Xeris smiled slightly at Tala's words about the fireflies being cute. She had never particularly thought of them that way, but couldn't deny that the sight of countless numbers of the glowing insects at night was incredibly beautiful. She also noted that Tala mentioned finding a cabin. That was good, in the cold of winter the old buildings could at least provide some shelter and warmth. It was convenient how the cabins were still surviving after all their years of abandonment.
It seemed that her new packmate had already been by the lakes, so Xeris nodded and changed her course for the Quartz Shoreline. The beach had always been one of her favorite places in Phoenix Valley. In the summer she would spend a large amount of her time there, relaxing in the warm sand and watching the sparkling waves, or even playing in the water if she was feeling particularly energetic. But now the sand was cold as her paws contacted it, and she imagined that the water was even colder. The white wolfess turned to Tala. "Here we are."She hesitated, scanning her golden eyes over the area. "It's obviously more enjoyable in the warmer months." She looked off into the distance, where the faint outline of a large building was visible on the horizon. Nodding in that direction, she explained its identity to Tala. "That's Sanctuary Island. There's an old mansion there, which is where the pack keeps a stock of supplies in case of an emergency. It's a fascinating place." She recalled going there with Pendzez to check on the supplies, and she had been awed by the architecture and the strange objects she found inside.