Mountainborn wolves know enough to see the signs before a major storm hits. The stillness in the air before the blizzard had made my fur stand on end, knowing something wasn't quite right. But it was Mom that had recognized the telltale signs of a detrimental system in the works - the prey had disappeared into their hovels, and the birds had gone to roost far earlier than was normal. My sisters and I had been ushered into the den as well - much to my displeasure - but when the onslaught of snow and wind began soon after I realized why. Long after my parents and littermates had fallen asleep I climbed out of the pile of fur that kept me snug and warm, edging towards the den's entrance. It was the middle of the night, and the storm raged on. I could hardly see beyond the threshold of our cozy cavern, but it was enough. Nature was so powerful, unrelenting as it barraged the mountainous peaks with wind and snow. Tired eyelids begged me to return to the comfort of my family's embrace, but I was entranced by the blizzard. Someday I would embody such power. It was the subtlest of changes that signaled to me that the storm was beginning to give way in the wee hours of the morning. No longer was it an impenetrable gale-force wall of snow pelting down from the sky. The snowflakes were distinguishable from one another, and that was when I gave up the fight against sleep. I climbed back amongst my siblings as was asleep as soon as my head hit my paws.

When I woke up Mom was already out of the den, and a distant howl echoed in my mind - someone must have called for her before I was completely awake. As I yawned and stretched, disentangling myself from my sisters, another howl pierced the sky. This one was familiar and rang true - Aunt Haven. I'd never met Sam's mom, but I still recognized her voice. I wondered what was going on, and when Visenya woke up and provided the perfect distraction to keep Dad busy, I slipped out of the den before he could notice I was up to something. The storm well and truly over, one never would have guessed at its ferocity to look at the pristine blanket of snow it left behind, sparkling in the morning sunlight. Only one trail of paw prints had tarnished its perfection - Mom's on her way down the mountain. I hadn't made it very far from the den mouth before another howl seemed to make the very mountain itself shake. Mom's song was powerful and demanded the attention of her pack, but glancing over my shoulder I knew Dad would be close behind and I wouldn't get to have any fun if he made me stay close. So I dashed behind the rock that Kalseru always sunbathed on and hid. The message Mom was had was clear - there were pups in trouble, and any wolf capable was to set out looking for them immediately and bring them to a clearing in the lowlands. Sure enough, Dad was out of the den and headed down to meet up with her moments later. And somehow, my independence was unwittingly granted to me.

I waited only a moment longer to see if Sansa or Visenya were going to join me, but when they didn't I set off in the opposite direction from were Mom and Dad had gone. What normally would have been a routine trail down the mountainside was made spectacular by what the storm had left in its wake. Hoarfrost clung to the tree branches, glittering dramatically as the sun streaked through them. Everything was completely entrenched in snow, no worn footpaths to be found. Cutting back and forth through the white powder I made a new trail - Nym's Trail! And far more fun than the usual, of course.

As I broke through the final treeline that gave way to the undulating foothills of our home I stopped and had a look around while I was still on higher ground. And what I saw was hard to miss. The black of her pelt made her stand out stark against the snow, not to mention how quickly she was moving. My adolescent hackles stood on end as I watched her flash forward and kill a rabbit. Hey! She wasn't pack, and not only was she trespassing she was stealing our prey! Drogon would never let someone get away with that. And neither would I. Bounding through the snow I started to follow her, though she'd already begun to head back the way she'd come from by the time I was out in the open. Reaching the spot where she'd made her kill, drops of the rabbit's blood tarnishing the snow, I was quick to follow her tracks. Another good part about the fresh snow - there were only two sets of paw prints, hers arriving and hers leaving. I lifted my ebony tail away from my hindquarters like I'd seen Mom do all my life, my head raised as well and ears pricked forward attentively as the intruder came into view. It was as I came closer that I noticed the much smaller wolf next to her and realization dawned upon me; from a distance the darker girl had looked like a small adult. But now that she was nearby and her companion sitting by her side I realized she was just a big pup. Older than me, for sure, but not an adult. I grinned proudly as I trotted over towards them. "Hey! Are you the ones all the howling is about this morning?" They would have had to have been deaf not to hear the multitude of calls back and forth across the mountain. Well, weren't they in luck? After all, I wasn't just any search party - I was Warrior Princess Nym...to the rescue!