What had started as a soft late-season snow-flurry had turned into a full fledge nightmare. The cold winds of the Kawani left her half-frozen, while the white-out conditions meant she could hardly see where she was headed. The open plains had turned into nothing but a desert of snow, and Dova felt a bit overwhelmed.
She was, of course, not unfamiliar with cold conditions. She had traveled through mountains and forest, plains and deserts, searching for a needle in a haystack. She was, of course, returning to the home of her birth -- or at least, the birth of her older siblings. It was a place they had thought to call home so many years ago, but it was a place where tragedy had struck.
What should have been a joyous time for the herd had turned into tragedy when a beloved basket had disappeared. without a trace. Of course, this had taken place well before Dove's birth -- but her siblings (and herself) were without a sister, and her parents without a daughter. They had stayed and searched, but had found nothing but a broken and abandoned basket. The family had searched high and lo, but to no avail, before the nomadic wanderers had finally picked up and left.
The spirits granted many joys, but they could always be cruel.
Dove remembered the spirits the well, and said a prayer to the spirits of snow and ice, hoping they would be kind to her this day. Her thick coat protected her from the worst of the chill, but she knew she'd need to find suitable shelter somewhere. Unfortunately, she could hardly see past her nose and had no idea where she might be headed. Surely, the plains would give way to a copse of trees.... but it would take time for her to find them. She didn't even know if she was headed in the right direction!
Had her sister fallen prey to the elements so many years ago? They had been born in spring, but what of the next winter? It had been fierce and frigid, from what her parnets had told her.... Had her sister succumbed then? Had she been lost on these plains as Dove was now? No, Bella had been a daughter of the plains, just as Dove had been the daughter of the woods. Surely, the plains would not have turned upon her....
Ah, but Dove shuddered as she trudged slowly through the thick snows. Was that true? Would it be so? If the winter was anything like what she now suffered, would a filly manage to seek warmth and safety? Or might some monster, some beast, take advantage of such a young spirit? No, no, no...
Dove wouldn't think such thoughts.
If she truly thought her sister wasn't alive, she wouldn't have taken it upon herself to look for her. She'd heard stories of Bella, the little filly her parents had wanted so badly to love; who had seen her only long enough to have her placed in a basket. Did she know she had a family out there, missing her, loving her? Dove grew up knowing her memory, for all that she never got to meet her.
Bella had a twin brother, and multiple younger siblings. If Dove could just find her, if Dove could find someone who might know of her.... that would be helpful. Unfortunately, cream colored draft regulars were common, though perhaps not so commonplace as they once were. The Kawani had once been home of the great regular soquili, and then more and more different breeds had appeared.... the worst of which had been the shifters.
It was part of the reason her nomadic herd stayed on the move, never settling down, never putting down roots. They needed to change with the seasons, adapt to the ever changing world around them. To stay was to stagnate, or so she'd been told. But as a daughter of the woods, Dove wanted nothing more than to put down roots. To find a place she loved and grow as the world changed around her.
Just as the blizzard and snow half-froze her coat, just as she marched through the deep snows, Dove knew that if she found shelter and might rest, the system would soon blow past. She was no rainrunner... she didn't follow the wind... But she wouldn't rest until she found her sister, or at least, could accept that she was lost. Perhaps the spirits guided her for a reason -- though getting snowed on was a very cold and unfortunate welcome to the Kawani!
Another gust of wind and spray of snow had Dove shivering. She picked up her pace, this time half-leaping. Would the snow spirits protect her? Would she be able to find so sort of shelter? Everything looked dark and dreary.
It took time, but with luck (or perhaps the spirits blessings) Dove finally found some relief. A few thick furs appeared, and though they twisted and swayed, they certainly helped provide cover from the worst of the storm. The air was also warmer beneath their evergreen boughs, and Dove heaved a sigh of relief (and gratitude) once she pushed herself beneath them.
"Thank the spirits for guiding my hooves; and might the wind and snow and ice spirits hurry their mischief through!" She did not wish to offend the storm but she would much prefer weather that didn't leave her half-froze. Winter did not wish to give way to spring; she could not blame it for wanting to remain, to linger, but Dove hoped that the warmer weather would soon prevail.
Pawing at the earth beneath the thick trees, Dove discovered some old foliage. A treat, though perhaps not the tastiest; it would be enough to ensure she didn't go hungry. The Kawani was a generous place, even at its most upset... and Dove would be a grateful vistor. Perhaps her lost sister had been granted such a bounty when she was away.... It was all Dove could imagine and hope for, and all she wanted.
Was her sister happy? Was she healthy? Did she have a family?
Even if she wasn't still among them, perhaps her spirit still haunted the plains and Dove would be given a sign that she was at peace.
Only time would tell.
For now, Dove would spend as much time traveling the plains and nearby woods, searching for any sign of her lost sister. But tonight, she would huddle against the evergreens, and wait out the winter storm. As cold and dreary as it might be, she knew that change was inevitable; eventually, the storm would wear itself out, and calmer weather would prevail All she needed was patience-- and such a trait would come in handy for this potentially impossible search.
