Set in the Dampwoods, can this please be backdated to the 16th of September please? Soran will be needed back in CD soon and I like to keep my walking times sort of ok, if that's alright with you?It was early afternoon, the bright sunshine was marred by several clouds that were floating across the sky, they were fluffy and white, not the dark grey clouds that had been so full of rain the day before. The air still smelt of the dampness of the previous day, although the forest floor was moderately dry, the canopy of yellowing leaves providing protection for the pine needle strewn ground against the soft patter of the rainfall yesterday. The tall trees were still covered in their usual summertime outfit, the heavy leaves bending smaller branches, they were fading now though, turning from their bright vivid greens into the golds and reds of autumn, the season would soon be turning after all, even now the birds were beginning to depart for the warmer, more southern climates. The morning chorus had been a lot quiter this morning, many of the less hardy birds having already left for their winter homes. The sunlight managed to break through the thick canopy of leaves though, leaving bright patterns on the forest floor, the light dancing with particles of dust in the air. All over small animals were collecting nuts and berries, some tangled brambles lay wrapped around the base of a tree, it was alive with mice, collecting the berries from it to store for winter, they seemed completely unphased by the black female sat perched on a low branch nearby, clearly knowing that she was too involved in her own thoughts to bother with them, especially as they would be such tiny morsels, barely worth even catching. The sable wolf was staring up at the sky, her jade eyes focused on something way up high, out of sight of the smaller animals, something far beyond the canopy of the trees. She was watching a hawk floating slowly high above the trees, watching it, for a moment she was jealous of its simple life, so much was happening within the lands, there was so much turmoil and trouble, Soran herself was filled with terrible guilt, she had allowed Anu to be captured, her leader, the mother of her grandchildren, her trusted friend, she could barely bear what had happened. She was jealous of the small bird there, it's life was so much more simple than hers, all it would consist of was, hunt, fly about, hunt again, eat, sleep. How the sable female wished for just a moment that she could have such a life.
This was fanciful though and she knew that, there was no way that her life would ever be so simple and in truth she would not want it to be, for although there were monsterous lows in her life, there were also incredible, wondeful highs. She would not trade them for the world, no, perhaps sometimes the hardships were worth it for the happiness that came after them. But she was starting to wonder if this sorrow would ever end, a darkness had fallen over the lands and it did not seem that there was any way out of it. Though sometimes it was darkest before the dawn, this much was true, she had read that in many books, perhaps this was one of those situations, perhaps soon the usual light of these lands would glimmer and gleam once more. The sable fae somehow doubted this though, even if the world did turn and everything went back to a time of peace, she doubted it would ever be the same again, it had not been so when Inferni had attacked Syemv and she didn't think it would be now. With a heavy sigh Soran pulled the knife from it's new resting place, she had fastened it to her upper leg in it's holster with a short leather belt, it was the best place for it, that way it was always to hand. She reached into her heavy canvas satchel, now a little lighter after she had deposited the gifts for Naniko's newest litter, and pulled from it a steel, slowly she began to sharpen the knife. This was one of her newest nervous habits, instead of fiddling with her hair she now prepared herself for any attack, there was a war happening within the lands and this time she would be ready, not like the night of the raid. The metal on metal made a satisfying sound to the jet pelted patrician as she sat upon the tree branch, she needed to keep this knife sharp now, she had found her family and new loved ones, she was not about to lose them to the enemy, not now. She was still her usual peaceful, friendly self, but times of war called for her more steely side and the truth was that she had survived a lot, she had enough steel to arm a battalion underneath the layers of soft motherly affection. There were not many things that could rile this female's temper, but threatening her home, her pack and her loved ones, well they were the three that would indeed provoke a reaction and Aniwaya had managed all three in one fell swoop. Oh yes, next time she would be ready.
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