No one place had really become our base or home since Isaac and I had returned to Moladion. No, our homes were within one another, and so long as he was beside me at night I could rest easily. My initial apprehension at returning to Moladion had begun to fade, though I still grew nervous when I spotted wolves who resembled my family. What would I say to them if they stumbled upon me and Isaac out here? And yet I hadn't gained the courage yet to return to my birth pack, either, equally unsure about seeking them out. So I stuck by my guardian's side as he searched for any sign of his family. With each dead end, though, I felt his frustrations build. Just as he could sooth me when I was anxious about the unknown, a touch of my nose to his shoulder could quell his irritation. We balanced one another.

Today, though, Isaac had made his way to the south to follow a lead about his mother, and I had stayed behind. Though we had not made many connections with other wolves since our return, we were not deaf to the rumors of the turmoil going on in these lands. So I had remained under the large branching bows of the tree we had slept under the night before. We had chosen this spot for a reason - it was just south and east of Spirane's borders, where the Aplos River bifurcates to send one tributary towards Iromar and the other towards the Ruieze lake. We had yet to come across Sila, and I wondered if she still called the mountains home. I did not have the courage to go calling for her at Spirane's borders - not only was I nervous about who might answer, but I rarely howled now. My vocal chords had been damaged in the attack, leaving me with a strangled and gravelly voice. Sometimes it was hard to speak, let alone to howl.

Rather than sit as a waiting duck for Isaac to return, I stood and stretched my bodice before setting off at a jog towards the river. My tail hung loose between my hind legs, ears pricked forward as I made my way across the open landscape. Without the strength of Isaac at my side, I was a bit uneasy about the world around me. I was capable of activity without him - I just preferred to have him with me. Reaching the riverbank, I stepped down to the water's edge. I paused, my star speckled crown lifted as I carefully surveyed my surroundings, blue eyes moving slowly across the landscape. Once I knew that there was no imminent threat, I lowered my head and lapped easily at the water. Over the years I had been working towards feeling more confident in my own skin, but I still struggled from time to time. As I drank, my eyes turned up towards the peaks of the mountains, wondering if my savior roamed the lands somewhere high above me.