Larksong Grotto a dance with death

This forest made Bellflower feel a bit more at home. At least she was no longer staring at the burnt face of a mountain. Nova Peak had depressed her more than she cared to admit. Her home pack, Oakstead, revered nature and the changing of the seasons, so the thought of a forest fire scared her. She thought of all the little animals who had tried, successfully or not, to flee once the fire had started. All the birds crowding the sky, escaping the flame and smoke. All the burnt corpses of those who had not made it out littering the ground up there… She gulped and shuddered and put the thought from her mind.

There was a pool in the center of this forest, but she was at the top of the “staircase” that led down to, and the way looked dangerous. The rocky path—not that there really was a path—looked slippery. One false step and she could find herself slipping and sliding and tumbling down to the bottom. She would probably break every bone in her body if that happened. Was it worth the risk just for a drink? She was sure there were other water sources nearby that didn’t require a dance with death to reach…