Why hadn’t he ever come here before!? Halcyon stared at the vast expanse of caves with his mouth wide open. Each one seemed to be the perfect place for him to hold up for the winter. Even now, their dark, gaping holes seemed more welcoming than the bitter chill of the winter evening. Another gust of wind tore through the russet wolf, which only convinced him further that the caves would make a better home than anywhere else in the free lands. Galloping through the thick snow, Halcyon moved as fast as his frozen paws would let him until he felt the cold rock underneath him. Darkness swallowed him, but the wind was cut off abruptly and his fur was allowed to warm him like it should. Shaking the excess snow from his pelt, the young wolf moved around the shallow cave to get his bearings. It wasn’t too big, and yet, much bigger than any den. The howling winds echoed loudly off the stone walls, giving the blackness an eerie feel. But it was warm and cozy, and more importantly, it was his. Sighing, Halcyon moved towards the back and curled into a ball. Wrapping his tail around to his nose, he allowed his mind to wander as he waited for sleep to take him. So much had happened in his short life. Cast out of Asteraia after the death of Iblis and Rhae, the baby prince had almost joined his parents in the afterlife. Unable to hunt for himself, winter had tortured him with hunger for many months. Only barely able to survive off the scraps of others, the child was at the end of his rope. But, luck had found him in the form of Athine. A chuckle left his mouth as he thought about the night she stole him away. He fought, of course, but she had only wanted to help him. And so, the next three years of his life was spent living in Iromar. He had climbed his way to the rank of Elite Guard in his first year. But it hadn’t been enough to fill his desire for revenge. After all, his parents were still dead and someone had to pay for it. Closing his eyes, he tried not to think about the pointless fight against the Monster. Once again, the pup had narrowly escaped death, but in return, he would carry her deep scar upon his throat for the rest of his life. How odd was it that after he returned from that battle that Athine would bestow upon him the rank of Alpha within Iromar? That, like everything else in his life, was short lived. It turned out he was not meant to be a leader, at least, not yet. There was still so much to do with this life. After stepping down, Halcyon returned to the life of a nomad and spent the first winter on his since his youth. Of course, now he was an adult and fully capable of taking care of himself. His belly did not ache for food, but there was something deep within his heart that all wolves yearned for. The companionship of another wolf. Being a loner was… well… lonely.Realizing that sleep wasn’t coming just yet, Halcyon stood up and moved towards the front of the cave. The sun had set, but the clouds refused to let him see the beauty of the event. Instead, he gazed out at the white land as the snow and wind twirled around in a strange dance. It was almost hypnotic. Another sigh escaped his maw. Winter was not his favorite time of the year, but he still couldn’t deny how beautiful it was. |