It was a foggy winter morning that Quick waded through following her pit-stop at the lagoon. Though she had still no plan of action she managed to continue north, roaming on by force of habit. She carried on, a pale automaton on skinny stilts, until the open fields gave way to a forest whose cover she accepted graciously. Rising above her the trees seemed to welcome a weary traveler, giving cover without crowding while the clouds in the air found rest comfortably between each column. It eased her anxiety to weave between the trunks, letting her gait grow lenient with ample width and leisurely placed pawsteps. She remained alert for a while as she languidly maneuvered the forest, white ears raised to catch any approach while her nose quivered for incoming scents. But pleasantly she became aware that there was no one in her company, and her vigilance was given a rest.

She was carefree for the first time in a while, meandering the forest for as long as she pleased. The haze prevented her from spotting the sun but she could tell time was passing her laziness by as the fog began to dissipate, leading her discovery that the terrain was beginning to elevate in a uniform fashion. Quick narrowed her silver eyes at the anomaly but refused to hesitate in the wake of difference. Instead she climbed the rise, feeling the steepness dig at her fatigued muscles until the terrain flattened once again and gave way to an incredible sight.

As audaciously as she could the snowy-coated female approached the eastern edge of the limestone bluff, craning her neck forward to peer over the precipice. Snow-topped trees emerged from the fallen fog below and the land extended onward and onward, an almost endless rising and falling, trees disappearing and reappearing all the way to a mountain ridge that seemed to define the edge of the world. Her eyes scanned the horizon meticulously, turning her head steadily north. An unfamiliar feeling warmed her chest, prompting her to feel strange, as nothing had woken in her barren heart in months. Was it hope returning to her? Quick wondered, but did not dwell, in case the feeling was only fleeting. She wanted to enjoy it while she could. For a silent moment she continued to stare, thirst in her starry eyes, happy to let her worries catch her when they would.

The distant brays of angry prey roused her from her daydream, sending her silver eyes flickering in their general direction for a moment. She twitched a pallid ear, trying to rid herself of their echo, and nearly returned herself to her business had she not caught the faintest scent of a new arrival, and something like paw-steps in the snow. Holding her breath Quick allowed the silence to consume her, remaining motionless as she discerned whether or not she would indeed have company. An easy word, rolling from the stranger's tongue through the fog, gave her the answer. Hello.

Guard raised she craned her neck in the direction of the newcomer, her metallic gaze concealing her thoughts as though coated by impassible glass. She assessed the situation swiftly, not wanting to stare too long. The stranger was slight of build and adorned in a coat of russet and browns and artfully accented with streaks of black. As she continued speaking her voice wafted through the still air like ribbons of silk. It was reason not to be on edge as Quick had become, but certainly not reason to trust her. Lowering her head slightly she made no move to decrease their distance, only tilted her cheek toward the other so she might listen more carefully to her question.

She returned her eyes to the drop-off, considering an answer. The other wolf might've thought her daft for the length of time Quick took to respond. Neither option was explicitly applicable. The alabaster-coated female wasn't here on business or pleasure. Her appearance in this territory was actually horribly pointless, but Quick would not admit that out loud. "See the sights," she chose after an awkward beat, her voice hardly above a whisper. "This is my first time seeing any of it," she attempted with more projection, regretting the words as they passed through her teeth. It was weakness to admit she was unfamiliar with the territory, she'd done it now.

When her jaws clicked shut she had no intention of speaking again, displeased with her own performance, until she realized how rude it was of her to refuse conversation. To carry one gracefully was a princess' commandment. Clinging still to a broken identity, Quick found herself with no choice but to improve the air around her, lest she bring any more embarrassment on her yet-unspoken name. Angling her body only slightly more toward the small stranger from the woods, she broke the peace once more with a quietly suggested, "And yourself?" It was the best she could manage.

Come spring. She smiled without humor. Would spring come? The way the winter had greeted her at this new land's doorstep it didn't seem to want to give up its icy grasp. Logically Quick knew this was just a bump in the road. The thaw would come and life would begin anew. The days would grow hotter, and longer, and she would reach her third birthday. All would come, if she could just get through this blistering winter first. She abandoned her pessimistic thoughts easily to listen to the tawny wolf offer the land more praise. Though hesitant it did pique her interest to find out if this place could be better to her than others had been before - or if this small female was just optimistic as Quick had never been.

Naia introduced herself, tone unchangingly pleasant. The Arctic wolf was becoming less averse toward the decreased distance between them and made an effort to reflect her equally. She could be nice and easy-going too, couldn't she? With a small attempt at a smile she responded back, "Quicksilver. Quick." The name felt foreign on her tongue even if it was her own. Having chosen it herself when she couldn't recall her given name following the accident (which she still could not, to her displeasure) she didn't feel like the identity quite fit, like her pieces didn't match. Normally she would have been frustrated by now, but Naia's warm energy prevented her from it. She chose the name, she could choose who she wanted to be. And now she wanted to be Naia - or at least, in some way kind of emulate her positivity. That sounded better to her than identity theft.

