“Mother.. “

Sitka’s voice rang out, slow and ethereal. They seemed much younger in this image- they observed themselves in a third person sense- their pelt fur still short and neat, their figure much smaller. The space around the golden- seemingly glowing- pup was a pitch-black void of nothing- Though it seemed to convey a deep sense of sadness.

“ Mother, where are you?.. “

Their voice seemed to echo, as if they were in a chamber of sorts. It blended with the sorrow sound of the stale air, the soft echoes fading away to the sound of hopeless wails.

“ Mother, I need you! “

The ethereal tune left the voice, turning instead to choking sobs.

Sitka did not remember this. They did not wish to remember this. Not their mother.. Not the stale, dark, chamber in which they had been for what seemed like half their life. They especially did not want to remember the face of the creature that had taken their mother, their care-giver. The face of the creature that had bound metal around their throat that had left them gasping for air for days…

Sitka did not want to remember.

“ Moth…. “

The voice cut off- The sound, and smell of running water filled Sitka’s senses, and suddenly they could feel the prickle of grass against their paw pads. The dream world abandoned them abruptly, leaving them half awake. Their golden eyes fluttered open, their gaze widening as they surveyed their surroundings. This was not their moorland.

Their body leaned, limp, against the trunk of a tree, the rough bark digging into their flank, and their paws stacked beneath them. They stumbled slowly, dazed, away from their resting point, getting more and more frantic as they searched for familiar land with their eyes- A smell, a boulder, anything that they knew. It was to no avail.

Their chest heaved with panic as their legs weakened, causing them to stumble into a crumbled sit. They needed to relax- They could not help themselves if they were this sick with worry. They were not in danger. These new lands were not to harm them, as far as they knew. They breathed in cold air, holding it as they corrected their pose, placing their paws neatly beneath them and raising their muzzle.

Sitka lifted their head higher, surveying the alien lands, but with a calmed gaze, compared to their previous frantic-ness. Frost coated the trees and snow covered the grass, a river roared nearby, clouds blanketed the sky. Winter, obviously- But how? It was freshly summer in their moor. The snow had long since melted.

This was clearly not their home- Not even remotely close, if the season was still winter. They did not know how they had gotten here, but they felt calm. These lands seemed safe- There was not even a whiff of the monstrous civilization that had harmed them. Back where they came from, those tall metal structures were on every side. Here, it seemed as if they did not exist. It brought a feeling of comfort. Sitka would be okay. They knew that much- Well, rather than knew, they felt. They could feel that everything was going to be alright. At least for now.

A gentle breeze tousled their fur. They rose onto all four paws once more, approaching the water. They paused at the bank, staring into their own wavering reflection- A sour expression, as always, accompanied by golden and messed up fur. Their eyes looked calm, though.

Sitka lowered their body, their tongue flicking in and out of their mouth as they lapped at the surface of the icy river. They had not known how thirsty they were- They were parched. Additionally, hunger began to gnaw at their stomach. They could do for a meal.. Or three. They sat once more, on the bank, and watched the water. What were they to do?

[oorp: Lazy work- Oops. I'm tired, and stressed, please forgive me. Sitka has officially spawned in >:3]

~ Snagging this one while I can!

Skill (1/5) - Herbalist

The world was like a crystal chalice, the light of the morning sun casting its rays across the frosted forest and the flora that grew there. While winter was still in its clutches, spring was beginning to melt the icy fist it once had on the world. The signs were slight but still there, as bulbs from last year began to burst from the soil with their green leaves, fighting the frost with all their might.

Barbosa, the maiden she was, danced through the woodland with light steps. Twirling and humming as she navigated to her recent find the previous day. If her mouth hadn't been full of plant matter, she'd have nabbed these too, but alas, here she was today, searching for the snowdrops that stood beside the base of a rather shaded tree trunk. It wouldn't be long now before the daffodils also begin to show their pretty petals, she thought.

The scent of the small blooms led her closer until someone else's came to her attention. A wolf, for certain, but they were between herself and the flowers. For a moment, her body stiffened, a flicker of the past painfully lurching through her mind. A deep lungful of air filled her chest, and a slow breath cascaded from her nose, eyes closed as she tried to push it away.

This time would be different, she was completely fine.

That man was not here.

Opening her eyes, she peered through the wooden beams, casting a look at the body in the distance. They were small, much smaller than she. They almost reminded her of coyotes with their dusty appearance. A moment passed before she bit the bullet and called out with a soft voice.

Hello! Are you okay?

Sitka's ears perked as he turned slowly. His paws shook with unease. He had just woken up in these strange, foreign lands- He did not know if would be ready to put up a fight. Something about the voice was soothing though. It almost sounded like his mother.

“Oh.. Hello.. Ma’am.”

He said slowly. Usually, he would have ignored this other- But this was not his marsh, no, this was this.. Brown wolves land. This large brown wolf.

“Do you.. Perhaps.. Know where I am?”

He flicked his tail nervously, getting straight to the question on his mind. There was no need for formalities if this was all a lucid dream. After realizing he was still in a slouched sit, he rose onto all four of his paws. This felt more.. Respectful to the lady.

“Or at least where I could find a bite to eat?”

His tongue flicked out of his mouth nervously as he lapped water droplets off his muzzle. He was never one for manners- Hopefully, this didn't seem disrespectful to the soft-spoken lady. It’d been so very long since Sitka had had the company of his kind- Though he missed the song of marsh-toads at night.