For most, she felt, the circle of life revolved only around those in the living realm--the trees, the animals, the insects that dominated them all. But Kleio had swiftly become aware during her lone ventures that the cycle touched all aspects of the world--her world--all the way down to the dust between her traveled toes. Change was inevitable: just as the mind and/or body of a living creature contorted to fit its surroundings, the land itself changed in response to cold, warmth, and wet. The mess of birth applied not only to the fertile season but to the soggy springtime muck that came with the melt...the snow melt, the peaceful death of winter. When it came down to it, the whole of the world was subject to nature's blessings and curses; there was no escaping it, no ignoring it, only accepting it.

Kleio had accepted what had happened to her sisters, but it was that acceptance that had kept her on her feet and moving ever since the storm that had taken them from her, with the hope that they would soon be returned to her--or her to them. Of course, she kicked herself inwardly over her circumstances, but a large part of her still felt that it was fate (not stupidity) that had driven them apart. Maybe she needed to be reminded of what living alone was like? What new experiences were like?

Pausing in the midst of her stroll, Kleio sighed, tilting her head upward with the flick of an ear to gaze upon the unusual vibrancy of the trees looming overhead. At the same time, a breeze ruffled her blowing coat, taking with it a couple clumps of loose winter fur. Her transformation was nearly complete, with only a few unsightly patches of lengthy pelt left to shed before she was finally free of its insulation.

307 words

Despite being a wanderer at heart, Kai had been spending a good portion of his time lately in the eastern section of Boreas. He'd met quite a few interesting characters as of late, and he felt no real pull to explore farther reaches of the land. For now, the male had decided to explore the lands surrounding Mount Volkan. This particular forest seemed as though it had been once touched by that looming volcano, the remnants of burnt down trees found scarcely through the new growth of relatively smaller trees. They were in full bloom right now, a splash of vibrant pink and fuchsia color against the fertile landscape.  It was a refreshing contrast to the otherwise quite treacherous landscape that lay both to the north as well as to the east, and Kai was content to bask in the beauty of the afternoon. The gentle breeze that whisked through the trees sent not only the scent of those sweet redbud trees, but that of a stranger in the nearby distance. The scent was distinctly female, though unfamiliar in every other aspect. Curious, Kai redirected himself, just enough to catch sight of her through the small clusters of trees. His initial instinct was that she was no wolf at all, but perhaps.. a fox? Kai squinted, silver eyes struggling to get a better view of her as his long legs carried his oversized body toward her. It became quickly apparently that she was not, though, and he felt a bit of relief flood him. He had no issue with foxes, but likewise had no real interest in carrying on a conversation with them. A wolf naturally disguised as a fox, though, was perfectly fine by him. Wearing a lazy grin, Kai cleared his throat to get the stranger's attention. He had no real intention of scaring her, and announcing his presence before doing so verbally seemed fitting to this peaceful spring afternoon. "Good afternoon," he drawled, a faint hint of his family's native tongue audible in his voice. It was faint, but discernible if one tried hard enough - he'd been raised to speak more than one tongue, though his Finnish rarely got the practice it deserved. "Beautiful forest, no?"