Winter had seized the lands in her cold, unforgiving embrace. The grounds were coated with a layer of cold snow that crunched beneath each step. Today, the sun was bright and high, shining its warmth across the cold, frozen lands. The clouds had cleared leaving a beautiful blue sky that stretched across an endless expanse. The lake reflected the blue, forest, and mountains in the background creating a mirror that seemed like the world had reversed upon itself while ice devoured its edges.
Enya fussed at the entrance of a den dug deep. She'd spent days working on the den, carving through the frozen ground beneath a tall oak tree. The stubborn root that she'd fought against had been ripped out and now formed a nice archway to stabilize the entrance of the den. She picked at the bushes that partially hid the entrance and chewed at the branches that obstructed the perfect view. She didn't have long to fuss and make it perfect. She needed to get cleaned up!
"This will just have to do." she muttered to herself just after she snapped a twig between her teeth on the way out. When spring came and winter released its hold, the shrubbery should grow back nicely to hide the den. It would be perfect. With a giddy pep in her step, Enya pranced her way down from the den through the clearing between the tree lines and to the frozen shore. Her tail flicked behind her as she carried it high, feeling proud of her efforts. When she paused at the shore, she looked down at herself in the ice, a pleased smile on her face. Her head turned and her scales glittered from the sun along her neck and chest. "Mmmm" she judged herself. Pleased, but not perfect. Enya waded out onto the ice with little thought of how thin it might be. When she reached a point where water and ice met one another, she reached down her paw and splashed the bitter cold water across her chest and legs. She was dusty from the last-minute touch-ups of the den and it was simply unacceptable.
Her teal gaze looked skywards for the sun. It was at its highest point. Caedwyn would be arriving soon. She stepped away from the edge of the ice and back to the shore, then made a point to sit prim and proper in a patch of snow that was clean and undisturbed. She sat and waited to see her marrow break through the tree line and find her sitting, waiting for him.