cigarette daydreams

It'd been awhile since she'd left Fiori. Existence there was comfortable, and safe; it was infinitely rewarding to know that she had left Leo a legacy of his own. Though she knew it was not the grandest of Kingdoms, not like the kind that she had dreamed of ruling over when she had been but a child, but it was more than most could boast - he had family and friends who loved and protected one another. What more could anyone ask for? The possibility of power and glory had been tempting once, but those days had been left far in the past.

Today, for the first time in awhile, she left the lands claimed by Fiori that she had grown so comfortable in. The stifling summer weather was slowly fading, giving way to cooler temperatures that she definitely favored. Her paws brought her north of her home, her journey initially winding along the river that seemed to flow endlessly through the lands. This was the very same river that she'd known when she'd ruled over Seracia. A constant source of life - it reminded her of so many things she longed to forget. Her paws moved quietly as the sun dried off the last of the water that clung to her pelt after crossing the river. The chill in the air was undeniable, but she felt warmth flooding her body as she increased her pace, moving through the thicket at a steady pace.

Shaking her coat one last time to attempt to dry it the best she could, her nostrils would flare as she tasted the scents here. This place was rather familiar to her. She had lived here once, briefly, under Raisa's rule. Memories flooded her mind's eye, an inaudible sigh slipping from her lips as she continued onward. It was difficult to truly move on, to forget what she had known for so many years.

Her blue stare would focus on the earth as she moved, finally lifting her head after a moment of careful thought to focus on the horizon. First she noticed the cattails and tall grasses that surrounded the lake, before noticing the lake itself. Her hurried pace would slow slightly as she drew closer, feeling suddenly quite parched. Her mouth was suddenly dry and the prospect of water was quite tempting. Noting the scent of another in the vicinity, but not yet seeing him, she would lope forward to the water's edge. Dipping her skull to the water, she began to dink greedily for a moment before bothering to lift her gaze. In the distance, at the other side, she caught glimpse of a stranger with pale fur. Curious, she would trail along the lake's edge and make her way closer to the man, head dipping in quiet greeting as she closed the vast distant that separated them.