Concern held her transfixed at the given moment. She had just returned from the mountain's base, scavenging for last living greenery that might assist with mending anything the winter strove to damage. And Borlla, Eek had a selection set aside just for the magnolia queen. There was enough for that, she was certain, but they would not keep her if the matriarch was the only one she tended to. In some packs the luminaries might see themselves as the only beasts meriting survival, but this group was so different, and that was what pushed her to do whatever she could to stay. They were truly a family, and she was finally a part of something. She would do anything to hold onto that.



So as she looked over her meager supply, her heart sunk and she pushed her mind to the limit, planning and deliberating over all the options. If this particular scenario occurs, what will she do? What about this? Or...



Her worried thoughts were disrupted by a mirthful sound that bounced over the swiftly accumulating snow and directly into the healer's store. Eek wasn't a girl to join in trivial social conventions; she would rather have the thought of a family close to her heart and keep the actual members at a distance, for what she desired was not compatible with who she was. This time, however, she was thankful for a distraction. After all, because of how close the community was, she would have to do more than soothe back aches to keep her place; she had to make ties with these people. And so Eek pulled herself up out of the den, and into the snow. Her thick fur had doubled during the fall, making her perfectly suited for the current temperatures. Once more anxiety raked at her mind as she was reminded of her previous winters, both consumed by the horror of barely surviving. This time Eek knew she was safe, however, as it would not be just her selfish ragtag blood relatives standing between her and starvation.



As she made her way toward the bounding source of the invitation, another thought hurried Eek's wading; perhaps the pups would come out to play. She knew this pack possessed children, but she had yet to run into any of them by chance, and had been too busy to seek them out. There were only seconds between her and the sight of Lucero, and Eek was reminded of her youngest days, when she would attempt to play with her sibling Roman. Her father would have none of it, and the short-lived time she'd spent with previous packs had given her no room to act youthful. And so, unsure of what exactly Lucero would expect of her, Eek simply acted on her impulses.



Lowering her head, she behaved much like a bulldozer as she trotted through the layer of snow, gathering a mound at her snout and building it up in piles. She wondered how high she could get one to be, and to this end she began to combine them.

Eek had few expectations for Lucero's reaction to her presence and actions. However, hearing the mirthful sound off, she picked her head up and hid a grin as the young auxiliary leader mimicked her efforts. If she'd had a tail, it would've been swaying behind her; instead, her rear wriggled, phantom wagging if you will. Without a word, she continued the act of gathering snow, focusing on that single mound once more.


Their solitude was brief before the queen herself joined the scene. After Borlla's self-announcement, Eek placed a smile upon her maw and abandoned her work to greet the woman. Her happiness at seeing her out and about was genuine; appearances would be everything for Eek's balancing act, after all. However, she also came to be on edge, a feeling she could never shake when reminded of her conniving deeds but always managed to hide from the view of others. Instantly she was analyzing every movement the woman made, calculating her exact health and the effect Eek's treatments were having on her.


She approached her with basic submission, concern reflected by the pallid optics set inside her head, and gave her maw a single lick of affection.


"Look at you, out and about!" she remarked, pulling back to a distance more suitable for conversation. "How are you feeling then?"


Of course, she had also noticed the ball of fluff tumbling beside her; when first noticing Hypatia at her mother's side, Eek's heart had become slightly erratic with joy. Perhaps finally she would be able to interact with the pack's youth, and form some sort of bond. But things must be paced, something the impulsive girl was not good at but had become determined to master in order to keep her position within the pack. So for now, she focused solely on Borlla.