Neverwinter Forest and i wish i’d known that you were bleeding while i sat and watched you reading

astara roved — but not for the witch. 

her nose carried her far through the pine-studded forest, into a dark grove of conifers where little else grew but moss and ferns. 

she found scant things to stave the hag’s wounds, but her nose did detect something else... the barest thread of wolf-markings, seemingly of wolven origin. 

senses on alert, astara tracked back towards merrick and his new friend, a fistful of leaves and moss held within her jaws. she could smell nothing save the odiferous, almost astringent lichen held in her mouth — and as such, completely missed the owner of the markings she had discovered earlier. 

astara made a point to walk past the crone towards her lover; she was old, and in astara’s eyes her life was forfeit. merrick would get the choice bits of the meager plants astara had found — and the wizened hag could get whatever piecemeal scraps were left. fixing the hooded she-wolf with an insolent glare, astara silently dared her to outcry, eager to place a fang in that old bag’s hide. 

after all, merrick was hers and hers alone —  and astara would stay by his side long after this ugly crone withered to dust.. which from the looks of it, would be quite soon.