The Heartwood Ashen Remains

At the close of her trip with Keen, Bridget still wasn’t sure where they stood, and she’d decided not to press it at the time. She’d seemed so torn over encountering her old family home and finding it abandoned, any other conversation seemed selfish while she struggled to work through those emotions. She’d been supportive and together they’d gone north, but Bridget wondered how much she’d actually managed to help. For once she felt a little out of her depth; family counseling was another matter entirely, one her track record didn’t exactly reflect well on.

She’d stuck to the caldera a while on her return but things seemed to be smooth there. It was almost as if she hadn’t left; confident she would scarcely be missed, she set out again, this time to gather more supplies to stock away for summer and fall.

Bridget took a deep breath, seeking the telltale crisp scent of mint, but was surprised to detect a stranger on the wind instead. It had been a while since she’d encountered a random traveler. Smiling, she adjusted her course, coming upon them and leaving some distance so that she hopefully wouldn’t startle them or make them think she had a problem with their presence. This place wasn’t claimed, as far as she knew. If it was they’d both be in trouble.

Hey! She called out cheerfully, tail raised in greeting. You lose something? The way she had her face to the ground made that Bridget’s first guess.