The Heartwood this skin is tainted by wasted days

praimfaya realizes as she nears the heartwood that she will find no prey here. it is a wasteland. charred stumps and ash that lingers on the scarred earthen floor, on the bottoms of the charred stumps is almost confused for snow. she doesn't think she's ever seen fire before but it is evident that something tragic occurred. further evidenced by the gut feeling that no life would remain here. only fools such as herself, driven by the famine, by the wont to feed her kru would come here in a desperate attempt to find a migrating herd.

there are still none to be found.

and, though praimfaya knows the heartwood will offer her nothing she does not fancy traversing all the way around it to get to the next territory. with the greying sky of an overcast morning to guide her she begins her slow trek thru the ruins, still hopeful enough to keep an eye out for any tracks she might happen upon.