Winter had Dirge out and away from the ravine territory for a reason no less than pure instinct. While he had yet to act upon his ability to reproduce with a female he still went searching, albeit lazily, for a suitable child bearer. But he had been struggling more with his uphill mental battles lately and found himself mindlessly wandering toward the crags that were once his birthplace. Sometimes he misses living in the place that his parents once claimed as their home but then he remembers why he had left. The red rock cave that he holed up in among the angels was once his father’s before he had left to make a family with Stella. It was the only reason he had for needing to find it and make it his own - though it did not ease all of his pain.

Before he was aware of it, the world around him whipped into a frenzy of white as snow barreled down from the gloomy sky. It clung the rough exterior of his coat, mottling his black and gold frame in white as the flakes clustered together. His gold and green eyes squinted as he picked his way through the base of the crags and slowly made his way upward. But it could never be so simple for him.

A whine echoed from up above but it was ignored as he continued to ascend… until a small body tumbled down the rocks and into his tank-like figure. The girl wasn’t even large enough to budge him with all her weight, though he did take a step back in something akin to repulsion. His lip curled up at the bumbling child as he raised his paw and pushed her away from him. He didn’t dislike puppies but he also didn’t fawn over them either. It depended on how he was feeling that day and today was not exactly his best.

He continued to stare at her with indignation as a snarl rumbled through his chest. ”Watch it.”