Northstar Vale tamlin

Her fortunes took a sharp turn in the waters of the vale. Druid fished for hours that first day, eating until her belly bulged and pulled her skin tautly across her exposed rib cage. She retreated to a shady thicket and slept there that night and several more thereafter, venturing out only to fish now and again. For the first time since departing Rivenwood, she felt she could sit still and rest in one place for a while, at least until she regained her stamina.

Today, she ate and drank from the stream before using it for another purpose. She waded into an eddy, dipping down until all but her head disappeared underwater. Druid loitered there for a few moments, then stepped back onto the shore and spent more than an hour fastidiously grooming herself.

As she ran her tongue over her damp furs, Druid’s thoughts wandered. She decided she would shed her name in favor of something new. She supposed she could continue using Penn, yet that left a bitter taste in her mouth. Rising to all fours, she shook out her freshened coat and cast her eyes about for Bracelet, who spent her days sunbathing on one river stone or another.

You’ll need a new name too, she murmured to the serpent once she found her.