sign of the times

Eyes trailed around the forest floor, feeling at piece with familiar greenery, watching as Carlys hopped from branch to branch above her, resting her wings for just a moment. Muscles propelled her at a steady trot, content with simply making her way through the woods. She and Car had been fortunate enough to hunt earlier in the day, bellies full for the time being. It reminded her of the forests back home, how she and her siblings used to play before she was whisked away for a morning strategic meeting with her parents, or fight training, hunting training, the basic healing training she received.

Yeah, her childhood hadn’t really been much of a childhood, now had it? It was a question she did not ponder for long, spotting a small pool of water up ahead, likely a stream that would run through the forest, providing essential water for wildlife in the area. Her ears perked, surveying the movements of the branches around her to see if she could pinpoint which creatures were heading to quench their thirst. She opened her maw, breathing in the scents of the forest floor as eyes snapped to a squirrel. Her tail lashed from side to side, contemplating going after it.

Extra food never hurt, especially when one was living the life of a loner. She knew if her parents were still around, they would scold her for even considering not going after it. A smirk lither features, Carlys letting out a piercing cry as it took off, scaring the squirrel away. Rhae turned her head, narrowing her eyes at her friend, who simply gave her an apologetic stare. "Don't look at me like that, Carlys, you scared away perfectly good prey!"