Haunted Wood tears for fears

[table width=80%][td]

she came from the south, where the forest reached on and blackened the landscape. she came as if called forth by the trees - a lumbering ent in pursuit of others which shared her traits. progress was slow, but there was progress still. when something blocked her path she would fight against it and prevail, coming out the other side as if there had never been an obstacle to begin with. the wolf was not swayed by the many twists and turns before her, nor the fallen oaks, the ancient elms, the rotted-out stumps that were netted by moss and fern alike. everything could be overcome - so she fought on, and came out the other side of the forest, far to the north of where she'd begun her efforts, and gasped a deep breath from the open air beyond the dark limits of the trees.

what met the behemoth's flared nostrils was something she was overjoyed to taste; there were wolves here. somewhere, either nearby or a mere day's march, maybe longer... but they were here. she wouldn't be alone any longer! poor juria. poor sweet juria, poor naive juria... there was no telling what sorts of adventure awaited her in this new place, and rather than take a moment to think about it - and potentially reconsider this life-altering decision and reverse course - she went against the vague unease that had settled through her bones, and plunged ahead. reaching strides carried her beyond the dark woodland at quite the clip, and as the spring air filled her lungs, she felt a renewed sense of hope.

her path led north, but not wholly out of the woodlands yet but close enough. each time her burly self crossed out of the shadows and each time her paws found purchase through soft grassland rather than the uneven dirt of the grove, she felt a spasm of glee shoot through her entire body; but there were always more trees, always more darkness. each gleeful moment was countered by its antithesis: the dark to balance the light, a dreadful feeling of worry to serve as catalyst to the freedom and delight. by the time she truly left the forest behind juria's easy lope had become a sluggish crawl. her raised head and bright expression had become more guarded, and then dulled - she didn't look up as she left behind the boughs of the last pine, barely noticed when the soundlessness of the open field met her ears rather than the creaking of the wood.

she had found freedom, but was numbed to it.

the light was all around her - but she saw her own cast shadow, long and dark against the moody sky; it was early evening now, and she felt a biting chill from a sudden wind. when juria did look up, she saw only greyness. the fading light of the sun. an errant star peeking through the navy clouds above - and it was like the forest hadn't ended.

[/td][/table]