It's a brisk, quiet morning, and the warm days of summer are on their way out. Nestled in the hills of the windy prairie, in a sturdy old cabin looking over the horizon, lives a jaguar named Claire. She lived there by herself not long ago, accompanied only by her childhood friend, a bobcat named Olive. They've lived here as long as they can remember, but it was just this past winter that they met Luke, a coyote. Luke came from a nearby village, looking for someone who could heal his wounds. That happens to be Claire's forte.

One thing lead to another, and the three visited Luke's village for a little while, hurrying back home when the weather took a gloomy turn. As they returned, Claire saw a note on the cabin's door, left by a creature apparently living in an abandoned castle. 

After they first met, and as the days went by, Claire got closer to the stranger -- a vampire bat named Umbra -- and they ended up starting an unusual relationship. Ollie and Luke, meanwhile, are always seen together wherever they go. Again, one thing led to another, and now everyone lives under the same roof. It's a little cramped, sure, but it's been pretty pleasant for a good while. In fact, it's been a little more than six months since the cabin filled up like this. It's not as quiet as it used to be, which isn't entirely a bad thing, really.

The day's about to get started, and Claire's the first one to wake up, like always. She's already dressed up and headed out of her room, careful not to wake up her partner, and getting breakfast ready. It'll be a hearty one this time around; they're taking a long walk to the village later today.

By the time Ollie gets up and brings Luke along, Claire's already served eggs, bacon and pancakes with hot chocolate on the table. It's safe to say that they woke up with a mean appetite this time around.

The only one who hasn't woken up at this point is Umbra, hard at work on adjusting to a proper sleeping schedule. Not wanting the food to go cold, Claire took a plate to their room. There, she nudged Umbra out of her sleep.

"Good morning," she said with a hushed tone.

"Lemme sleep a li'l more," Umbra said as she stretched her wings with a strained groan. She then received an embrace and a kiss from Claire, which woke her up nicely.

After the quick meal to start off the day, the group dressed up and lumbered out the door. Like every other day, Claire was the last to exit the cabin, closing the door with a noisy creak. The wind is picking up today, flowing through the long summery grass, and there's not a cloud in sight, either.

"Another gorgeous day, huh?" Umbra remarks as she walks by Claire's side.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a change of pace," Claire says, looking a bit weary, "but it's pretty nice, still."

Strangely, for the past few weeks, Umbra's noticed a slow shift in Claire's demeanor, going from the lively spirit she showed when winter ended, to the calm, mellow look she has now. A visit to the village tends to ease her worries, but she wonders if something different is getting to her lately. Umbra hopes it's nothing too serious.