She was growing old… that was what she had decided – old age had made her quite ornery, more reserved and cautious than she had once been… and that was saying something. She’d become content with her place, the fact that her and her mate could settle down and rest and not worry as much about what their futures held. Even Leith’s wandering paws were hard to find herself upset about. She trusted she raised her children right, some chose to stay and some had to find their own paths. She couldn’t fault any of them for something she had once done herself, granted under different circumstances.
She found herself laying by the lake, the cold temperatures singing into her bones, though she didn’t care. Just a couple minutes more staring at the water, and then she’d find herself running off to hide in the safety of the pack den, where she could warm up before she received some form of scolding for exposing herself to the cold for so long – she could very well get sick, but it was calming for her now, in the moment.
She sighed, pushing herself up onto her paws, shaking some of the snow out of her fur before she turned and started heading back towards pack lands. For once in her life, Lilya felt at peace.