Winter was on the horizon. Rana quietly dreaded its arrival, knowing that it would make it more difficult for her to venture far from Asteraia. While in the pack, she had been making an effort to spend more time with her kin, but it still didn't feel like enough. There was always something else to want. As she grew older, she wanted more adventure, more control, more range, more everything. She wanted more of her parents' attention too, and more of their knowledge. The idea of being stuck in one place for an entire season made her paws itch, and she'd not been able to resist even as dark clouds loomed on the horizon. If she had to go without for the winter, then she'd make sure she was well fed in the fall.

She'd headed south, passing over the river that divided Moladion and cutting through the fields that lay in the south of Spirane's foothills. The river was her guide, and she eagerly followed its twists and turns towards Iromar. Rana was intrigued by the pack's scent, having never been close to its borders before. Now, she moved with a purpose towards the pack's borders. Her nose skimmed the ground, but her eyes and ears were on the hunt for any sign of movement. After all, she didn't want to be caught. No, she just wanted to...snoop, she supposed. Whether or not she had trespassed was of little concern.

After some time, she'd spotted movement in the distance. At first, she had paused but then, she'd been quick to pivot and follow her own path back. With any luck, the mish mash of pawprints would throw them off if they followed. Of course, Rana was young, and her plan was flawed: rather than return to the foothills of Spirane, she'd taken a sharp detour north. However, she needn't cross the river, and instead, she'd left a messy array of pawprints across the marshland. Had she been more patient, perhaps she might have gone undetected. Instead, she found herself in the twisting paths of the grotto with an undeserved sense of satisfaction.

With a huff, she leapt up onto one of the overhanging boulders and flopped down. Even though she was only four or so feet from the ground, she felt as if she were on a throne of her own. With her muddy paws dangled over the ledge, she began combing through the knots, trying to erase the evidence of her time near Iromar. Although she hadn't learned all that much, she'd certainly found it exhilerating. How much closer could she get without being found out? The idea of it made her grin to herself, almost tempted to return immediately to test her luck.