With how anxious she’d been for winter’s arrival, who knew that she would find herself in her best mood after so long? The pack certainly wasn’t the largest, but it was enough for better structure and stability – enough for the empress to feel comfortable with their survival during these winter months. She had her pack members to thank for that certainly; if it wasn’t for Yoshi or Honoka, the dynasty’s numbers probably would’ve continued to dwindle in her previous state. Gratitude couldn’t even begin to cover it. Speaking of her state – she felt her old self again.
She’d gained back her weight and most of her muscle mass. Her appetite had grown significantly, and traveling farther out didn’t feel like a physical chore anymore. Her night terrors never ceased – actually, it might even be safe to say they had gotten worse. Yet constantly waking up in a cold sweat was of little concern to her; If she just stayed as far away from Morningstar as possible, there would be no issue. ‘This, too, shall pass.’, she hoped.
Her paws left a trail of pawprints in her wake as she strolled through the forest floor. She had no real goal other than to set her eyes upon every inch of earth that she’d missed for so long – and to test how far she could go.

![[Image: 54890335_EWIrkUwAqghUjLP.png]](https://f2.toyhou.se/file/f2-toyhou-se/images/54890335_EWIrkUwAqghUjLP.png)