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Winter was finally over even if the snow was still thick in places where the sun has yet to hit. The dense spruce forest was one such place where the snow still coated the ground while the meadows around were starting to go green. Large paws crunched through this snow as a star pelted bear made their way towards where the sun was starting to shine. Thick ears flicked at the sides of her head as light blue eyes glanced upwards. Birds flitted around all atwitter as the air had started to warm. Shaking the light dusting of snow from her pelt, the bear exited the trees and stretched large wings at her sides. It was so nice to stretch after sleeping for so long, she had slept through the last winter storm. Folding her wings back down, Big Mama raised her head up and sniffed at the air. It smelt clean and fresh though the mud at her paws made things messy.

"Seems the seasons have started to change once again." she commented looking around as a couple songbirds fluttered past.

While the air was light and warm, something felt off about it. Big Mama frowned as something itched at the back of her mind. An itch that was going to be hard to scratch.. Something was wrong and she was going to find out what was causing this itch. Giving her wings one last shake, the small sprouts of grass waving beneath them as she started off.


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The den she had once shared with her mate had become colder. That all too familiar warm spot was one of ice now. The space sounding bigger each time she entered and exited with her comings and goings. Alaska sighed downheartedly as she was all alone, Memphis had vanished one her. She didn't know where he had gone, just... Poof it seemed. No word or even a sound. Shaking her head, dark mane waving in the shadows of what was considered home, her sightless eyes staring into the darkness.

"Where did he go? Why did he leave? Was I too much of a burden to him that he chose to just give up and leave me after all this time?" She asked as cold tears slid down her cheeks.

Lowering her head to about her hooves, Alaska sobbed letting the tears chill and fall to the earth beneath her. The home grew even colder now that there was no one to answer her questions. She was alone. Utterly alone... That is until she heard something behind her, the quiet foot falls of someone approaching cause her to pause. Ears twitching, Alaska listened silently, these were not the steps of her mate. They were of someone else, was there someone coming to drive her away from all that she had known? Many questions flooded her mind atop all the rest that drifted around.

"Hello my little lamb" came that all too familiar voice, one that made Alaska sob even harder.

"Big Mama" came a squeak that was considered her voice. "He's gone. Left without even saying a thing. I don't know what to do."

The starry pelted bear stopped outside the home of Alaska and glanced around. It was eerily quiet here. Where she had been met by a black and red stallion now only stood the blue mare. This made the bear frown as she took to changing forms. Pelt shrinking to just covering her head and back. Horse form she ducked her head before entering the den and wrapping a wing around Alaska causing the mare to bury her face into the pelt.

"What do you mean just left? That doesn't sound like the stallion you loved." Big Mama said as she glanced around. The den was dark, though the dim lighting wasn't much of a hindered her sight. The place was not what it had been, only the scent of Alaska lingering as if there had been no stallion there at all. This caused her to frown even more before turning her head to look towards Alaska. "Come on, lets get you out of here and we can figure something out."

Alaska, her face still buried in Big Mama's pelt, gives a small and stiff nod. With a wing still draped over Alaska's back, Big Mama lead the sobbing mare from what was called home. Back out into the open air it was a chance for the two to breath, though Alaska refused to move too far from the one thing that was in solid existence.

"Spring has arrived, yet it leaves you in sorrow. Must we find this heartless one and shred him to four winds?" Big Mama asked as a shrewd joke, but knew what the answer was going to be. "No, no I suppose not, but I would be having a firm talk should he return. I am always protective of my lambs, no matter how big they have grown." She looked back to Alaska who was slowly getting herself together, but this was going to be a long road.

From the bushes not too far away, something rustled at the branches before muddy looking paws and soft sand colored fur pulled itself free. Shaking the leaves from her pelt, Denali the faithful bear familiar to Alaska paused and glanced at the pair. She had heard tale of the Walker from the north, but now understood the things to be true, "I leave for a few months of winter rest and I come back to this? What happened?!" The old bear asked as she noticed Alaska once more burying her face into the walker's pelt.

"It seems that the one dear to her vanished. And you were sleeping?" Big Mama said with a small tilt of her head as she glanced at the Grizzly colored bear. "Is that what you southerners do when the white snow falls?"

"Of course I hibernate, it is one time I can get a little peace. I just never thought that one of these season's to come back to that stallion gone." Denali sat back onto her rump as she glanced up at Alaska. "All these seasons. Never would I have thought that this would happen. I am sorry I was not here when you needed me most Alaska. Had I known, I wouldn't have gone so far."

Alaska shook her head as she pulled away from Big Mama to nuzzle against her closest friend. "It is not your fault Denali, neither of I could have known that he would just vanish without a trace. Perhaps it is the fate we are being handed." There was still sadness in her voice and tears on her cheeks, but there was also a bit of forgiveness. It wasn't her familiar's fault for not knowing, none of them could have known that Memphis, her stone over the many seasons would leave. For now, she had to do something, get her mind off the loss... Just she wasn't too sure as to what. Did she have somewhere else to go? Others that would be happy to see her? Even if she couldn't exactly see them?

"Perhaps it is time to find one of those friends of yours. You had a few in your younger seasons. I know at one time you were smitten with one blue stallion." Denali said as if reading Alaska's mind, though it was written clearly on her face.

"Once upon a time maybe, but I am sure that Ash has a family of his own now. Children to look after, can I really drop in on him like this?" Alaska questioned as she didn't seem to know.

"Ash?" Big Mama mused over as she stepped over beside Alaska and looked down at the familiar before looking back at Alaska. "Even if he has a family, you need to be somewhere that is not here. And having a friend around will help. Perhaps it is the best thing."

"I don't even know where he lives. It has been so long and I have traveled so much. Everything feels the same to me these days. So disconnected." Alaska says in sadness as it seemed her mood dampened again.

"Leave the finding to me, I remember his scent even after the seasons." Denali said before she turned and ambled back into the brush, before her head poked back out to glance at the walker. "You take care of her. Strong she acts sometimes, but she can be as fragile as spider silk."

Big Mama blinked at the bear before it vanished into the bushes and seemed to vanish besides of rustling here and there. Shaking her head, she looked back to Alaska. "Interesting company you keep. I always worried you would have no one, but it seems that even when one does vanish you have others. This warms me greatly. Now, while the sun is still warm, lets us find you something to eat. Spring has sprung and it is time to be happy, even in these uncertain times."

Alaska gave a small nod, though she didn't feel like enjoying the spring. She didn't know if she would ever get over the fact she felt abandoned. But with at least someone with her, she was willing to try and move past it. Slowly, ever so slowly..

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