Moonspear Essence of peppermint

The Netherwoods - Anyone!

Toad couldn't remember the last time she had seen the sun. The days had been so dreary that she could hardly stand to remain at the rendezvous point any longer, descending once more to the forested base of her mountain home. The pines immediately gave her a strange sense of relief; perhaps it was the oxygen they released, or maybe the scented oils of their bark, that made her feel calm. Whatever the case, it was as good a day as any to take a walk through the Netherwoods.

For a time, the company she kept was only the squirrels that bounded from the branches overhead to avoid her. Their angry chatter and alarm calls hardly deterred her, but they didn't make for a pleasant afternoon walk.

Toad kept her coffee-coated ears sharp, listening for rustles in the undergrowth of ferns that might suggest a rabbit or wood rat. She was always ready to launch into hunting mode, though without her packmates she wouldn't be able to catch much.