Emberwood We'll sing a song of days gone by

For the first time since the conception of her daughters, Reverie parted from the willows. She left them to @Everett's care, promising she would be back before two days had passed. She just needed time to think. She wanted to see the valley.

Reverie worried for her daughters, of course. How could she not? But they were nearly fully weaned now, and she had no intention of raising them into the same dependence Blossom still showed. They would learn to cope without her for short stretches, she was sure.

The travel was hard on her still-healing body, but it felt good to be alone. Reverie pressed on until she reached the edges of the Emberwood, near enough to Swiftcurrent Creek's claim that she caught the scents on the breeze, before she knew that she would need to turn back. It was tempting to skirt around, continue on to Kvarsheim and her father's warm welcome there, but she'd promised Everett. And her daughters would surely be distraught.

So she turned to reluctantly retrace her steps, lost in thought now. Their corner of the wilds truly was secluded. She'd hardly encountered any wolf scents along the way; a curse and a blessing all in one. No one would disturb them as they departed the willows, but it would be many miles before they reached a pack that might harbor them. She didn't plan on lingering at Swiftcurrent Creek.

Distracted as she was, she scarcely heard the rustling overhead. If she had, she might have moved before the last second — but the only warning she noticed was the splintering snap in the moment before a branch fell from overhead. Reverie ducked away with a surprised yelp. She wasn't sure when she ended up on the ground.

What she did know was that she wasn't as nimble as she'd once been, all the air was gone from her lungs, and she'd just barely gotten out of the way. And she was pretty sure she'd hurt herself on the way down. She rolled over with a soft groan, stretching out each of her legs gingerly to test them. The last thing she needed was another broken leg.

Nothing was broken, but she was bleeding. Reverie studied the gash on her foreleg with a small sigh. Everett would worry. @Reina would worry. But there was nothing to be done for it now. She pulled herself to her feet and shook her fur out, determined to be on her way again. She would just have to be more careful.