Joy. It absolutely radiated in the air around us. It made the crystals of snow in the trees shine brighter, the sharp cold of the winter air invigorating. Together we laughed, giving chase and then fleeing, back and forth. Finally both our forms collapsed in the snow, and we laughed. Just laughed. I felt like a pup again, flitting around the mountainside with Ceal and playing our girlish games. Only now it was a nameless stranger lying in the snow with me, giggling as we came to a rest. It made no difference. I felt younger than I had in years, maybe feeling my own age for the first time in a long time. I was only six, I shouldn’t feel the weight of twelve years when I had only experienced half that. And so I thanked her, for giving me this opportunity to simply laugh and remember to treasure the simple things. Naturally, she did not understand, for all I’d said was thank you.

As she rolled up on her belly to respond, I merely turned my head towards her, content to lie on my back in the slight indent I had created in my unceremonious flinging of myself into the snow bank. I smiled back at her, and spoke frankly to explain myself. “That’s the first time I’ve laughed, really laughed, in a long time.” Once I had told her this, her eyes averted for a moment, and she almost seemed to gain a sense of shyness. Curious, I rolled onto my side, paws stretching out towards the female just as she introduced herself. I wondered if she was nervous about giving away her name, but I hoped to quell any such notions immediately.

As her bright ember eyes lift, I saw the notes of mahogany fringing the iris, so similar to my own. “And I am Daenerys,” I said, hoping the exchanging of names might fortify the friendship I felt developing here in the snow. I studied her for a moment, mahogany eyes watching her as my breathing steadied once more after the tumultuous laughter that had consumed us both. “Are you new to Moladion, Attila?” I asked, in no way trying to press her into a discussion of something she might not want to talk about, but rather just trying to create a conversation with the companion I had come to find here in the winter wonderland of the woods.