Everything Changes

Winter ; Year 15 {Healing Seasonal}

Though Gavroche would have liked to pretend all was well… the young man was greatly bothered by a couple nights of repeat nightmares that had left him feeling restless. He rose that morning in a sweat with pants falling from his lips. He was shivering, struggling to get his breath, as he tried to shake off that ominous cloud of darkness that seemed to be looming over him despite entering the waking world. He shuddered, took a glance at Bellamy, and half debated about waking the female for comfort…

But she had been so exhausted the night prior… maybe it was better he let her sleep? He let out a soft sigh and rose shakily to his paws. It… it would be okay. He wasn’t a little puppy anymore. He was an adult, and he could handle his own demons, right?

The winged male paused long enough to grab the bag he had acquired by the entrance of the den and slipped out into the morning. Pale sunlight broke through thick gray clouds here and there bringing with it the promise of brighter days. Gavroche glanced towards the sky and took in a deep breath. He was grateful for the sunshine… The last thing he needed was more shadow cast over him when he was already troubled.

His paws walked across the thick grasses of the lake as Gav began to count the seconds between each breath. In one, two, three… hold… and out one, two, three… As he did so he remembered his mother, days when he was still a pup, and her wisdom that when one wasn’t feeling well mentally they couldn’t be expected to feel well physically. One had to take care of themselves… they couldn’t just ignore what their body was asking for. Taking care of one’s mental health was just as important as eating or tending to a physical wound.

‘You’re letting your stress get to you.’ Gavroche told himself as he assessed the situation. ‘You need to take some time to relax, to stop worrying for others for a bit.’ He took another breath.

He wandered further away from the den, mind churning as he reflected over what had happened over the past couple seasons. He felt badly… was Runa okay? They had just managed to get their freedom back… and now. He shook his head. No, she was a strong creature. She would be able to handle herself. He had to stop his mind from racing… it was going far too fast for him to handle and it felt like his walk was only making it worse.

The winged male came to a stop and let the bag slip from over his head with a soft sigh. He had some flowers within the bag that were perfect for helping soothe a troubled soul, some that he had gathered right before winter had begun. They were likely losing some of their scent but… they would have to do until spring was in bloom. Then he could collect herbs once more to his heart’s content.

Flipping the bag’s flap open Gavroche rummaged through it carefully and began pulling out different herbs. Most of the things he had were healing items, for Bellamy’s sake, but deep at the bottom of the bottom of the bag were the herbs he was looking for; lavender. A small smile came to his face as he saw the plants, reminded again of warmer days. He lowered himself to the earth, bringing the flowers closer, before lowering his nose towards them and breathing in their scent deeply.

As expected the scent was not as strong as it once was but still it brought a sense of calm to the young man. He stretched out, ears twitching as he began his breathing exercises once more. In one, two, three… hold… out one, two three… He closed his eyes, focused on only the scent of the plant and his breathing. In and out, in and out, as he let his nerves calm. Everything was fine, he told himself. When he closed his eyes there didn’t need to be nightmares.

Gavroche sat there for quite a while, breathing in, breathing out, reflecting on what had happened but with a new sense of calm about it. Narcissa couldn’t hurt him anymore… she was gone, thanks to Bellamy, and they were free. They wouldn’t need to worry about anyone hurting them like that again. Those of Lyenne were free as well; thank goodness.

It was… surprising how much could change in such a short amount of time. The winged male opened his eyes and glanced up to the sky. Just as the seasons changed so did everything else. Days that were bad would come, but would they overshadow the good days? If the young man worked hard, and did what he had to do, then perhaps everything would be alright… He gave a small smile. It would take time for him to truly feel better... but at least he felt better than he did.

Yes… things were going to be alright.