Blackfeather Woods and then one day you find ten years have got behind you

He found her hidden away and nibbling on something, and when he crept closer he found an exposed medicine cache that smelled intensely herbal; it was a scent he knew well and at times, one he sought out. This time though, Mou was looking for Maegi and when he found her, she had eaten most of the poppies. He came up beside her just as she ingested the last one and, unable to help himself, let out an airy whine. Mou worried about her; he remembered the last time she took too many poppies and it had been a terrifying moment—an enlightening one as well, but primarily he recalled feeling powerless and afraid.

Perhaps the best thing he could do was be present. She began to trail her way through the woods, and so Mou kept himself close. He was a ghost among the trees, and it was easy enough to slink along. In her current state Maegi wouldn't be going very fast. But he hung back, drifting closer to a smaller cache a few feet along the trail, and was suddenly conflicted. He wanted to be an anchor for her in this moment but the draw of the medicinal cache was almost too hard to ignore.