It was nice to be outside again, at least for longer than what was required to stretch her legs for ten minutes and take care of business. By no means was Vesper completely healed still, but her limp was not as prominent as she walked out of the guest house where she’d been resting since her arrival in the clan territory. She was slightly less bandaged than before, some of her smaller gashes closing up and able to heal naturally; it was nice to feel the wind on them. It was nice to feel the wind in general.
She lifted her muzzle against the cool breeze, letting it ruffle her tawny coat. Now that she didn’t feel half dead, and the threat of someone brutally murdering her in her sleep was out of her mind, she allowed herself a small smirk of contentment before reclining on the porch like a scruffy dog.
The scent of flowers from the garden growing around the mansion made her lift her head after a while, and she knew she wanted to get moving again, as nice as it felt to simply relax. She gingerly rose to all fours and jumped slowly down from the porch, landing on the sidewalk. Days ago, a move such as that might have opened up one of her wounds, but she was feeling confident now, confident enough to trot toward a clump of the plants.
A quick investigation showed that some of them were already dead, possibly from an early morning frost. Taking a seat, the coywolf stared at them stupidly, the browning leaves and the curled, withered petals.
Vesper frowned suddenly. And then she reached tentatively for something she’d pushed harshly away.
The change did not take as long as it had the first time; the first time, stress and confusion had dominated her mind. However, it was by no means quick. Limbs elongated and bones crackled; bandages stretched taut, and paws became hands. She quickly turned her head to analyze one of her injuries, making sure that it hadn’t reopened under the stress.
And that done with, Vesper remained hunkered down in front of the flower, balancing precariously on her haunches. She reached out for the dead flowers, fingers clasping around their stems, and picked them.
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