Hjördis eventually grew accustomed to walking around on 4 limbs, albeit begrudgingly. There was little choice to be made, lest she would starve in the harsh wilderness. At least her coat was thick, perfect for the cold—even after diving into frigid water to find food, the freezing temperatures weren't much of a problem. What was the problem, however, was her own sheer ineptitude.

Time and time again, Hjördis thrust herself into the rivers and lakes of this strange world—'Mythris,' it was called. Each attempt ended with a bruised ego and a freezing-cold wolf. The fish were either unusually skilled here, or Hjördis merely lacked the ability to catch them. The latter would break her heart. Pappa had spent his years teaching her to fish, for what? For her to starve on her own in the wild? She was such a failure.

The girl wanted to cry. She wanted to beseech the gods for the reason why she was put in such a predicament, why they'd placed a curse that'd trapped her in the body of a canid. Yet, her laments would always leave her throat with a melodic howl, and the words that clouded her mind remained trapped behind her lips. It felt harrowing, oppressive—to be stuck in this vessel, to be unable to say what she desired to, unable to care for herself, entirely ostracized from the comfortable life she once led.

Another failed attempt to hunt fish was evident with the water that completely drenched her torso and face, multicolored eyes downcast and staring at her sodden forepaws. Damn these paws. Damn this body! Hjördis wanted to cuss, to swear, to yell—and all that left her mouth was a small whimper. It was no use. There was no leaving this place. No more will she greet the familiar people in her village, spend the evenings catching fish with Pappa. Only howling and barking, whining and whimpering.

But... then she heard it—quiet footfalls amongst the gentle titter of birds. Hjördis raised her head, her ears sharply shifting forward with a jingle of her rings. Who was there? Someone who could help her out of this predicament? God forbid, a human? Please gods... they'd tormented her enough. She let out a shaky sigh and hoisted herself up onto her short limbs.

Airy strides carried the woman swiftly through the woodlands, until eventually, she found the source of the sound. A wolf. Not a human. A pretty little thing with a lithe frame of pure white and eyes of crystalline blue. She seemed to know what she was doing.

Hjördis tilted her head and scowled, her tail stiff behind her haunches and her ears still pointed forward. She only met one other wolf so far. She liked that wolf, but... that wolf didn't seem to like her very much. Hjördis winced slightly and her ears fell back. Hej, she woofed softly, ...what're you doin'? Lord, she hoped that wasn't a prying question. The young Swede had yet to figure out exactly what pertained to 'wolf social etiquette'.