Her heart felt full and warm to the touch. Since losing her bond-friend rabbit, Solstice had more than ‘moped’ about. There were times she had spent lonely days within her den, sadly peering out in vague hopes she would have seen his white snow pelt hopping over the iced snow. Each day she had been disappointed until a lovely call had echoed through the bare trees and called her to the gathering of wolves. She had hoped in the journey she would come across her lost friend, instead she found something completely different. Her eyes laid upon a beautiful singer and his soul settled on her own in harmony. She still held hope for finding Veli, but Halcyon filled a void. She was pleased to find she could, in fact hope again.

The knight had returned her to the forests with words of kindness and protection. She had vowed in return to take care of his soul, as well. With the understanding of Imprinting that her lost father had imparted on her, Solstice had come to the belief that he was as tied to her, as she was to him. They were to care for each other to live their lives. In her chest, her heart squeezed with an odd beat. Their lives were strange, and she felt they were only going to become stranger while growing more familiar.

Solstice found simplicity in caring for those around her. Simplicity and purpose. Just as fate had bound her to Halcyon, she felt a true connection to the youth she had come across and to the life the world could bring. In the spring sun she stepped through the budding flowers, enjoying the sights and sounds of the snow melting from the branches of the trees. Still early in the season heavy piles of slush remained where the wind had swept the loose ice. It was peaceful in the clearing of the forests.

Peace that was shattered by a scraping of paws and yelps of unadulterated joy. Masque raced behind Solstice, covering her pawsteps three times over. The youth was all but a solar powered energy ball. Multicolored ball of fluff zipped from snowbank to snowbank, sending as much substance skyward as she could possibly manage. As always, Solstice smiled at the pup, breathing in the life and energy Masque expelled from her very being.

The older of the two spotted Mikken lounging in a clearing. She had met the caretaker once and greeted him with a bark and a wag of her tail, which later served as a warning. She was polite enough not to intrude on him in what seemed like a contemplative state. Masque, however, had no such qualms. She saw Mikken in the distance be zoomed to him, not even bothering to check her speed. Nor prepare for an impact.