[Dixie]

    After everything that had happened, she still felt a questioning in her belonging in the pack. She had taken the rank of Keeper backup, willing to do it for now until they found a suitable replacement. Someone needed to raise the youth of Tortuga, and she had the most experience. There was a worry that she might get comfortable and not want to give it up in the future. Too many things tore Dixie into different directions. She decided to try and ignore the future, and focus on the present. Even though there were no pups running about yet, she had decided to find a good clearing for the future. Somewhere safe in the packlands, close enough to the major areas but far enough to give the children space. The pack had a habit of birthing rowdy children that had a big sense of exploring, and she figured it would be good to be a step ahead of the children.

    After scouting for an area, she settled on an area that seemed to slope in one direction. Trees were all around, but the branches tended to be higher than Dixie herself. If there was cleaning to be done, or anything needing to be moved, she would do that once she knew there were going to be children. For now, she had a location in mind and felt that her work was good enough. There weren’t many preparations when there is no one expecting. Dixie went on with what she wanted to do: explore. She had been anywhere she could access, but she still didn’t feel like her paws were meant for the land yet. Even if she knew where she was going, she felt like she didn’t fully know. It was like there might be a mystery in her path, something to mess with her.

    Dixie came to a stop towards the cliff, close to where Tortuga connected to the rest of the world. The sky had begun to grow dark, the sun already gone, but slight light still illuminating the land. If she tried to look, she could see the path that ran as the only way to and from the pack. Her eyes looked at the waters below. That was how she had planned to escape, before the pack changed. She planned on trying to build a raft, and would ride away from the packlands. Now she looked at the water, feeling a fear. Maybe that was good, it might mean she was understanding and accepting her place once again in the pack. Things were changing, she had been hoping for a change.