Spring's blessing melts the icy hard earth. Prey animals begin filling the forest with the sounds of daily life, which means that Artemis and her band of hunters are bringing back more meat than ever before. It's finally safe enough for the pack to pass through the grasslands and settle in the mountains.
Sappho secures new territory for Lesbians at the mountain's base. A nearby lake provides sweet water. Though the unfamiliar scenery will take some getting used to, most pack members seem at ease here.
Artemis picks up a stray pup. Though she is cowering and slightly malnourished, Artemis manages to convince the pup to follow her to camp after catching the orphan a quick, hot meal. After they arrive home, Artemis arranges for a temporary pupsitter to nurse the little one back to strength. Day by day her energy returns, and Artemis is grateful that the fairness of Spring has not overlooked them. Sappho finds it cute just how much Artemis frets over the littlest one. Artemis names the newest addition to the family Seasalt.
The oldest adolescents practice their hunting skills around camp, anxious for the day they too will be able to form their own band of huntresses. The current hot topic among them seems to be choosing a name for themselves. The girls' days are spent training and learning. Seasalt watches them with great interest.
Things have been going well for Lesbians. Summer in the mountains have come and gone. With the changing of the seasons the youngest pack members have all reached adulthood, except for Seasalt. The rest of the youngsters have formed and named their hunting patrol "The Steady Fangs," a name they may or may not grow to be embarrassed by as they age.
Seasalt doesn't mind being left out. She has declared herself a future scout, planning to take over once Mags decides to step down.
Autumn flies by in a blur. The wolves awake some mornings to flurries dusting the landscape. How will the pack fare during its first ever winter at the mountain base?
Goldenflower decides to step down from her position as scout to live as the resident pupsitter.
Seasalt, now finished with her apprenticeship, becomes a scout herself. Mags and Goldenflower are proud.
Mags herself feels her body getting older. She won't be able to keep up scouting duties forever. Artemis and Sappho offer Mags a jellyfish ceremony upon the old wolf's retirement. Mags takes time to consider the special ceremony rumored to make a wolf immortal before informing the queens that she will wait until her seventh year. If she survives that long, she will undergo the jellyfish ritual. The queens accept.
All remaining frost dissappears into the elements as the season clock turns its hands to Spring.
Though Winter is now over, The Huntresses and The Steady Fangs still struggle to start the days off well-fed. Even Sappho has trouble dragging home prey that once came easily to her. The pack attributes their weakened skills to having moved terriroties less than a year ago. The change of pace reminds each Lesbian that circumstances can change without warning.
A yet unnamed adolescent with a snow-colored pelt happens upon Lesbian land. Seasalt signals the rest of the pack with a howl before charging at the stranger herself. Seasalt comes away with scars, but enjoys the battle so much that when the queens arrive to save her Seasalt begs them to consider letting this newcomer in. The snow-colored wolf is indeed strong. She is also wary, until realizing that this is the Lesbians pack she had come all this way to find. Amused by the adolescent's innate skill and good nature, Sappho and Artemis allow her in on a trial basis.
Goldenflower works on her pupsitting proficiency by taking in and teaching mountain strays. Venus, the previous pupsitter, advises and guides Goldenflower when not out hunting. When the pups reach adolescence they are released back into the wild, armed with enough basic skills to fend for themselves and find new homes.
It's starting to get crowded. Sappho gets to work on expanding Lesbian territory yet again.
