Of all the places in Moladion a loner could seek a safe place to sleep, the grotto was both the worst and the best. The storm raged on outside of the cave, allowing Halcyon to watch it without being caught in the whirling gales that were cold enough to bite the flesh from his face. For now, he was protected from the storm and from any larger animals who might think of him as a tasty meal.

Of course, the cave did very little to keep him warm from the frigid temperatures as they continued to drop the longer the storm raged on. Curled into a tight, shivering ball with his tail covering his nose, Halcyon kept a watchful eye on the entrance of the cave and waited impatiently for the winds to die down enough for him to leave.

He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but his eyes snapped open at the sound of something approaching the cave. The storm outside had faded, but heavy flakes and frozen rain drops still poured down from the dark clouds. Stretching his sore muscles, he stood up and shook himself into wakefulness. With a twitching nose, he sniffed the area and caught the scent of an unfamiliar wolf. Gazing about, he tried to find the stranger, but the storm made it difficult. "I know you’re out there. If you are a friend, there is more than enough room for you to take shelter from the snow. I do not bite, unless you bite first."