Come down, come down sweet reverence

This was not at all what Jynn was expecting as she made her way back into Boreas. She was headed north to check out if the snow had started to fall but as she worked her way through the south she found herself in a spooky forest. A forest deemed the Soulless Forest. The forest was dark, the atmosphere seeming a dark charcoal gray and covered with a thin veil of mist all through out the forest. The trees seemed like dark silhouettes, covered here and there with sickly green vines. Other green plants grew along fallen limbs and she passed by a patch of plants with large toothed leaves. The trees still bore some green leaves and the humidity was sweltering. She crept along quietly, moving around moss covered logs and through the thickening mist.

Well, this certainly wasn’t the swamp. The young Abraxas had told her mother she was going to go exploring a bit, and she was clever enough to follow her own trail out of here if she had to, but she found herself drawn further in. She had started off by following a game trail, before a distant shimmering between the trees had caught her eye. She had looked to the well worn trail for a moment and drew in a deep breath, then looked back to the trees again. It was swaying from side to side, beckoning.

The first step was the hardest, but once the greenery was closing around her legs, she laughed joyfully and bounded forward. It was something stronger that was pulling her off the well-worn trail. Maybe it was fate?

Heavy footfalls announced her presence, her quills catching in the underbrush and vines as she continued to charge forward, giggling all the while. The will-o-wisp was gone by the time she reached her destination, a small clearing where they sun broke through the canopy, but it wasn’t enough to take the smile off her face. She spun one way, and then the other. There was beauty here. She allowed her eyes to drift shut as she inhaled the earthy scents around her. Abraxas really was amazing to share these wonders with them.

“Speech”

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn's large ears twitched at the distant sound of laughter echoing through the trees. To her ears it sounded off-key, strange in this misty, spooky forest. She froze, listening as the giggling got closer… and closer..

Jynn crouched down quietly in the brush, wondering if it was really possible to hide from a ghost. In a clearing up ahead a colorful yearling burst onto the scene, spinning and laughing and Jynn watched her for a moment. The girl seemed real enough. She wasn't see through and her paws hit the earth solidly with all the force of a real life creature.

Jynn stood and cleared her throat. "Hello there… uhhh, are you from around here?"

The voice was unexpected, but the girl didn’t startle, or flinch. Instead she turned towards her new companion with a smile, vibrant colours reflecting in the dappled light. Her excitement only grew more as her eyes found her new acquaintance. Why, she’d never seen anything like the woman before! She had big rounded ears and long, long legs! She was almost the cutest thing the Abraxas had ever seen! “Oh not at all!” she replied, her tail waving welcomingly behind her. “I grew up near the coast, but… well it’s a long story. We’re travelling, my family and I.” She offered instead with a grin, and then, with all the tact of a sheltered child she blurted “What are you?” The colour of her pelt was so vibrant, but not like Modesty and her siblings, and she still couldn’t bring herself to get over those spindly legs.

“Speech”

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky

Come down, come down sweet reverence

The yearling turned to great her with a smile and a wagging tail. She had to be one of the friendliest wolves Jynn had come across on her journeys. The girl wasn't from this area and had grown up on the coast so Jynn guess that the girl was out exploring, much like she was. Jynn smiled politely, not bothered at all by the question. She'd gotten it so many times before. "My name is Jynn, I'm a maned wolf." She dipped her head a little to reveal the longer fur that lined the back of her neck that seemed to stand up like a little mane or mohawk. "What's your name?"

The girl was happy her question wasn’t construed as deliberate rudeness. She was socially awkward, not a monster.

Modesty looked at the woman’s ruff with stars in her eyes, “Cool! I have spikes in mine!” She dipped her own head, giving a small shake to make the quills along her neck and over her shoulders rattle against each other. Almost as an afterthought, she remembered the other wolf had asked her name, “I’m Modesty. Are you going anywhere in particular, or are you just exploring like I am?” She asked Jynn, her tail still beating a staccato beat at her rear.

“Speech”

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn looked a little closer as the girl, Modesty, showed the spikes nestled in her own fur. There was no shortage of surprises in the wolves of Boreas, that was for sure. She often wondered what it would be like to have spikes or retractable claws but she was pretty average for her species apart from her brilliant violet eyes. "I'm just out exploring but I am headed to the northwest to a place called Locus Obscuro. I don't know much about it but I heard from another loner that its a strange cave and I kind of want to check it out for myself". As always, she enjoyed exploring with company, especially through potentially spooky places.

Ooo, what was that? A strange cave? The girls interest was piqued and it showed in her forward ears and slightly creased brow. The way her eyes lit up and her smile grew hopeful, her whole body seeming to lean forward ever so slightly. “That sounds so cool!” She exclaimed with genuine excitement. The world truely was full of wonders. But it hadn’t been an invitation, had it? It was merely a statement. She reined in her enthusiasm, relaxing all of her stance but the waving of her tail. Modesty’s head even dipped and tilted, hopeful. “Do you think I could come too?” She asked ever so sweetly.

“Speech”

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn nodded as Modesty stated that the cave sounded cool. She had to agree. That was part of the reason she wanted to check it out though she knew it could be hit or miss. Sometimes tips from other loners led to great finds and other times they just led to trouble, you just never really knew until you went for yourself. Modesty asked if she could come and Jynn perked up, glad that the girl had asked. She nodded rapidly. "Oh yes, honestly, I think traveling is more fun when you have someone to travel with and caves have a tendency to be a little spooky." While Jynn could fight, having had a run in with ghosts, she was a bit more cautious now in certain territories. "Let's go, it's this way!"

-exit-