It had been a boring day, mostly. Nothing to arouse interest or raise suspicion. Snow was piled at the roots of trees, but seemed to retreat still from open areas during the height of the day. Every morning had risen anew caked in thick frost, and this morning had been no different. Amaranth felt like she was wandering aimlessly, and, well… she was.

She paused in her walking to shake the cold from her coat. Day by day her skin seemed more acclimated to the cold, or perhaps the exposure was killing off her sense of feeling. She’d be happy with either option. Picking her head up she looked around, and turned her nose into the wind. She’d eaten two days prior, so hunger was not so pressing that she was desperate, but she wouldn’t pass up a meal if there was a chance at one.

Suddenly, a scent hit her. Like a charging bear, like an avalanche, like a boulder rolling down a mountainside. It wasn’t the scent of meat or prey, but it was hauntingly familiar. Achingly so, in a way that her youthful ambivalence struggled to express openly. Her body surged towards it quite before she knew what she was doing. Even as she’d been searching Amaranth had tried to keep the hope of it all in the back of her mind. Save herself the pain if she was unsuccessful, but now… Her family awaited her.

Mæva couldn't deny the decent hunting around the great river. It was so large and moved at a quick enough pace that it was spared from winter's freezing touch. Now that it had snowed she hoped those nasty giant lizards had gone away to wherever it was they went to when it got cold. It still made her shiver though to think they might be hibernating, deep and silent in the dark water.

She froze for a moment and squinted in the distance as she saw something moving. Instinctively, Mæva crouched down behind the trunk of a tree, peering out at a the moving form of a wolf. At first glance it was easy to mistake the pelt for snow over rock and dirt but she immediately recognized it as the form of her sister, Mara.

Mæva yipped out a joyful cry as she barreled toward the figure. "Mara! Mara, you came!" She immediately tried to lick her sister's face, tail wagging spastically.

The closer she drew to the scent, the more certain Amaranth became. Scenting out things like prey and individuals was still something she was learning; the nuances to different scents could be tricky to pin down sometimes. This particular scent however she knew almost as well as her own or Gus's. At first she had no idea where Mæva might be hiding because all she saw was tall grasses and shrubs and trees. Turns out the jerk had been hiding, what gives? After Mara came close enough her sister leapt out from behind her cover and charged, catching Amaranth completely off guard even though technically she had been the one in pursuit.

Of course, her surprised, "Oh, shit!" was quickly cut off with bubbling, gleeful laughter. Mæva licked at her face which Mara allowed, and she herself affectionately head-butted her sister before rearing up onto her hind legs and attempting to wrap her forelimbs around her sibling's shoulders, half affection and half rough-housing. "Of course I came! You didn't think I'd let you guys stir up trouble without me, did you? Gus is around, too, sorry it took us so long." Getting sidetracked as they had had been an interesting diversion, but Mara was beyond words with how happy she was to see one of her other siblings again. "Is Dad around?" It hadn't been that long since she'd seen her old man, but she was excited to reunite with him too. She'd probably have to come up with some story about getting chewed up and spit out by a bear to commemorate the occasion. Or maybe a mountain lion? No, no, a giant snake! ...Eh, she'd think of something.