3/3/2025, 9:11 PM
The wisteria was still dormant - the odd impatient green bud the only warning of a springtime bloom soon to arrive. Choumi awaited the return of the lavender flowers, looking forward to their sweet scent and the promise of spring's improved weather and hunting once they did.
Still, she was not going hungry and neither was the pack. Her duty as Ite was to provide. Trapped in her wolf-shape, Choumi couldn't truly fall into old habits as a cook, but the same instinct that had made her such a devoted provider for her pack in her old life carried over to this second chance she'd been given. Chou found solace in the hunt. The language barrier that persisted between herself and her pack was still just that: a barrier she had to work around. Her work allowed her to feel...connected to them, and give back to them.
The petite huntress picked her way through the island's foliage deftly, pausing only to inspect a particularly tall tree. Unlike the spidery, thin branches of the wisteria that dominated the island, this tree was one of several that stood sturdier but less common amongst the flora. Even so, it too lacked leaves or blossoms until spring truly broke through the chill.
Choumi stood on her hind legs, pressing her front paws against the trunk of the tree. It was a mature plant, the branches sturdy and thick especially closer to the ground. And if she climbed it...she knew the vantage point would be nearly unmatched, considering the way the tree was rooted close to the top of a small hill. Choumi pawed at the tree once more, testing for any weak spots before the agile wolf committed fully to the bit and attempted to scramble up the side of the tree. She did manage to hook her paws around a branch, and bracing herself against the trunk actually did help her finish the mad scramble to finally perch amongst the branches.
Not too bad, actually. Her tail would have wagged with triumph, but Choumi was far too worried about throwing off her balance. Instead, she carefully adjusted to peer out over the island, before making the mistake of glancing down at the ground. It was...rather far down there, wasn't it? A nervous whuff huffed out of her. She was up here now - but was she stuck?
