The Bracken Woods witiko wind, skeleton trees

hey, thanks for joining!

Although ghosts haunted his dreams, his nap had been mercifully peaceful and brief. Souvik felt more rested than he had in days. He yawned as he woke, and stretched out his legs and raked the red earth with his toes. He lugged himself up and out from his makeshift bed, tail swinging. After he shook out his coat, his black eyes started skipping over the nearby trees. His nose started twitching, and his expression grew vaguely puzzled. He glanced westward where more clouds had piled heavenward, then at the sun which had slipped a little further past its zenith.

With an agitated ear flick, Souvik scanned the woods in the direction of the path. He knew it snaked south for a while still, but he did not know how much further the woods extended.

There wasn't really anything he could do about that, however. He couldn't go back, and he didn't want to head toward those clouds. He could head east, but there was no guarantee the woods thinned out that way anytime soon either, and given the choice between path or no path, he'd have to pick the easier route. Souvik deflated as he swung back through the woods and met up with the trail. It slithered below the trees just as he'd left it, like a brown ribbon through a graveyard. Souvik studied it for a minute before trotting southbound again. Except, this time he did not feel so alone.

Perhaps he'd only imagined it, but he thought he smelled wolf when the breeze had shifted.