ears. To save them all trouble, Taiga inhaled deeply and let out a few low, distance eating calls as only a lion of her size could. She no doubt woke her sleeping companions, but it was for their own good. The wolves wouldn't bother any of them this night. With that, she continued moving through the pines until Rannoch came into view. He was already laying down as she approached. "Chilly night," she commented on her observation. "Kyren and Oscar bedded down together. Wouldn't you be warmer with them?" She didn't think to offer her own body heat, knowing that he had been a little skittish around her in the past.

"Taiga"