Rana had left Asteraia by herself once again. 'Alone' had fast become part of her routine, though she hadn't been intentional in adopting it. For whatever reason, Mihos just didn't seem as interested, and Ragnar and Loki seemed more interested in one another's company than hers. In a sense, she had adapted out of a lack of choices. If she did not go out alone, then she simply wouldn't go out at all. Still, it did frustrate her. Rana wanted to learn, but it seemed like she had little in the ways of learning.

The forest, at least, provided her with lessons. She arrived early in the morning, careful to observe the way birds hushed themselves any time she entered the forest, only slipping back into chatter when she settled in and worked to conceal herself. It flattered her, that they thought she was a threat to them. In the same vein, it had taught her the lesson of why she had such difficulty finding rabbits or deer. The birds informed them with their silence. Thus, today's lesson to herself, she had decided, was to learn how to move in such a way that the birds did not give warning.

Her first efforts had proven rather ineffective. She had chosen a stretch of forest unfamiliar to her in hopes that the birds wouldn't know her either. Rana's first efforts were to be casual. She moved without overthinking, as if she were merely on a casual stroll. The birds chattered away for some time but soon enough, she had stepped too loudly on a branch or some leaves and they'd suddenly go silent. Bristling, she snapped her teeth in frustration, hoping they understood the threat. Then, she loped back to her starting point and waited for the chattering to begin again.

This time, she had decided to adopt the slow, prowling strides that her mother and older sister often utilised. Admittedly, she felt ridiculous doing so. It was unnatural for Rana to move so slowly and with such control, and she could practically feel her muscles spasming to get a move on. Despite it, she held back and forced herself to move slowly. Her brows were furrowed deep in concerntration and every so often, she'd pause to evaluate a particular patch of branches or leaf litter, finding a way to move through them without so much as a whisper. With nobody to teach her, she had found the next best thing despite how ridiculous she felt, half-frozen in the forest by herself.