[html]
Her former pack mate relaxed visibly after his awareness of her presence, seemingly happy to see her. She started to give him a hug, and then realized that it was rather awkward, with her current shape, to do so. Smiling at him again, she began the downward transformation into her four-legged form, her mane shortening into a mere ruff, and her fur becoming silkier from nose to tail. The entire process took less than ten minutes despite the fact that she normally resided in her Optime form.
Once she'd finished shifting, she moved to the man's side, giving him a hearty nuzzle. She liked Slay, and had since she met him. He was a likable fellow, easy-going, from her point of view, and she valued the fact that he remembered her. Grinning apologetically, she said, "Despite its values, that form has its limitations." She took a pace backwards, sitting and curling her tail around her, before continuing.
"Unfortunately, I'm not back completely. I've been living in a cabin where Whisper Beach, Shattered Coast, and Ethereal Eclipse all come together, but I've been hanging around the borders to be near in case of emergency. I couldn't deal with all the stuff happening around here. Something made me feel..claustrophobic, and I fled to the Halcyon Mountains for a couple months, right around Samhain." Her mismatched eyes found his blue ones, holding the gaze for a moment before retreating lest he mistake her intent, while she listened to his admission of not doing well and the bitterness of his dislike for winter.
She, too, cared little for the season, since it was the time of death. But after death comes rebirth, and the female knew that winter was necessary. "As much as any healer dislikes winter, the season of death, one must realize that without death, there can be no rebirth."