ooc:
The winds became cooler with the breath of autumn rolling across the lands, turning the leaves and balding the branches, shrouding the fragrant landscape with hues of changing umber and vibrant red-orange tones. A lovely sight to behold, and it made the woman smile as she ventured across her own land, gathering the last of the late blossoms to honor the vibrancy that had been seen the season before, and pray to the Ancestors that such life and beauty would be seen again after the winter passed.
Around her growing frame was an elk-skin satchel brimming with flora and colorful leaves. Perhaps collecting the like was not as productive, but it gave the woman a reason to smile albeit small and slight, yet enough to shine through. The mood of the Family had changed as of late. When life was meant to bring elation and joy, there was a quiet acceptance and little more than that. The helpful paw and a kind glint in the eye, but the exuberance was lacking. Not at all the air of celebration she would have experienced among the Collective. But then... this newfound collective was only a part in name. It did not share the wholehearted ideals, and in her heart she began to wonder if they ever would.
These little walks gave her time to think as well as enjoy the day for what it was. Cool and calm with the subtle touch of the warm sun, the closest she would feel to the loving touch of an older force, bequeathing its happiness for what she carried. Bittersweet, but she was glad for it and could smile beneath the wild veil of red. And with a spring to her weighted gait, she crossed the borders into the free lands to continue to pluck the last remnants of Spring and Summer.