Herbalists' Cache in your dreams to release you

@Eros set a couple hours after this thread

His encounter with the strange, brusque boy has left him feeling oddly confident. The nameless stranger had oozed danger despite his youth, and Zephyr still can't get the image of those pale fiery eyes out of his head — yet he'd left the encounter unscathed. It makes him feel untouchable, at least temporarily, so he lingers in the forest awhile longer.
By the time the sun starts its descent, he finds himself wandering near the southern end of the woods where they meet the mountain that separates them from the Emberwood. Far from where he'd met the nameless boy, and he finds he prefers it that way. He hadn't disliked him, exactly, but thinking about his eyes still sends shivers down his spine. He definitely dislikes that. He pauses as a metallic scent suddenly catches his attention, gaze finding the trail of red spots in the snow only a few moments later. The scent surrounding them is unfamiliar to him, and he can't help moving to investigate it more closely, though he knows it won't bring him any closer to learning what sort of animal had left the blood trail. Not immediately, anyway — but maybe if he remembers the scent, he'll find out later.