After his adventure…. Out… he had been feeling better… and worse… He made himself sick, he didn’t feel good about it, but he also did. No one would understand, and it wasn’t like he could tell them anyways. His lips were sealed in more ways than one and he wasn’t capable of mouthing any words. He just acted like it never happened. He went exploring he come back what happened while he was out was simply between him and the strange white wolf he had met with out there. He was the only one who would know and Hemlock was pretty sure he wasn’t about to go spouting it out to anyone else. Not unless he wanted to give up his own dark deeds.

Nothing had changed. He kept telling himself that as he picked his way through Iromar. This was his first winter and already it was seeming like it was just as abnormal and vicious as he secretly was. His fluffy black pelt thankfully was doing him some good against the cold thus far, but his mother and father insisted they keep to the den most days while they went out. When they were gone or resting themselves he heard the chatter of his sister’s plans, mostly Metztli, who wanted to help their mother with her duties of going on the borders. Father helped sometimes, but really Hemlock wasn’t sure what he did when he went out. He checked on other dens, made sure everyone was okay before returning back to them while she did the more ‘manly’ work, but that was simply how the pair operated, not really held back by any ‘normal’ gender roles.

Hemlock though could see the shine in his youngest sister’s eyes though as their mother left for the day. Thus far, Whisper had been able to stop any foolish actions of Metztli, today though it seemed as if they would fall on ears as deaf as Aspen’s. She had darted out of the den and into the temporarily quiet lands. Short lived like all the pauses in the storm had been. Hemlock wasn’t about to let them go without him. As Whisper said she was going to go find her, Hemlock stood as well. Being a monster… he knew what was out there potentially waiting for them… And unlike his sisters he actually had the size and girth to be a snow plow. He pushed ahead, making a path for his much smaller sister and brother if he came along as they went searching for her. It seemed he and Aspen both were sort of the guards of the girls, he was certain his brother would tag along as well if he was aware of what was going on. He was pretty sharp, their father did his best to help them both but Hemlock just couldn’t… perhaps he just didn’t have the brains his brother did. Or perhaps being mute was simply harder than deaf… he didn’t know.

Soon though they came upon their shrieking sister. She was fine as luck had it, screeching and diving around. Hemlock only watched moving forward towards his sister as their sister said that maybe they should start coming back. He… didn’t disagree, snow was starting to fall and as soon as the wind picked up again they would be in a white out and unable to find their way back for sure. He went out awkwardly on the icy moor after her, trying to find his footing before falling harshly onto his side. He would have let out a yelp if he had a voice as his leg twisted painfully around. He just wanted to reach her and grab her. He was so big it wasn’t like she could tell him no if he ever got his mouth on her… Though that thought brought more disgusting thoughts to his mind that he quickly pushed aside. They were his family, he wouldn’t ever… Grimacing he straightened himself back up lifting his front right leg up tenderly. It still ached a bit but nothing he thought he could handle. He motioned for her to come to him since she on the other hand seemed to be a master of ice skating.