Rio was happy that there was still snow on the ground. She'd grown out of her fantasy that the falling snow was actually fairies dancing down from the heavens, even though she still fancies tiny, beautiful ladies whenever it snowed. It had been difficult to grasp the concept of seasons, something she now understood completely. The snow would melt, the atmosphere would warm, and flowers would bloom. Though she would miss the pale, chilly magic of a snowy world, she was very excited to see what the new seasons would bring.
Rio understood a lot more now, more than ever before. Aging into adolescence brought a wealth of discovery, and rather than become overwhelmed by it, the girl uncannily embraced it. She was hungry to know how this world she lived in worked, to experience it in all its beauty. Her new freedom had given her the courage to leave Phoenix Valley for the very first time to see what lay beyond the safety of its borders. Mama and Papa had warned her not to venture in the direction of Dahlia de Mai or Inferni, and she had no issue with heeding them. The war was such a frightening concept to the sensitive girl that she had cried at night more than once as violent images spun through her mind. She didn't want to be anywhere near the atrocity of battle.
The little girl tried not to think of the war as she approached a rough wire fence. Beyond it, the scent of the air changed, for it had been marked as a pack's claimed territory. She froze in her spot, even backing away on dainty white paws. What if she'd gone the wrong direction, and happened upon the warring packs? But there was a strange stillness, a beautiful calm about the place that prevented her from fleeing. Of course, she shrunk in on herself, her tail settling between her hind legs. She wanted ever so much to keep going, but she couldn't, and she couldn't run away. So she remained where she was, still and waiting for she didn't know what.