As soon as Winter entered Canis, and the cold air began to decrease, she came a little more to her senses. Instincts had been yelling at her to set her head down and sleep peacefully instead of go forward with gusto towards whatever the Trials held in store. She glanced back, feeling a little unsure of herself.
She sighed. Well, too late to turn back now. From the look of the hooded figure, she doubted that he'd just let leave after she'd said she'd go. And anyways, he'd said that it was a way to prove worth. It'd been a long time since she felt like she had any real meaning to anyone. Especially now that she was alone. Kielo nowhere in sight. Vesna and Lyra off somewhere else. There were dangers in the caves that were still present and very real. She needed to be strong so she could protect those that meant anything to her.
If they were even cared anymore.
Lyra had heard every word. Hiding in a nook near the gathering, listening to what the gathered were saying. And what this “Merchent” was instructing them to do. Go into Hydra and...do what, exactly? It hadn’t been clear - some kind of Trial? But what she gathered was that it was dangerous. Deadly. And others had been through it before.
And some had died.
She shivered. She’d only followed Winter here because she hadn’t seen her in a while. Lyra had been off exploring, staying low, generally keeping to herself, but now that she knew her mother was awake, that she was still alive, she wanted to stay with her. Keep it that way.
But why was she going off to these Trials? What was the point? She ground her wolfish teeth together and turned and fled through Canis. The Trials weren’t happening yet so she still had time to stop her. Hopefully, Winter would take this path out. She’d come this way.
And Lyra was right - Winter came sliding through the tunnel, not noticing her pressed against the wall. When she paused, Lyra stepped up behind her, not bothering to keep her presence concealed.
Lyra pressed against Winter’s snout with the smallest groans of joy. She had missed her so much in the many cycles that they’d been apart. It had been so long that she didn’t even know exactly how long it had been since she’d left the family home. How long it had been since she’d seen either of her parents. Or Vesna, wherever she was now.
She hadn’t had as much fear as Winter, however - she knew that they were both still alive. She didn’t know if they’d gone into hibernation, as Winter had, or if they wandered the caves still, but Lyra knew that they were safe and still kicking.
She pulled back just as Winter did, long tail wagging happily behind her. “It’s so good to see you, mom,” she whispered. Her concerns about Winter’s actions and decision about joining the Trials weren’t important right now. They were back together, at last, and that was all that mattered.
Until...it did matter.
She blinked and looked down.
When Winter didn’t respond, she grew panicked.
Lyra stopped when Winter began to speak. She took a step back from her mother, shivering on the spot. She was...was she an idiot? Did she know anything? Obviously not, since she had no idea that she would fall right asleep immediately when she entered that cave. Lyra doubted that she had even seen snow before now.
Ironic, considering her name.
She shook her head.
After all, she had some of her own. Some that went as deep as Winter’s.
Lyra felt like she was falling. Why was she being like this? She knew that Winter was stubborn, but this...this was for her life! She wouldn’t be fine, she wasn’t listening. She was treating Lyra like she was just a tiny child again and the wolf found herself growing angry. She had once thought that it would be impossible to get her worked up, but throughout the cycles that she’d been alone she’d found that it was nearly impossible to avoid negative emotions.
So when Winter pushed past her, she whipped around and stepped in front of her, lip curling.
She tried to put on a determined expression - she tried to look angry and dangerous so that Winter would back away, but she couldn’t keep the fear out of her eyes. Not for herself, but for her mother and what she was beginning to realize she’d have to do if Winter wouldn’t stop.
Lyra flinched when Winter stood to her level, the flaring of the hood alerting her to how emotional she was getting. Unfortunately, she knew that the threat Winter was displaying was empty. Lyra knew her too well - she was kind. She was gentle. She wouldn't hurt her or anyone she loved. Lyra began to tremble, tears collecting at the corner of her eyes. She knew what she had to do - but did she have the strength to do it?
She had to. For her mother's sake. A surge of sudden bravery and strength that she had never carried before flooded through her veins. She stepped forward, the fear in her eyes intensifying and the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.