Frozen Ones

A young wolf wandered into these lands in much the same way she'd wandered into this world: cold, lonely, and without a name to call her own. Upon her arrival was the first time she'd ever been asked the simple question.

"What is your name?"

A name... that was something she had never had. She was a pup born in the dead of winter, the only survivor in a litter of four. There was no need for a name when there were no siblings to tell her apart from. She and her mother were alone. The only name she'd ever needed to know as a pup was that of Winter. Winter, her mother had explained, was all around. It was the wind that howled over the land and wrapped her up in icy hugs. It was the delicate little snowflakes that fell and landed on her face like tiny kisses. It was all she knew, and all she needed to know. 

"Danu."

The name came to her as a whisper in the back of her mind and rolled off her tongue as easy as an owl glides through the trees. With it came a sudden gust of wind, a familiar wind that caressed her cheek and chilled the tip of her nose. Her name was a gift from Winter. Who was she to refuse it? 

She claimed a den on top of the mountains she saw in the distance. It was the closest she could get to Winter for now, and the cool winds that wound their way up and around the rocky cliffs almost felt like home. But nothing would replace Winter's cold embrace for her. She would find her way back to it. She had to. She only needed time and a pack. And, perhaps, someone with which to pass the time...