RE: A rare freezing rain coats Relic Lore in a coat of ice!

Weather: Cloudy, -12C, 11F

The rounded boulder provided welcome relief from the biting winds on the exposed hill top, as Darkmoon sat huddled against its side, shivering. It was cold anyway, but his thin figure provided little extra protection to the cold of winter. He had run to the boulder in hopes of escaping the freezing rain that tore through Relic Lore, and icicles clung to his bedraggled fur. It had turned the mesa into a scene from a horror film, an expanse of ice piled into jagged, terrible forms. Darkmoon looked on forlornly, wondering what was going to come next, hoping for a reprieve in the weather. The winter had been hard on him, but somehow he managed to keep going. The frozen carcass of a hare hung from his jaws, but it would make only a meager meal; it had already been partially scavenged by the time Darkmoon had found it.

Darkmoon had travelled a long way, and for a long time, to reach the northernmost region of Relic Lore. While he had come across signs of other wolves along the way, he had not crossed paths with another wolf. Whether this was due to luck or his avoiding them, he did not know, and the loneliness of it all suited him fine.

Darkmoon stood up and shook the ice from his fur, deciding to investigate the rock for some hollow or overhang he could take further shelter in. He needed somewhere more shielded from the wind to sleep the night, or he knew he would die from exposure. Darkmoon knew his limitations, and had survived by being careful and considered in his decisions. It did not take him long to find the large cave that once housed the hill's pack. He scented the air; it was stale. No one appeared to inhabit the cave. He looked back before entering to make sure no one would follow him in, but all he could see was a white blur of ice and wind.

As it turned out, Darkmoon was not the only wolf interested in the refuge of the cave. He had barely settled down to rest after quickly scoping out the space, before he heard a dull thud. He was quick to stand up, hackles raised in anticipation. He was sure the cave was unoccupied, whether by wolf, bear or some other animal, so the sound was wholly unexpected, and made Darkmoon nervous. He proceeded towards the entrance of the cave slowly, and picked up on the scent of wolf. This was not welcome news. He paused, unsure if he should continue. He was thin, weak and tired, and in no position to defend this space - and yet, that was precisely the reason why he had to. There was no way he could go back out into the storm. He would either die in here defending himself, or out there in the cold.
    With a newfound resolve, he approached a scene that caused him to stop and stare. The intruder was anything but intimidating; slipping and sliding on the icy floor, the wolf looked comical rather than threatening. Darkmoon relaxed and felt laughter welling up in his chest, but the appearance of a second wolf changed things. Even though she, too, stumbled into the cave in an ungainly fashion, the fact that there were two of them now threatened rather than amused him. Hackles and tail up to look as large as possible, Darkmoon advanced on them in a defensive manner. Go away, his body language said, this place is mine. If they were together, he had no chance of fighting them off - even if they were in it for themselves, his chances were low. All he could hope was that he looked ferocious enough that they would just turn around and walk - or slip - away.