Chickadee moved effortlessly through the dense forest, slipping between trees and under low-hanging branches. The snow was sparser here, having mostly caught on the boughs of the tall trees which sheltered the earth below. She liked that. It had only been about a week, and already Chicky was ready for winter to be over.

Winter was always a restless time for the auburn female.

The scent of strange wolves hung thick in the air. She did not know the woods as well as she did the valley, and her heart hammered anxiously in her chest. She could not predict what sort of monsters would come crawling out of the shadows, here. But the brief respite she found from the endless snow was worth it to her, at least for now.

She might have thought differently, had she known the sort of creatures she was destined to come across, here in these dark woods.

Chickadee found a particularly dry spot, where the trees grew so close together that nothing could grow in their entwined shadows. The earth was comfortable and cool here, covered with soft, half-rotten pine needles and dirt. She sat back on her haunches, turning her gaze upward to where the fat little sparrows sat bickering amongst themselves.

Suddenly, she became acutely aware of the fact that she was not alone. Chickadee rose slowly to her feet, her body crouched with fear, her tail tucked tightly beneath her. She did not dare move at all -- the russet-pelted female stood perfectly motionless, eyes wide and ears straining to pick up any hint as to the stranger's whereabouts.

A snap of branches caused her to whirl around, lip twitching with uncertainty.

---

CHICKADEE
^{you're not alone}