She had done a bad. A very bad. Somehow she had wandered away from the dens and had gotten swallowed up by the fog. The trees had begun to look the same and the little cloud was no longer sure which way was home. A whine escaped her as she continued marching forward, feeling foolish for feeling like a stranger in her own home. She typically kept close to the dens, or to the river, as her paws were not as itchy as her sister’s. Half the time Lavender didn’t even know where Lilliana was, for she was constantly exploring, making silly little poems and being obnoxious. The thought made her roll her eyes even though nobody was around. Lil had that effect on her.

One day she would be normal. Hopefully.

Her anxiety bubbled up within her chest as she continued moving through the fog, her legs trembling as she got more and more lost with each step she took. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought glumly to herself, a dark frown tugging at her lips. A familiar smell tickled her nostrils, luring her through the trees. It wasn’t home but it felt like it, which was certainly good enough for the little Stark.

Greeted by an array of purple flowers the girl flopped down onto the soft grass, feeling defeated by her trek away from the dens. If her sister found out she had gotten lost in their home she would surely ridicule her for weeks! Or make up a stupid poem about it. Probably both.

The girl let out an exasperated sigh as she flopped over to her back, her brows narrowed as she stared at the sheet of fog above her. If the mist didn’t leave Lavender was going to be stuck out here forever. Oh no.

As the fog settled around her the little Stark had come to the conclusion that she was going to die here. There was no way she was going to be able to navigate her way back to the dens—not with all this heavy grey stuff floating around. Another exasperated sigh rolled off her tongues as she remained with her back pressed to the soft ground, her paws hanging limply above her. What would she be remembered for? She frowned. Not much. She was not nearly as adventurous as her twin or even Risaela, for their paws never stopped moving. She was more likened to Oksana or Mathéo, but even then she was far more cautious than them, for she kept close to the river. Oh well, she thought glumly to herself as she sighed, her brows pinched tight as she stared into the grey abyss…

Lavender, there you are!

She blinked and rolled to her side, her green eyes narrowing slightly as she looked for her mother’s comforting sapphire gaze. A slow smile worked it's way onto her pale maw and her tail thumped against the ground. She had been rescued! “Sorry ma,” the girl apologized quickly as her mother nudged her shoulder, a sheepish expression crawling onto her pale features. She had been worried too, as she had convinced herself that she was going to be stuck among the hyssops forever. “Was walkin’ ’n then I stopped,” she explained with a dismissive shrug. Stopped because I got lost, she added, silently, to herself. Oops.

The girl gave a quick shake of her head in response to her mother’s onslaught of questions. Typical mom, she thought to herself while suppressing a cheeky grin. And her father was just as bad—frequently worrying about the well-being of the twins. It was no wonder the pale Stark was such an anxious mess… she had both of her parents to thank for that. “Nah,” she answered, offering her mother a small smile as she rolled onto her belly and pushed herself into a sitting position. Lavender was not at all like her sister, who constantly came home covered in an array of bumps and bruises. She was much more careful; cautious. Not like Lilliana, who bowled her way through her surroundings like an angry moose.

“Fog is stupid,” she complained with a frown, her pear-coloured eyes studying the thick mist that enveloped the clearing. The girl knew she couldn’t stay confined to the dens forever, as she would grow tired of it eventually, so she would have to get acquainted with her surroundings eventually. This was a good lesson, even if the fog was dumb and annoying (like her sister).

She grinned at her mother as she spoke, announcing that she knew how to find her way home through the fog. Accepting the sparrow’s nudge, the pale girl scrambled to a stand and took a hesitant step forward, her eyes fixated on her mother as if to say lead the way!

She snorted in response, a frown still pressed tight to her lips. Navigating through the fog was easier said than done, especially for the girl who often refused to leave the communal den area. Adventure was not high on her to-do list, unless it included scouring the edges of the river that cut through the redwoods. She wasn’t afraid or anything, just uninterested in disobeying her parents and getting into mischief like her loose-lipped sister. Totally not afraid.

Unlike her sister, who was often incapable of keeping her lips drawn tightly shut, Lavender remained silent as she trailed behind her mother. Peridots scoured the fog for anything familiar but it was impossible to make anything out. She frowned. Perhaps she should get more acquainted with her surroundings… especially since Lilliana never got into too much trouble. A little scolding and a few stern words, but the anger never lasted long. The thought of straying even further than she had today caused her stomach to churn and frown to deepen. It was a frightening thought, but the Stark knew if she did not push herself soon her sister would never stop pestering her.

Hunt?! Her eyes widened, chest tight. Surely her mother couldn’t be serious?! “Do I haf’ta?” She groaned in protest, her paws dragging beneath her as a whine accompanied her words. Real mature, Lav.

She grumbled in further protest at her mother’s affirmation, her brows narrowed darkly. The little Stark knew that it was important for her to learn how to hunt, as it was a skill she would need to take with her to adulthood, but it still did not mean that it interested her. Would she even be good at it? With her awkward limbs and high anxiety… she felt like she was a walking disaster. Surely she wouldn’t be able to hunt—not as well as her parents or the other wolves of Hearthwood. She would be a failure.

“I guesso,” she mumbled in response, still wearing her frown as she continued at her mother’s side, her tail flicking in annoyance. “I’ll jus’ make Lil’ hunt f’me,” she retorted quickly, the frown quickly changing to a wicked, lop-sided grin that sprawled lazily across her pale features. “She’ll pro’ly be good at it. I won’,” he added with a defeated groan, her eyes rolling. She was being difficult but she didn’t care. The cloud was grumpy from being lost and unable to navigate herself through the fog. Now she was being told she had to learn how to hunt.

Life was soo hard.

“Wha’ kinda thin’ we gon’ hunt?” She asked, feigning interest as she tried to appease her mother. If she didn't try to hunt, or learn, she could be removed from the pack for being useless.
And she didn't want that.