The blizzard had raged on through the night, though its storming winds were nothing more than a howl outside the mouth of my den. When the winds had first picked up I had been sure to check in on my young dragons in their new den; it still felt strange not to have my first litter within paw's reach during the night. But knowing they were nearby was a comfort, and seeing the four of them curled up in a pile of fur had soothed my mind before I'd taken cover with my mate and our trio of daughters. As night gave way to morning, my body began to rouse for the usual rounds I would make before the girls would even think to wake. But while I was still in the dreamland between sleep and wakefulness, a single ear tilted backwards towards the den's entrance, searching for sounds of the winter storm. I was met with only silence, a peacefulness that only came after such acts of nature. Inhaling deeply, I sighed softly and simply enjoyed this moment of serenity. Jericho's head rested upon my hip, and our bodies formed a crescent of sorts that shielded our children from whatever chills might draft in from the den's mouth. With the steady rise and fall of four other life forms present I could envision the scene without even cracking an eyelid. Sansa was curled closest to her father, with Nymeria sprawled out and touching both her and Visenya - who was undoubtedly the outlier. A tiny smile lifted the corners of my maw, and then I lifted my lids to look upon each of them as they slumbered.

As I lifted my head Jericho was immediately roused, looking up at me sleepily. I leaned around to lick his snout and smile meaningfully at him before he shifted his head so that his neck replaced my bodice as a shield for Visenya, and with a final look at each of my sleeping loved ones I made my way out of the den. Snow had drifted up to block part of the entrance, and I pushed through the fluffy powder with ease. Stopping upon the terrace, I stretched and glanced around. Everything was so pristine, untouched by any living creature. The blizzard had only given way shortly before I had awoken, and not even the birds had begun their morning chatter yet. Breathing in the cold, crisp air I looked up into the cloudless sky; what a difference from the night before. It would be a beautiful day indeed.

That was when a howl broke the morning silence, and all at once the mountain came alive. An ear flicked to catch the sound of a hare darting out from its nest of brambles, while the other audit caught the sound of a hawk taking flight - perhaps to pursue the very hare that had been disturbed by the howl. Tilting my head to the northeast, I wondered if any of the armament had taken up their morning patrols. Regardless, I would tend to whomever had called; I had a gut feeling that there was some importance to it. I refrained from answering with my own song, not wanting to disturb my family who slumbered on just behind me. Setting off across the clearing, I left a perfect set of paw prints in my wake.

I was midway down the mountain when a secondary howl reverberated across the realm to me. Haven; her voice betrayed the slightest hint of urgency and my head lowered slightly as I moved from a jog to a lope. As I broached the lowland treeline my eyes of mahogany were quick to sweep along the borders, seeking the form of my sister and finding her with ease. Loping onward, I caught only a glimpse of the wolf who she stood with. It was enough to cause my head to fling up in surprise and my breath to catch in my throat, though it only gave speed to my paws as I practically skimmed over the freshly fallen snow. "Ceal?" The name was barely audible under my breath, a huff of incredulity at the wolf who was nothing short of a doppelganger for my adoptive sibling. I could hardly believe it was her; why hadn't I recognized her voice?

The truth slapped me in the face as I checked my speed and came to stand side by side with Haven, my tail rigid as I looked for the confirmation in blazing pink eyes. They were Ceal's eyes, more her eyes than the last time I had seen my sister if truth were told. The youthful innocence of the girl I had grown up with was there, not the sorrowful emptiness that had stared back at me when last we'd met. And now that I stood face to face with her the other dissimilarities were glaring - the puppyish roundness of her face, the stripe that began between her eyes rather than at her nose, and of course the brindles that fell away from her top line. Clearing my throat, I looked to my younger sister and touched my shoulder to hers in greeting before looking back to the yearling, blinking away the excitement and trying to bury the disappointment. It had been two long years since Ceal's heartbreak had driven her out of Moladion. I thought I had dealt fully with that loss, but apparently I had not. It was then that I realized the girl was panic stricken, worry etched plainly across her face and I pushed aside my personal thoughts, brows stitching together with concern. "Hello there, I'm Daenerys. Is everything ok?" Once more I looked to Haven, wondering what had brought this troubled mirror image of our adoptive sibling to our borders.