RE: Neko, you find a branch partially frozen in the ice. Can you pull it out?
Snow! So much snow and ice! Neko had spent her previous (and first) winter with her nomadic birth-pack, and naturally they had traveled south where winter was milder. For some time now, she had stayed close to the Fields and observed her pack-mates to see how they handled the snow, but she couldn’t just hang around the den forever. Snow or no snow, she needed some time to wander around on her own. She would return home soon enough.
There wasn’t much in the way of herbs to gather as most of the plants in the area that were still alive were buried under the snow, but the strong smell of western red cedar drew her to this particular forest. She knew that the bark and leaves of the tree were good for medicinal purposes, but finding any branches that she could reach was proving difficult, and if there were any fallen branches on the ground, the snow concealed them.
She wandered along, dreaming of the warmth of her mother, father, and brother until a fallen tree branch sticking out of the snow brought her back to the present. She recognized the folds on the bark as well as the strong scent of the red cedar’s oils. The half-buried leaves even had some green on them. If she could manage to drag the branch home, she could add its bark and leaves to her herb stores.
She grabbed the broken end of the branch in her mouth and tried to pull it free from the snow, but it wouldn't budge. She only slipped and fell on the icy ground. She got up again and dug her feet into the snow to brace herself before grabbing the branch again. She made sure she had a solid grip this time before tugging on it again, but still it wouldn’t budge. She pulled back even harder, growling as she did, but still nothing. She wondered if she would be able to get the branch loose at all.