Revisited

It was rare for Kuwindwa to return to any area more than once given her current belief she shouldn't remain long in any one place, but she was beginning to realize she may be able to cease her constant wandering. Still, a flicker of dread still haunted her wherever she went, and the weeks and months were truly beginning to wear on her. She was exhausted and she could sense herself weakening. She hated it. It was the very antithesis of who she was. She was not weak. But she was tired...

The woman's paws dragged a little as she padded toward a place of stone she had visited once before this past spring. The rain had been heavy then and she'd sought out shelter. She paused, glancing toward the fallen stones that had served as her resting place. The memory was still fairly clear: she'd encountered another here, one who had threatened her and chased her from the shelter she had found... blinking the memory away, Kuwindwa pressed forward, past the fallen stones, further into the ruin. She did not feel her usual self today, and she did not take her usual precautions as she sought a place to rest. The summer was warm, but the nip in the breeze was out-of-character for summer, threatening a storm in the hours to come. The thick clouds were building on the horizon and, currently, the sun was masked by a thin veil. It looked as dismal as she felt at the moment.

Kuwindwa did not seek direct shelter from the veiled daylight. Soon enough the sun would peek out again and provide a little more warmth. Instead, she settled onto a relatively flat, smooth stone and came to rest on her side, bronze eyes half-closed as she basked in what warmth the stone and the sun could provide. She just needed a little rest. Then she could move on...