Her white ears perked naturally to the loud sounds coming from down the bluff, which had grabbed Naia's attention as well. Now that her fur lay smoothly along her spine she was able to offer the other wolf a smile at her invitation, silvery eyes gleaming with interest. "We should," she agreed. What lone wolf would turn down a meal, anyway? Her tail twitched as she glanced down the steep edges of the bluff, eyes trailing the ridges to find the path Naia had spoken of. "If you lead the way I'll be right behind you," Quick said, looking back toward her. "There's two of us and two of them, but I think the odds might still favor us."

Naia's clever comment wrung a crooked grin from the pale wolf, giving a snort of laughter as she set off behind the tawny female. How pleasant it was to be in good company, Quick thought, feeling the cold on the front of her teeth, prompting her to relax her lips and cover them from the wind. Her expression settled, this time not into a stoic mask of ice but into a light-heartedness she hadn't worn in a long time. Not even the scratch of branches against her back could displease her at the moment, even prompting her to joke back, "I'm sure I've seen worse." She pulled free of the underbrush's icy fingers, yanking their hold from her fur and giving a quick shake to right the pattern of her fur again while her partner did the same. It seemed they had come to a pause here. Stepping forward she noticed the trail, and let her metallic eyes sweep from the cliffs down toward Naia while the wolf made her proposal.

Quick nodded without hesitation. "I couldn't have said it better myself," she agreed. Naia proved herself to be sharp of wit and mind, assessing the situation swiftly and creating a plan of action suited to their observable needs. With luck (and teeth) on their side they would end up with a goat each and perhaps enough left over to cache, which was more than fortunate given the violence of the winter upon them. Determined, she followed Naia down the bluff's side, careful to watch her step so she wouldn't slip on ice and warn the goats of their approach. Her heartbeat quickened in anticipation of the hunt, muscles tingling as adrenaline began to buzz in her veins.

When they reached the bottom of the steep pass Quick met her companion's gaze, gave a small nod of reminder that she recalled the plan and would follow through, and then turned toward a rise of snow that had fallen from the cliffs above to shield her while the found an advantageous spot. She licked her nose and paused, holding her direction the moment a gust of snowflake-speckled wind rushed at her. So long as there was no sudden change in the breeze, her cover would not be blown. Buckling at the knees she crouched belly to the snow, concealing her dark nose behind the snow that coated the terrain below the bluff and slowly moved toward the fighting goats. A sharp eye was necessary to pick her out of the landscape, her white coat disappearing into the flurries. Nothing but her ink-rimmed eyes would warn of her approach, and by the time the goats noticed her steel-strong gaze they would be in trouble deeper than this snow.

The cracks that rang through the flurries grew louder as she approached, their testosterone-driven distraction music to her ears. Quick located the larger of the two, narrowing her eyes. The goats rotated erratically as they swung their heads, though she remained toward the rear of her target. No sudden movements, and their plan would have little hitch. Her nose wrinkled, wanting to bite into flesh, but she couldn't spring until her eyes found the tawny wolf hidden by the trail. When she picked the difference between Naia and the limestone bluff, Quick inhaled deeply, feeling her ferocity warm her legs for the charge. Her eyes locked on the larger goat, who had backed up to charge the smaller goat once again. When he reared, ready to deliver a blow to his lesser, Quick erupted from the snow cover like a torpedo, sending them both to scatter.

The moment she emerged from her snowy cover she had gotten the goats attention. Their heads turned almost in unison, looking from each other to their attacker. It was a snarl, ripe and ready to taste their blood, ripped from her throat that sent them into panic. She could not keep the delight from her demonic grin as she ran after them, pale paws pounding against the snow-coated valley. Her muscles burned in the pursuit, gaining speed quickly to scare them out of common sense. It was very hard to keep a clear head or a good plan when the devil was breathing down your back. She didn't expect it to be difficult to outsmart a pair of terrified goats, especially given the quality of her hunting partner. Quick nearly had them where she wanted, preparing to come upon the smaller goat and herd it away... when her pawpad caught on a slab of ice beneath fresh powder, sending her tumbling forward.

She frightened the larger goat, who had been heading quite nicely for the tawny wolf hidden by the game trail. A growl rumbled in her throat as she righted herself, quickly as she could. The Arctic female scrambled to get her paws in order, and lunged after the larger one, jaws snapping. She had to at least get it headed back the right way. She would not allow herself to be the one that ruined the hunt. Both her and Naia would make their kills, even if her heart burst in the attempt. When the goat dodged her canines, rearing away from her, she too lunged away. Quick had faith that the smaller wolf would manage to catch it, now that she had corralled it back toward their hunting grounds. As long as it didn't get too far, it was still possible. And speaking of...

Her metallic eyes burned white hot as she adjusted her target, locating the smaller goat who had begun to flee away from the bluff. Quick would not let him go. Not a chance. Her shoulder ached, having taken the fall for her when her leg gave out, but a little ache wasn't going to stop her from sinking her teeth into some tasty goat today. Again she flew forward, her lope nearly ground-breaking as she sprinted in its hoof prints. She would catch up, she would...