mental

Aurelia focused on gathering as much yarrow as she could carry without weighing herself down too much. But as she took another sweepin glance around the area, her excitement only continued to grow as she spotted more patches of it here and there hidden against the pine trees. Beneath the frigid canopy, Aurelia's breaths came out in short, visible gusts while she worked to harvest the yarrow. Her cyan eyes gleamed with triumph against the muted whites and greys of her surroundings. She was careful not to damage the roots as she pulled at the stems, knowing well that the plant would continue to flourish long after her departure if left undisturbed.

Her pile of yarrow was steadily growing, a more vibrant contrast to the starkness of winter. Her thoughts veered off for a moment as her mind briefly entertained the reality of her situation. With each passing day, it became clearer that she was indeed carrying a litter. The symptoms were there, and it left her with an impending sense of dread. Today’s outing was a pleasant distraction from that. She shook her head, determined not to dwell on it for the moment.

Crouched over the pile of herbs, Aurelia meticulously sorted through her gathered yarrow, discarding any wilted or damaged leaves that had somehow made their way into her collection. She bundled up the keeper stalks and secured them tightly with a length of sinew. It wasn't the most graceful of arrangements, but it was sturdy and it would serve its purpose. As she finished the task and rose to her paws, she made the move to return back to the meeting place to wait for the others.

"Aurelia Veratti"