It was so rare for her to get a moment to herself. To be alone. She wondered, distantly, what else had changed that there wasn't a single energetic puppy underfoot or watchful father haunting the bushes nearby. But that thought was ushered out with a startling quickness, replaced by every question, every realization, and every existential crisis she'd been forced to weather in teeth grinding silence ever since she'd come to consciousness in this world where dogs could talk and the sky was alien and unrecognizable. Her body shuddered, not from the cold, as she choked back what could've been a devastated sob or raucous, insane laughter. Her head hurt. Her paw hurt, her teeth hurt. She watched a little drop of blood paint the snow at her feet, brought her wrist to her nose and watched it come away red.

She did laugh, then; a dry, derisive chuckle. What a cosmic fucking joke it was to not even be able to contemplate her own existence. After years of wishing to be in any body except her own, to live a life unlike anything she'd lived before. Maybe she'd prayed to the wrong pantheon. Maybe this was that divine punishment for her hubris or... something. It felt like someone was driving a metal spike into her brain and she didn't have to processing power to think about stories.

She sensed him before she heard him, the fur along the back of her spine raising at the sudden realization that she was no longer alone and probably looked fucking insane. Her head shot up, her eyes finding the big, blue wolf immediately. Her skin crawled, just watching him. She hadn't really interacted with anyone outside the five little puppies and their dad. Or if she had, she certainly hadn't been conscious for it. Uh. Did he recognize her? Was he waiting for her to speak? Was this some sort of weird... wolf... ritual? Hi?