Free! Shilah raced south as fast as his paws would carry him. The night sky stretched above him, clear and crisp and promising for the young man who had just escaped from slavery. He considered himself lucky. He'd only been claimed for a few weeks before he'd finally managed to slip away, though most of it was assuredly because his master had grown bored with him. Well that suited Shilah fine.
The male paused, panting. His limbs quivered with exhaustion and he allowed his body to collapse. Shilah had heard of the southern lands and he'd made a beeline for them. Surely, if D?gmar changed her mind she would not follow him all the way down here?
Shilah's breath caught sharply in his throat but it was not from exhaustion it was from his surroundings. He lay in the center of a grove of massive oak tree, covered in ivy vines. There was an oldness to this place and he half wondered if there were any herbs here to be discovered. The nomadic healer grinned softly. At last he could return to his original lifestyle. But for now he would rest, his breath coming in sharp, unsteady gasps. Yes, he had definitely over done it but at least he was safe.
