Winter hit her hard and fast this year, maybe due to the fact that this was her first winter as an adult. Her first heat, of course she knew it was coming; but mentally she hadn't been nearly as well prepared for it as she had first thought. Now she was paying the price, as she fled from Traviora’s borders. No, it wasn't permanently, just until she could rein in her self-control and reinforce the restraints on her other-self. She needed something to hunt, something to kill, and/or something to let loose on. It didn't need to be big, just moving that wasn't another wolf, anything but another wolf. Snow covered the woodland deeply under a thick blanket of white, this, surely would be far enough from any and all thick populations of wolves.

Before she could find something to hunt, she felt a small, familiar tug in her gut. 'Damn it, I'm too late,' was all that she could think. And then, without any more warning, the beast within, broke free from its restraints. An agitated howl ripped from the beast's throat; she hoped as she watched the beast that she had at least set it on the right track. A cruel crackle spilled from its maw, "It's time to hunt," it said in a voice that could only serve to send chills up one's spine. Its sadist eyes looked about, as its nose searched for the scent of something with a heartbeat. It seemed to find what it was looking for, but it didn't bother stalking. It calmly walked until its prey was in sight, a rabbit a simple enough kill; and as the beast broke through the cover of the bushes, it also broke into a run. It chased the poor creature relentlessly, the rabbit tired quickly as the beast played its sadistic game of capture and release that could only end in the rabbit's death. As the beast killed the rabbit, it retreated back into its restraints, with its blood-lust temporarily sated.

Leafshadow said her prayer and fed, but the beast restraints were still loose; so she remains alert for any wolf that would be foolish enough to approach in hopes of avoiding the bloodshed of another.