Just because I wasn’t one hundred percent sure where exactly I was, didn’t mean I was lost. I mean, it was pretty hard to lose sight of the looming mountains on the horizon. Even though they were behind me, all I had to do was glance over my shoulder to make sure I could still see them. So there was no problem, I could just point my nose in their direction and start walking whenever I decided it was time to go back. That was where my father and siblings were right now. Or probably, anyways. Mana and Los were always off having some grand adventure. Now it was my turn! I had snuck out of the den we had been sharing early that morning and promptly made my way towards the border. Clearly my sneaking abilities were totally on par, because nobody even noticed me going.

I’d spent the morning frolicking across open meadows once I had made my way from the foothills of the mountains. When I reached the edge of the valley I had thought about scaling my way down to its floor, but then decided there were much better things to do that spend my day climbing. That was all there was to do in the mountains, why waste my day of freedom doing the same old same old? Nope; I continued on my way. It was only when I reached the edge of a forest with strange trees whose bases were wider than their trunks that I decided this was the place for my exploration.

Delving into the forest, I zig zagged through the trees, hoping from one spot of dry land to the next, until slowly the swampy areas that surrounded the bizarre trees started to become more solid. And the trees started to change too, the pines of the mountain mingling with those that faded behind me. As I continued on my way, practically dancing through the forest in my happiness at having my own adventure for once, I glanced up through the intricate pattern of the crossing of branches above me. The midday sun filtered through, illuminating the forest floor in fractured lines.

When my bright green eyes turned back to the path before me they widened, the ring of turquoise around my pupils becoming much more evident. I rocked back on my heels, stopping abruptly to prevent myself from colliding with the white wolf that was presently crossing my path. My ears pricked forward alertly as my tail tucked slightly before I remembered that I was a fierce huntress and fear was weakness. So I brushed my tail out against my leg before letting it hang easily behind me. Something dawned on my just then. “You must be a really good hunter; I didn’t even hear you coming just then,” I said, tones smooth and melodic, of a girlish pitch that was representative of my femininity. Realizing that hadn’t been the most cordial ways of greeting another I added, “Hello, by the way. I’m Alcmene.”