She had loved the forest once - loved the dappled light that filtered through the canopy of trees - loved the bracken and the ferns that grew thick and tangled. She had been a creature of nighttime forests, wandering through aspen groves and stands of ancient evergreens. She and her lover had lingered and wandered and loved the forests together. Now she fears those places - the closeness of the trees, the blind turns, the creatures that linger within.
Tonight, loneliness cries into the hollows of her. She tries not to think of him. Every time she does there is a flash of tooth and claw and blood - the violent reality of her loss clenching her heart and pricking tears from her eyes.
She stands alone in the most open place she can find, away from any trees or shelter, bathed in the cold starlight of this night. She sighs heavily, eyes as black as the deep wood glassy with unshed grief. She cannot stay here forever, unsheltered and alone. She knows the dangers of even being seen here during this season, but she cannot face the trees and their false safety. Tonight, she will stay here and weather whatever may come.
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f r o n d
6 yo, black leopard, friesian x knabstupper, mare |
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