December 5th; Afternoon; Cloudy, light snowfall; -15º F

Careful in minding his boundaries, Angier Lyall had a mind to constantly be aware of his surroundings. He kept somewhat close to Grizzly Hollow but he also kept his distance to Willow Ridge, unable to fully stomach the events of the past few weeks. Skirting along the edges of the frozen marshland, he found solace in the quietness of winter. Everywhere he looked snow covered the imperfections of the land and blanketed nature's more prominent features and landmarks with pristine white frost. It was as though it declared, even prompted, that Angier start over. To cut his losses and start anew.

He crept along the frigid banks, easing his way further onto the ice. One step after another, with the soft clicking of his dull nails, he eventually found himself capable of standing five feet from the muddied embankments. The outermost edges of the marsh had solidly frozen over. He took a second to consider his standpoint then idly took a seat beside a gathering of yellowed cattails. He had come this far he realized, not just on the ice but in life itself, and he pondered now what he ought to do as his next move. Taima, his niece, should have been an easy snatch, but Borden and Jaysyek's success in mustering up capable guardians had put a snag in his plan.

Angier hated to admit it but he was alone. His family had kept to the hillsides of Bertram Valley, his brother assured him that their rivalry still held strong, Swift River had blacklisted him, the ivory woman who had meant to become his mate had long gone, and the dark leader of Willow Ridge still laid in wait for his return. Timing, apparently, was not in his favor, but he decided from this instant onward, time would not dictate his actions. He would have a family again if only given the means to obtain one...

Still as the reeds and plants at his side, he brooded and plotted, mentally preparing himself for whatever came next, whether it called for Danton the noble or Angier the beggar.