Burdens Doublefold

The late afternoon sun bathed the Polar Sound in a warm, amber glow, casting long shadows across the landscape. The gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming wildflowers, a fragrant arrangement that lingered in the bottom of the valley, carrying scents that danced around Aurelia as she made her way back to the old healer's den she had found and upcycled. As she covered ground, her toes happened to leave shallow indentations in the rich, loamy soil as she emerged from the dense thicket- but covering her tracks was no concern of her own. Her jaws were clamped around a bouquet of freshly harvested Valerian root. While not really a necessity, it was something worth having at her disposal in the event it was needed.

As she approached the entrance, concealed alcove nestled between ancient tree roots, she crossed the threshold without hesitation. It was much nicer inside now that she had reclaimed it- much cleaner and tidier now with fresh stock. Or should she say was. While the den was adorned with bundles of drying herbs and soft moss bedding, emanating a naturally soothing atmosphere- her attention was drawn to the freshly caved in shelves. While she had picked up the herbs he had scattered, some of the shelves they had sat on were now crumbled- leaving a large open alcove that had previously been divided into individual pockets. A mound of crumbled dirt lay in a pile at the bottom.

With an annoyed sigh, Aurelia set to her task, meticulously arranging the Valerian roots with the others, organizing her collection with a practiced touch. It had been a while since she had been able to do this kind of work ... but she couldn't deny that it was comforting to be able to do so once again.

"Speech"