Weaver's Web

It seemed that the friends he’d only just made were already leaving him. Echo had gone south for the winter and he hadn’t seen Natiel since they moved in. He had gathered a fair amount of herbs for his den but other than that he hadn’t done much since his bird companion left him. He took one last sparing glance at the orchard before venturing out again, unsure if he would return, although it didn’t seem likely that he would if Natiel never came back. He moved through The Range cautiously, ears raised as worried eyes scanned the long forgotten land.

There were many Beast of Man- as his father had called them- in the valley. There had been a time, before even his father when the beasts were greatly feared. The men used their magic to give them life, and the beasts were strong some were fabled to lift entire forests in mere seconds, or run rivers dry. All of them had mighty roars that rivaled thunder, but now they were silent and still. Without the men and their magic the beasts had simply fossilized or deteriorated save for small traces of their making.

He weaved aimlessly through a dense forest of waving grain, his thoughts troubled as his paws touched the earth and lifted with each step. His mind had already begun to tur on him now that he was once again alone; there was a voice in his head saying that Natiel left because he was too much of an idiot for her to tolerate, that Echo left because he was too much of a burden, that he was alone because they had abandoned him in search of lives made better free from him. His fluffy tail had coiled around his thigh, and his toes were starting to itch as the full weight of being alone began to crash down on him. He stopped, feeling tears starting to well in his eyes.

"What're you gonna do sissy? Cry?! He heard his brother say in his head.

"Itsy Bitsy Spider! " Toad taunted. "Crying like a useless little PUSSY " The tears were rolling down his cheeks now, and his chest heaved with a loud sob. Useless. He was useless.

Spider speaking