Searching for a pack named after a specific kind of tree would be a lot easier if she knew what that tree looked like! But one thing was obvious, she needed to find trees – it would seem Annie and her sister had wandered too far north for such things to grow. So, the young wolf had turned southward, splitting ways with her travel companion to cover more ground.

So far, all she’d found was more snow. There seemed to be no end to the stuff, stretching as far as the eye could see, softening the terrain to the point where rolling hills almost looked flat – leaving dangerous, deep pockets. So far, Annie had managed to avoid them, but it took care and attention, making her progress slow.

A sudden noise broke through the monotony, stirring ember eyes from the snow in front of her feet. The sound was undeniably wolf-made, a cry of pain or surprise, making ginger-tipped ears twist and perk. In the distance she spotted the source: a brown smudge against white snow, definitely another wolf; Finally!

Ducking her head, Annie rushed over to the stranger, a wide smile on her features and tail wagging high behind her. By the time she’d crossed the distance, the sepia wolf had long recovered from whatever had caused his outburst, appearing to be happily munching on something, though there was no smell of blood in the air. “Find yerself a treasure?” She called out in a friendly tone as she drew near, still smiling.

Thoughts ”Speech”