The night was dark, settling in long before Ophie expected the sun to set. And saying it had set felt awfully generous, as one moment it had been there in the sky and the next it was seemingly gone. Sure, she'd gotten a little distracted playing in the mud and collecting plants, but her senses weren't so dull she'd lose track of time like this. That at least an hour or so would pass by unnoticed. Her ears swivelled against her skull as she tipped her head up to watch the sky, the moon was massive tonight, like a watchful eye staring down at her and yet...Was it her imagination or was it tinged slightly purple? Raising a muddy paw, she swiped at her eyes, attempting to chase away what she assumed to be a figment of her imagination. But nope, the purple hue remained, soft, almost glowing. Well uh...that wasn't normal.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn crept back into Bores, heading northward for a few glimpses of the north when it was cloaked in the full splendor and harshness of winter. She had no intention of hanging around the north for long. She was on a mission to satisfy her curiosity and once that was done she would head back to Auster and settle in. Jynn allowed her mind to wander while she traveled, until night fell and she stepped into the swamplands.

Jynn's fur started to stand up. She told herself it was because of the chill in the air from winter but her subconscious warned her that something was amiss. She gazed up at the full moon and noted its light seemed cooler and more ghostly than it had on other nights. Around it was an unusual glow. Jynn glanced about the sky, wondering if was a thin veil of cloud causing the glow but as far as she could tell there wasn't a hint of clouds in the sky.

She continued on, pausing again when she spied a familiar form. Relief washed over her. "Hey, do you remember me? Would you care if I travel with you I uh…" I don't want to travel alone right now.

Ophie swallowed thickly, a knot already forming in the pit of her throat. She'd heard of blood moons and those sounded far more threatening than this, so why was she so shaken up? Like she'd just seen the impossible? Well, it wasn't really a facts or common sense sort of deal. If anything, it was more of a feeling, settled deep in her gut, insistent something was wrong. Even if she didn't know what or why. Her breathing was shaky as she exhaled and a light puff of purple mist rolled over her lips, causing her to flinch back in alarm when she caught sight of it. That- that wasn't supposed to happen! Was the smoke a result of her sigh or was it slipping inside of her mouth? EITHER OPTION WAS TERRIFYING! Steps approached, squelching in the muck and fat little Ophie froze stiff, muddy fur standing on end as she snapped her muzzle shut. She wanted to run and never look back but just couldn't force her limbs to respond, to do as they were told. Working herself up into a panic, she was only slightly soothed when she realised it was Jynn and not some unearthly creature of the swamp ready to gobble her right up. Though it still might, safety in numbers was not a given. "MMM." Ophie responded, muzzle still firmly clamped shut.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn shuffled closer to Ophelia, eager for the comfort that her presence brought. That sense of comfort started to slip as Ophie responded to her with sound and no words. Jynn gazed curiously at the younger wolf, one brow raising. "Hey… are you ok?" Ok, besides the obviously creepy night of course. Jynn's head jerked suddenly to the side. A flash of blue out of the corner of her eye had caught her attention. Shortly after there was another flash. Jynn ducked down, trying to hide a bit in the grass. "H-hey, Ophie… what are those. Are those ghosts?" They weren't like the ghost she'd seen in the Wraith's Woods. That one looked exactly like a wolf but where his paws should've been he just faded into mist.

Ophie nodded frantically. It was impossible to explain without opening her mouth and as shameful as it was to admit, the thought of doing so terrified her beyond belief. But she could see Jynn breathing, the steam rising from her nose was as clear as it ought to be, making Ophie wonder if it was in her head after all. The not knowing scared her the most, the potential for something awful to happen if she just made the wrong choice. She opened her lips a crack and rush of words spilled out. "I breathed, and the air was purple. I don't know if it's inside me or- " Did it even really matter since she was still breathing through her nostrils? AH SHE HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT! Ophie flinched, near leaping into the air as Jynn was distracted, flighty enough to tell Ophie she wasn't getting worked up over nothing. Oh man oh no oh man oh NO! The Fatalis decided she didn't want to look to check, some things were better off being left unknown, right? "Maybe I uh-let's go. Please. "

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn watched as Ophelia nodded rapidly, confirming that she was ok despite her odd behavior. Jynn's large ears swiveled one way and then another as she tried to pick up any sounds of predator or prey that might be pressuring the youth to keep silent. Suddenly a rush of words spilled from Ophie's mouth as she explained that the air was purple. Jynn stared. Purple? What? She didn't see any purple but she hadn't looked that hard because the blinking blue lights, like fireflies had caught her attention. But they couldn't be fireflies, surely. It was the middle of winter! Her fur was standing on end and as Ophelia suggested they leave it was Jynn's turn to nod.

"Yea, yea, I agree. I don't think we should be here." Maybe these ghosts were gathering for a party or something and she didn't want to be in their way. Jynn leapt forward, breaking into a run. She raced through the swamplands, fighting mist as she struggled to keep her direction. She glanced behind her to make sure Ophelia was keeping up. As much as ghosts spooked her she wouldn't abandon the yearling.

Ophelia

Your ears begin to ring loudly. You also find 3 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…

Jynn

The air feels somehow thicker than before. You also find 1 cryst̘͑́al. Maybe these are worth keeping…