She knew it was coming and though she was not phased, she knew her children had fretted over her even if it had been from the sidelines. Sila had spent the previous day with her though before she had attended the ball and Niviaq had rested well knowing now what it was that she must do.

She had set off early, when the sun had first began to rise, and towards one of the flatter fields of Spirane's lowlands. Autumn had taken ahold of the forests, their bare branches reaching for the sky; she felt the chill in her paws, her fur just thin enough now to feel the bite of the early morning dew as she ambled along the well worn path. She had noted the changes in her body; her fur had not become as thick and no matter how much she ate, she did not fatten the same way she might have; it took her several times longer to wake come the morning, her body seemingly more content with stillness than movement and though she basked deeply in the early morning sun, she still felt an unshakable weariness in her joints. Ah, but age had not taken away her joy or smile and as she called for her daughter - Panik - her age seemed to melt away from her face. Her eyes were still bright despite their tiredness, like liquid gold full of excitement at her next adventure and her lips seemed to dance with an ever-present smile. She did not fear the coming season, only for her children. It is why she grinned so readily: she wanted them to remember it rather than the patchiness of her fur or the sway in her step.

She waited then until she caught a glimpse of her daughter and so, she then began towards her. Her tail rose and slowly waved and she took no hesitation with having buried her snout into the soft fur of her daughter's shoulder, pressing her weight ever so slightly again her with a sigh of relief. "Have I ever told you how you glow like wildfire when the sun kisses you?"She chuckled to herself, stepping back to admire the golden glow that seemed to veil her daughter. She wondered, if but for a moment with a furrow of her brows, if those so close to death saw more beauty in life or not. Did Panik see it? Or had her mind began to roam deep into the world beyond? Ah, it did not matter. She grinned, content, for now.