we'll all be well tonight

The familiar chatter of tropical birds put the leader at ease as she continued to meander along the long-forgotten path, the distant calls of her fluffy horned cows and the bleating of goats a new addition, but not an unwelcome one. The earth here felt firmer beneath her paws, the soil darker, and while the water still rushed away too readily to support plants that needed wetter roots, there was still an abundance of bromeliads, vibrant and thorny purple bougainvillea, creeping across the jungle floor and clawing its way up the trunks of trees to form and almost impenetrable wall of foliage. A distant stand of banana trees, clearly left unchecked for generations, clumped closely together, fruit in various stages of development. She made note of the location to check in with Jael and Kenway to see if they had any use for the plants, or if there might be a market for them.

Rounding a bend in the track, her gaze fell upon and outbuilding she hadn't seen before. White bougainvillea crept up the face of the building and bird of paradise crowded unmaintained garden beds. The doors at the front of the building seemed to be sealed shut so she turned to circle the building, looking for a way in. The wind was working against her for now, blowing the scent of the stranger out to sea.

“Speech.”