Is it time

The early morning light filtered through the dense foliage, casting shadows that danced across her bright ivory fur. The ravens, ever-present and vigilant, circled high above her, their black feathers gleaming onyx against the pale sky. Their caws were a language few understood, alerting her to every subtle shift in the forest.

She caught Flare’s scent before she saw him, her nostrils flaring slightly at the familiar mix of his scent—a blend of wilderness and the iron tang of recent kills. She turned, her eyes narrowing as she spotted his approach through the trees. He looked different than she remembered: stronger, leaner, with a hardened edge to his stance that hadn’t been there before. Maybe it was purpose that drove him now. She stood tall, her posture relaxed yet commanding, the corner of her lip twitching into something between a smirk and a sneer.

“Been busy, Flare? I wonder what you need from little old me?” she remarked dryly as he came closer, tilting her head to appraise him. She knew why he sought her out—Flare had always been straightforward, even as a child. He wanted validation, confirmation that his efforts were not in vain.

Or maybe he was here for a fight, or a hunt? She was happy to oblige regardless. It had been too long since her last moment of letting loose.



"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"