Northstar Vale Surgery is just stabbing something back to life.

Set after the Vesp/Reiko thread

In the evening Hime felt a chill descend upon the vale. The heat of the day was slowly fading, although some level of humidity would persist at a comfortable level and give them all a relaxing blanket of warmth as sleep came upon the members of the empire.

From among the trees came tiny drifting lights. As the sky darkened they became stronger, brighter. They rose from tangled branches in most cases, or the parched grass of the rolling hills. Meanwhile, the ponds and rivers within the vale sprung to life of their own in the form of frog song. 

It would have been lovely, had it not been so immeasurably dull. A deep sigh pulled its way out of Hime as she prowled along, She found the scent of a rabbit among the conifers but did not pursue it, despite the feeling of hunger in the depths of her belly. She did give a cursory glance of the fields - perhaps to seek out a guardian to order in to a hunt - but saw only the scattered lightbugs.

Another deep sigh came to her then, and she tasted something in the air. Her brow quirked, her lips pursing in to a hm? There was something familiar there, too... Sweet milk, and -- Reiko? But why would the Empress carry the scent of blood with her...?