When she had first washed up on the shores of this new world, Meixing had frequented the willows. Her thoughts had been scattered and her identity had been unclear; the swaying boughs of willow trees and the soft, peaty grass beneath her paws had provided her with a respite. Now, as she swims the strait between her island and the mainland, she feels an intense sense of nostalgia.

She and Hua had been children then. Now they are Empresses.

With a fond smile on her lips, Meixing steps out of the water and onto the white sand. It's warm from daylight, and shifts gently beneath her pads as she shakes to rid herself of excess water. She yawns, stretching her jaws wide, and considers the forest before her.

It beckons. She enters.

Her paws pound over leaf litter as she breaks into a run. She runs for the sheer joy of it, wind whipping her face and running cold fingers through her wet fur. She runs and runs, until--

A wolf!

She slows as she catches a flash of black and white fur through the trailing leaves. Curious, she approaches.

"Hello," says Meixing, her voice strong and confident. She is not a child anymore; she has grown into leadership. "I do not suppose that you are lost?"

Even after so many months, her Common retains a distinctly foreign accent.