Breathe Freely

The journey away from Incindium was long and slow going and she knew it was only because of her that they kept this pace, but at the very least it gave her more time to get to know this woman that Ocean seemed so incredibly infatuated with and had quite possibly saved her life by taking her away from Incindium. Some part of her kept wanting to check over her shoulder, wondering if Ignis would suddenly appear behind them to try and drag them back to the pack, but he never did. He hadn't even shown up to Asatiel's howl so she wasn't sure why she feared that he would interfere now, but there was still a nervousness that sat in her stomach all the same. It did make her wonder - if he couldn't even be bothered to answer a call about them leaving or challenged for then did he ever really care if they were there at all?

She tried to keep all of that at the back of her mind as they traveled and chatted together, learning more about Aslatiel and sharing some of herself as well. She wasn't a very talkative wolf, preferring to listen rather than to dominate a conversation, but the trip she took walking between Ocean and Aslatiel was pleasant and enjoyable despite the strain it put on her. She hadn't been sure about her at first, her sudden appearance and the worry that Ocean might leave to be with her making her uncertain, but now, after doing this for them... Aslatiel held a very special place in her very soft heart.

As they approached the forest that seemed to be their final destination, she nodded quietly to Asla's advice about how the forest could be difficult to navigate. She was sure she wouldn't be navigating much of anywhere for a little bit, but eventually she'd have to take the time to learn her way around. She had never left the boundaries of Incindium's borders before now so the idea of navigating was a new concept for her. It felt like she had been thrust into a whole new world and she was nervous and excited at the same time. When they arrived at the den, she cast curious glances up at the bones and skulls that decorated the limbs of the tree above it, adding to the slightly eerie atmosphere of the place. It didn't bother her though, she was just glad to have a place to call home far away from the frigid north.

Her ears perked when she heard about the plentiful herbs here and in the surrounding lands, her tail wagging just at the thought of having herbs so readily available. The offer of catching them food as well felt like far too much considering how much she had already done, though as she had witnessed during their trip Aslatiel was an impressive hunter. She did these things with such ease that it almost made Chrystelle a little jealous. "That would be wonderful," she said softly with a smile, settling carefully back onto her haunches near the den. Her body wasn't used to the level of activity she had put it through to get here so everything hurt and ached, but already she could feel herself being able to breathe a bit deeper and that relief alone was astonishing.

"Chrystelle"