Grouse Thicket my bones can be scorched

botany thread 1

upon the isle, her mother had been a skilled healer. kukutux could think of no better way to honour the one that had borne her than by following in that path. after a period of carefully observing the plants she could see beneath the snow of the keep, the girl ventured out into the land beyond.

wary were her steps, for from beneath cry's eye, she was unprotected. and yet there was a certain freedom to being in the wild lands alone. kukutux had brought with her the rabbitskin; it lay across her shoulders, gathering a light blanketing of snow as the yearling moved toward a thicket rife with the scent of a bird she did not recognize.

they exploded upward in a cacophony of twittering, and kukutux jerked, startled. the pelt slid from her spine, and she exclaimed gently in irritation, pausing to shake it free of its burden and readjust it upon her withers again. when she lifted her head, however, the shadow of a large wolf marked the snow, and the duck held her breath, eyes wide upon the approaching figure.