aurelia had been within iromar for months now, winter brushing away fall and cloaking the haven of moladion in a blanket of white. she had not been sure of what to expect of winter in iromar: in spirane, the chill radiated off of the mountain and those who lived in the upper portions of the mountainside moved further down for fear of avalanches. the winters in spirane were bitterly cold, the kind that went straight to your bones and made you thankful for your den. aurelia had, every year previous, spent her winters tucked into a den with the rest of her family, each wolf tucked in together until you weren’t able to tell where one wolf ended and the next started. to be without her family, her brothers especially, made loneliness seep into her like poison.

she had been shown a place to den by a marsh wolf, one who didn’t offer their name. they left her to dig herself out a space, which had been a challenge she hadn’t previously had to deal with. it had taken constant labor throughout the fall, as her dainty paws weren’t the most excellent for digging if she was to be honest, but she was infinitely glad that she had made it deep - snow had fallen in the marshes and brought with it a wave of cold. she had remained holed up for a good portion of the winter, only leaving to seek out the small prey that roamed iromar. she had not stumbled across the “water dragons” that despoina had once mentioned, but she had found a few small mammals who dared to leave their dens. food was not always easy to find in the swamp now that winter had fallen, but she was by no means starving. besides, a large meal could keep her satisfied for a few days. she was surviving, and that was really what was important.

aurelia was not usually one to get too restless, but after spending more than a day in her den, the young woman felt it creep in. she had to dig her way out of her hole, a fact that only fueled her restlessness. when she did exit, the light was fairly blinding, blue and gold eyes squeezing shut. when she was able to open her dualies, aurelia was struck by the beauty around her. she had not taken much time to appreciate what was around her, the thought of one of her family members tracking her down leaving her a bit paranoid and more than willing to stay hidden in her den. however, now that she was paying attention, it was quite lovely. the snow twinkled under the sun, shining like diamonds all around her. the mountain views were absolutely stunning but, she was willing to admit, the marshes certainly had their appeal.

the girl set off, lengthy legs eating up distance as she traveled deeper into the packlands. she had yet to interact with pack members, save for despoina and the nameless she-wolf, and in truth it made her a bit nervous to think about. she was not technically part of the pack - just someone taking refuge at the invitation of a member. in truth, she really wasn’t sure if she was allowed to be here - she hadn’t seen despoina since their conversation at the border. before she could get too deep into her thoughts, the scent of meat came across her path. after hesitating for a long few moments, aurelia finally determined to see where it led. it did not take her long to come across the path of pawsteps, or come to the abandoned carcass. she stopped before it, lifting her head before eating to notice the male basking on the rock. ”oh! i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to intrude,” she said, taking a step away from the carcass and a few towards him.