The Heartwood things lost to the flames

for @Varick. miyako's personal timeline: backdated a little bit to after her thread with Rouge (which takes place immediately following our trio thread, before this thread with Howl

For the majority of her journey, the Teekon Wilds had been a land of abundant beauty and resources. Even the northern wilds, with its glaciers and tundra, carried a type of rugged charm. It surprised her, then, to wander into a place where no life was found. It took her breath away.

It had once been a great forest, but it had been reduced to a barren wasteland. Corpses of tall trees halved by the flames stood stark and white. Underfoot, the dirt was mixed with ashes. Feeling grief for a place she had never known, Miyako padded through morosely, trying to see if there was any small game to be found hiding in the wreckage.

She came to a small stream eventually, whose water was mostly clear, a little cloudy from the ashes that had tumbled down from its steeper banks. This seemed to be where the only life could be found here; slim silver fish darted out from rocks every once in a while, making the trek to more fertile waters. And there was still some greenery beneath the surface.

Miyako took a drink, grimacing a bit at the acrid taste. She looked down into the ripples, wondering if she should try her luck at fishing in this solemn place.