ardent

It's a Snap!

summer prompt y17



Asteria

Loner

age
8 Years
gender
Female
gems
0
size
Medium
build
Light
posts
25
player
Poser
03-01-2022, 02:01 AM

Asteria wanted to set her course but... listen, actually setting a course was hard when you didn't quite know which direction you were trying to go. The only other wolves that Asteria had encountered since arriving in Boreas were children. Not the most helpful sort, not when you were on a quest like she was. Had all the adults simply... ceased to be? No, that was a silly thought. Rationally, the star-soaked girl knew that wasn't true. She could, however, figure that all the adults were simply living their lives. It was hard to have time for wandering, for adventures, when you were busy being a productive member of a pack. When you were raising a family. When you were... doing whatever else adults did. All of it felt strange to think about, though. Maybe she'd never grown up at all.

But here she was, nearly seven years old. Summer would be fading soon. Asteria was autumn born. What a strange thought it was, another year of celebrating on her own. Celebrating. What was there to celebrate anyway? Simply... getting older. That doesn't feel like much cause for celebration, but maybe she's wrong. Maybe there were things to celebrate that she was looking past. Asteria preferred to celebrate every day instead. Celebrate the small victories, like waking up. Celebrate the beautiful places, and being able to see them. Celebrate maintaining an iron grip on her freedom, something she hadn't released yet. She'd never been required to release that grip. No one had ever been able to force her. The star-soaked girl decides that she's both happy and sad about it, though she's not quite sure how that could be. It's good enough, though. She's good enough.

The day was hot, and Asteria was moving to the north and to the west of where she'd initially made landfall. Her gaze on the world around is curious, analytical. There had to be answers out here, right? She could find Fiori, she could... find answers. She could find the red boy that her mother spoke so fondly of, long into old age. She could find them all... what would she say when she got there? Asteria hadn't gotten that far in her train of thought. There was the issue of finding it first, or at least finding someone who could give her directions. Even if she found someone who could give her directions, would she be able to ask them? How would she be able to find the words? That was a bridge she'd burn when she got there. A bridge she'd burn, perhaps, when it was less oppressively hot. She could feel the summer sun shining down on her back, and it was enough to leave her panting and uncomfortable.

Maybe she'd rest for just a little while. After all, what could it hurt? Into the Whistling Willows she made her way, keeping her gaze careful on the world around her. A cool, damp shade draped around her shoulders, offering respite from the heat of the day. For that, she could be grateful. Still, she wasn't keeping an eye on the ground. She wasn't keeping an eye on her feet, having trusted herself this far. A foot out of place, she stepped on an unassuming spread of leaves, and down she tumbled. The yelp from her throat was one of surprise more than anything else. It's not until a moment later that she realizes she's been poked, awfully uncomfortably, in the shoulder. The pointed stick must have caught her on the way down, scraping hard enough to draw blood. Her heart raced in her chest. A trap. She'd fallen into a trap. There was danger here. Asteria scrambled, but she couldn't find her footing, not with the dull pain radiating through her system. Oh no.


"Talk"