Shots fired on me!

She had not seen snow before. When it first fallen to the ground, it was quick to melt away into the ground. She pawed where it landed curiously, but all that there was left was a damp blade of grass. More continued to fall to the ground.. Yet it seemed as if the world itself was rejecting it, for as she continued to watch days past it simply melted to the ground — creating a muddy mash. It didn't give Ara an interest, she didn't like to feel her fur so tangled and muddled.. It wasn't tasty to take off as she would attempt to groom herself, and would head to @Hydra if there was too much mud.

So she waited, tall wagging gently behind as she now watched the snow fall and at the same time stay. When Ara placed a paw out to the snowy ground, there was a short giggle that emerged as her pawprint stayed into the white ground. Though Ara looked around.. Making sure no one was looking as she darted out the den, and started rolling about in the snow, dancing and playing as she goes.

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The snows came and then went and all the while Elke watched the skies curiously, now more knowledgeable of the cold season then she had even so last year.

There is a heaviness in her heart, thinking back to her time with her father within Nova Peak. Remembering the story of the magical reindeer and how it governed the snows. Elke smiles deeply, remembering Mahler fondly and wondering, maybe, if magic was so real that she might come to find him one day again.

For now, she strides restlessly through the falling snow. Finally cold enough was the ground for it to stick. The herds would move southward for the winter. In the Teekons there were no reindeer. Perhaps here she would find them.
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Ara could hear the snow crunching, as someone was around. Her rolling stopped and she abruptly moved up in a look around, seeing who was — and the hope she wasn't caught. There was the sight of someone, someone she did not know.. Which was also surprising for they were someone extremely light. Almost similar to the snow itself and yet, held a bit of yellow and a gray upon her back. Ara deducted she looked unusual, and reminded her of dirt, snow, and piss in snow. Yet, the combo, as unsightly as it sounded, she wasn't an ugly wolf.

.. But who was she? The young ostrega glared in the distance with a yellow eyes trying to search in memories.

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Elke moves silently, only the crunching of snow under her weight giving way. Here on Ostrega's mountain, there were many wolves and even so she did not think that her time in Moonspear had not been with so many. Though Elke spent much of her time alone, she was never really alone for long. Her time with others was in passing and her conversations usually reserved to her mother, @Ciri and the queen herself.

Today, she would come along the path of the newest Ostrega litter and as she pauses, she smiles warmly to her. The pups had not been long out into the world from their birthing den but were seemingly adjusting well. At least Ara seemed to be. “Are you enjoying the snow, cousin?” She asks, a soft smile on her dark lips.
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They were a pretty wolf — Ara couldn't help but particular look at her unusually hued eyes. She had seen green, blue, and yellow, yet the color of lavender seemed to slip and only grant itself to the vision of the other. She wondered if others held such an eyesight.. There was many wolves beyond the borders of Empyrean, and she has not many any that hasn't carried their scent. Everyone was familiar, everyone was relatively safe and she held a wonderlust to find more wolves of that eye color. 

She was lost in the others gaze before realizing the other spoke of cousins. Ara had forgotten.. She knew they were around but didn't see them relatively too much. Ara nodded with a hesitance, for she did like the snow, but only hoped the other didn't see her play of earlier. It was beneath her to show such an appearance, so puppy-like despite being one — she couldn't see The Eagle of her Mother do such an act.

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The young girl remains to look at her and Elke does not shy away from her curiosity. Instead, she holds the small, shy smile on her pale lips all the while.

To the girl, nestled among so much family, surely she would have no reason to be frightened. She nods with a bit of hessistance, quiet, though doesn't run off from Elke just yet. So, the young botanist remains.

“Here in the mountains, the snows will last longer, you can enjoy it more.” She explained to the pup, settling into a sit in hopes it may better ease her. Her voice is soft, calm... “Some places never snow... I don't think I'd ever like to live there.” She wrinkled her nose then, comically sticking out her tongue in protest.
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Ara liked the snow. Before winter came, the sun would shine upon her pelt and it was like no matter where she went, it felt hot. Of course, she adjusted rather fast and took shelter within the den or a shade of sorts.. Relief came once the weather was colder, and she relished the day it would disappear. The cold snow was beloved, it felt nice upon her thick fur even if she was cleanly the opposite of white, a sore thumb within the land.

Her ears flickered, a curiosity rose within as she looked cleanly at the cousin, "Where?" Ara couldn't help but ask — a desire to know. She couldn't imagine it either, and yet.. Couldn't help but wonder, in these lands of snow, where was that place?

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Many of the Ostrega roaming the lands were dark of color, despite Dirge's own agouti hues. They seemed to take after their mother, not to mention Hydra's siblings too. Elke had not taken after her own dark father, instead taking on pale tones unlike any her parents or any Ostrega she had ever met, for that matter. This year, the newest family litter had come out in more tawny tones. For all Elke knew, it was she that was the sore thumb in the family.

“Not anywhere near here that I have seen.” She said honestly to the pup, with a roll of golden and gray shoulders. “I did quite a bit of traveling with my parents, the first time around your age.” Maybe younger even. Too young and too far for a child that age, she thought now. Even though she wasn't even two, her journey had already been a long and far one. “I've seen hot places of all red rock. Lands where all the ground was wet and a mountain made of ice!” She explained with a waging of her tail behind her.
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Does she lie?

Ara was no fool that at times some of the adults would share fanfiction stories — yet, because she didn't see it with her own eyes, the young black Ostrega was skeptical of such tall tales and landed on the more cynical side. Some part of her stroked a curiosity that was brought from her father, and yet.. She couldn't imagine it, and had trouble believing such places were real. She would have to see it for herself, as she flickered her tail and looked upon Elke in a scrutinizing gaze, a bit nasty for that of a child to be giving.

It was hard to believe anyone else besides her mother ; who did not gave them realistic stories and gestures, without the baby talking and adoration.

She expected the other to explain herself that these places were not fiction.

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The look she was given was judging- harsh, an expression Elke didn't find pleasant on anyone much less one so young as she. It reminded her of the looks she was given by her half-siblings, Phaedra more so specifically. With Phaedra's mother being Alpha, Elke and her sister had been looked upon with much scrutiny. It had been why Nyx had thought it best to take herself and her daughters to Moonspear under her brother's rule.

The way she looked at her made Elke uncomfortable and this much showed as Elke's paws shifted around and her lavender eyes looked around the scenery instead to the pup.

“Maybe some day I'll show you...” The golden girl murmured delicately. And then, “I guess I'll leave you too it then. Have fun...” And she would begin to trot off, hoping her cousin would be better off then playing in the snow by herself.
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Ara didn't understand why the other was uncomfortable, as she unabashedly stared at the others shifting paws and tilted her head. She knew the signs of discomfort, yet couldn't fathom why her cousin was like so. Was it strange to describe these places? Or perhaps.. She did catch her in these lies! Her furrowed brows only deepened, a continual judgmental look.

Even as the other departed away, it was like she was shooting beams at the back of Elke's head.

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