The morning light cast shadows behind the trees, mist pooling at the feet of a young lioness. It covered the land like a blanket, but all she could feel was the chill down her spine. All night she had spent traveling, having taken refuge in the dark. Vigdis was young, and thought herself quite clever. How could she think anything less of herself? She was her father's daughter, told time and time again that there was greatness in her future if she merely reached out towards it. When she was a cub, it was inspiring. As a teenager her ego swelled with that knowledge. She was Vigdis, daughter of Mkhai and Zjarri'fol, and she was destined for greatness.
She sucked in a deep breath, tasting the morning dew as she steeled herself for the journey ahead. The woods were no place for children, but she was a child no longer. The Skadi roamed these parts, but she was convinced that she would not be drawn into their games. They would have to catch her first. Planting her back paws into the dirt, she sprung forward with a burst of energy and began her brisk run through the woods. She had to move quickly so that the whispers would not trap her.
He sighed deeply, as if he felt the burden of the world upon his shoulders. Green eyes followed the form of his daughter as she disappeared into the woods. He was not sure what he felt, and half a mind to leave his child to her fate. The God of Warriors was not the kind of parent to smother his children, and perhaps it was wrong to even claim him to be a parent. Surely, he had failed here. His daughter had run from him towards a fate that would not bode well for her. He had trained them to be strong, and others had trained them to be clever. His children would need both traits to succeed in a world where the odds were stacked against them.
The forest had claimed some of his children already, he realized grimly. Mkhai would not let them claim another. The children of his the Skadi had sheltered were more than a worthy price to pay for passage through the forest all those months ago. He had always hoped that within these woods, the children left here would find their own strength and purpose in the world. It was all he, as a father, could ask for. The children that remained under his care had a different future to serve and he would not have them stray from that path now.
In the morning light, he disappeared.
Her stamina failed her, and as her body began to grow weary as the sun climbed high in the sky her movements became careless. Her paw caught against an upturned root, and with a yelp she tripped over her legs and fell hard to the ground. Her white pelt became blemished by mud and dirt. "Ugh," she groaned, ignoring the ache in her leg as she picked herself up onto her feet.
Vigdis lifted her head, and felt her heart drop out of her chest. "...Father."
"Daughter." Mkhai stood before his child, his face set with a grim expression.