Emberwood carolina

The simple clarity that Redd had missed in the rise, somehow, she found here.  Although they moved life was simple.  She roamed with Ruckus.  She hunted with the pack.  She grew stronger.

The days grew shorter and the nights colder.  As Ruckus slept, Redd stared upwards, observing the stars with a calm contentedness that seemed all encompassing.  Truly; all she needed was this.

An owl sounded nearby.  Redd stood and silently made her way past, seeking a space where the sky was more open.  The shadow of the same bird wheeled over, then disappeared, as she slipped into a small clearing.  Here she settled once more.

She would remain only a short time before returning.  As content as she was, there were things she missed.  The stars helped her to remember.  They all felt closer, somehow, despite knowing things would never again be whole in the way they were.