The Summer Bonfire Festival (Year 18)

Art & Code © Skelle 2023

"Speech!"
So many wolves..but she had arrived in the nick of time.

Laeta had had a rather bad pain day. The lack of flare-ups she’d had with early onset arthritis had, of this morning, returned with a vengeance. She blamed it primarily on the shifting weather, the highs and lows from the heat to the cold. Perhaps she’d pushed herself a bit too hard these few seasons, trying to do anything and everything. Trying to teach the pups her knowledge and equip her fellow pack members with knowledge of themselves and their emotions. For the first time in a while, she had woken up that morning in a great deal of pain. She could barely rise out of bed. Mel tried to convince her to stay behind, just watch the bonfire from the castle, but the older woman refused. Bad pain day or not, she wanted to be amongst her pack. She loved her newfound family, her community too much to let a bout of flaring joint aches bring her down.

So, while a tad late, she’d witnessed the ceremonious blaze of the bonfire from afar, Mel nervously huffing next to her, trying to keep up with her lithe trotting frame. Her gait was stilted, half-limping as each fresh crack of pain wracked her bones. But there was no frown on ner face, not a scowl, but wide ruby eyes and a smile so wide she could barely contain her joy. Artorias, Fern, Rudy, Avantika, little Bramble, Thorn, all the pups..a joyous reuinion, indeed. Mostly familiar faces but some new - no matter, she hoped she’d be able to interact with some she was here.

She approached Sota, who’d arrived around the same time she had. They were good friends, through and through.

"Oh wow..it’s beautiful, isn’t it?" She said to the smaller male, glancing back up at the glorious rise of the orange flames with a sparkle in her eyes, so bright it masked the pain she was experiencing even standing in place.