Different. Everything different. No more home, no more anything—

Deirdre woke up with a start, with coldness nipping her feet, wrapping her into an unwanted embrace. Heaps of unruly black fur battered rigorously against the shock of cool air. What had happened?

As though the curse of winter had befallen them once again, snow littered the ground here and there. It was sprinkled along her back like sugar. Why? It was warm when she'd fallen asleep, but why cold when she woke up?

Her narrow head canted upwards towards the pitch sky, an expanse of black interrupted by occasional bits of white. A rumble resounded deep within Deirdre's throat—she knew the stars well. They were her friends; yet they were all different Rearranged into something wrong.

Long, frail limbs swiftly paced above the cold undergrowth, lithe body weaving between trees, her tail bristling. She was far too distracted to notice the rustling that violently shook in the shrubs to her rear—she only noticed when a figure dark as night leapt forth, directly towards her.

It wasn't an impressive feat to knock Deirdre onto the ground. She tumbled without grace, her black fur covered in snow and bits of foliage. What on god's green earth was that?! She immediately thrust herself back onto her feet, tongue lolling from between her jaws, body coiled away within the shadows.