Ghost Lion Crag for the trees that we see cannot forever breathe, with the changes they will confront

Weejay didn’t much like leaving her home these days, but the most recent quake had startled her into running.. and before she knew it, she wasn’t home anymore. 

She had taken refuge under a pair of shivering elms, waiting until the quake passed with wide eyes. She missed Elfie horribly in this moment; she almost found herself regretting not going with him.. She couldn’t leave Daddy, and even though it was only a bit away, Weejay was a homebody: she liked the familiar, and loved the way her garden had grown. Now it was a patch of stubble given all the coldness, but even then Weejay looked upon her garden empire with pride. 

The last of the grinding had gone away, but Weejay remained parked in the pine straw. For the first time, she realized how silent the earth was — no birds singing, no sound of rodents underfoot.. just an eerie, suffocating hush that filled her with more dread than the rattling had.

The winds whisked through the dark hairs of his pelt, ruffling him considerably as he passed beneath the towering stone structures that rose up along either side of him. He had moved swiftly through the wooded terrain and had found himself nearer to the coast – though not close enough that he would suffer from the touch of the disaster that was taking place there. Cavendish knew very little about what had caused this portion of the world to enter such a state of terror, and he feared that there would never be an end to it. Still, the limber creature did not seem to be halted by the frightening movements of the earth.
 
The prince lowered his head to the earth, drinking in the scent of the unfamiliar terrain. There were hints of other beasts there, though their aroma had faded considerably. Cavendish could only make out one other who was near to him. With an increase in his steps, the royal closed a great deal of the distance between them and finally latched the warm mahogany of his gaze on a silver and grey stranger.
 
A chuff was all that sounded to announce his presence. Cavendish approached with a smooth smile and a gentle swaying of his long tail.

In that strange quiet a light tread commenced, ending the almost unendurable silence. Weejay lifted her gaze to see a specter approach — instinctively she pressed to the dappled-shadows, for the wolf that approached was like no wolf she had ever seen. 

It was too late to remain undetected; Weejay met the copper eye with a flinching blink, unsure of the limber man and his stilt-like, feathery appearance. His countenance seemed friendly, but unlike the other strangers Weejay had met, he was much older and male to boot. Holding close to the trunk Weejay felt her frame shiver, eyes latched with some shade of apprehension in the beast that gradually lurked closer.

The younger beast seemed to cower upon sighting him. It was not the first time that his appearance had inspired such an uneasy response. When he had first arrived in the Teekon Wilds, there had not been a soul who had treated him normally. Cavendish had expected nothing less of the wildlings in that world. He had come from a family of royalty; he had never been intended to look like them. The prince did not wish to frighten the younger girl away from him, though. He held his ground some several paces away from her and lowered his crown toward the earth, attempting to make himself smaller.
 
“Hello there, darling,” the Davenport greeted in a honey-sweet tone. The narrow length of his muzzle curled into a gentle smile, creating crinkles near the edges of his bister stare. Cavendish did not dare to move closer to her without seeing a transformation take place on the girl’s face; he did not wish to frighten her more than she already was.

Weejay felt ashamed of her fear, but she couldn't help it. This man reminded her of the spirits the stranger in the swamp had mentioned -- and maybe he was a spirit, come to take her. He was so lean, and dark, and lurky -- everything about him seemed more spectral than terrestrial.

He smiled at her, his posture held perfectly -- the curl of his lips almost gently welcoming. Weejay felt a bizarre rush of two conflicting emotions overtake her then -- safe and dangerous at once,  it's okay I was just being a little silly and but my gut says something else.. Wrestling with these, Weejay gave back a shy smile but did not move. "Are you a spirit?" The girl asked, bashful and still feeling a sense of terror beat through her blood.