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It had taken him a week and a half after his meeting with Nian to venture out of his den again. Putting his craftsman skills to use certainly had given him an ego boost! But Claudius still feared the great unknown that lay beyond his den and he only knew a few familiar, but nonetheless well-travelled paths to take out of his den. Today, he had taken one of these paths to the edges of AniWaya territory. However, it seemed as though he was cursed with change: a howl sounded, originating from somewhere nearby. The responsible thing would be to answer the call and investigate it, but Claudius just wanted to run back to his den. Claudius shivered and wondered who it might be – and if he would have to deal with them. He really didn’t want that kind of responsibility. He really just wanted to examine some of the plants as the snow unthawed, but apparently this stranger would have none of that.
He reluctantly trotted closer and peered around a large pine tree. The many needles provided excellent cover and he was able to investigate hopefully without being seen. He moved closer, stalking from tree to tree. He paused suddenly when he caught the stranger’s scent in the breeze: it was Ocèane!
“Ocèane!” he called out. He ran over to where his sister was, accompanied by a rather large and scary-looking horse. “Y-you’re back!”