Sing with the Wind

[healer-phaedra-blog]

Bayou Musings || Clara & Phaedra

[clarawinden]

healer-phaedra‌:

She blushed a bit at the story, dissolving into giggles. “You don’t still do that, do you?” She could almost imagine it, though no one would ever expect Clara, widely regarded as the beloved grandmother of the pack, to be the one who caused it. Which is what would make it brilliant. She could get away with it easily, an no one would be any the wiser.

Sometimes she had similar impulses. But she tried so hard to keep them under control. If she retaliated against people who were unkind, then wasn’t she just proving their point? There were some who already thought that because she was a witch, she was bad, and she was determined to never give them a reason to confirm that suspicion. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t take comfort in Clara’s stories and live vicariously through them for a little while.

“Well...only if they really deserve it,” the old wolf said, baring her teeth in a wild smile.  Phaedra, bless her, was still so soft and innocent in Clara’s eyes.  After seeing generations of wolves come and go under her care she saw the little witch as such a sweet, delicate creature that she’d become quite fond of.  Her reaction to Clara’s old pranks was proof enough that the girl didn’t have a mean-spirited bone in her body.

“Ah, little pup you’ve got to learn to let it go,” the Cree woman sighed.  She held out her hand, gesturing to the dark waters beneath their feet.  “Look at the water, if moves regardless of banks and trees and all things.  Rivers will always find a way to run their course even if they have to make a few curves to get around the things that try to stop them.  Be the water pup, flow past them, bend and curve, but always keep going.”

[healer-phaedra-blog]

Bayou Musings || Clara & Phaedra

[clarawinden]

healer-phaedra‌:

Phaedra’s eyes flew wide, her shock fading into laughter. “You wouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head. Actually, she wasn’t sure if she would. She could certainly get away with it. There were few people who were more respected in their pack than Clara, even if she did keep herself a little bit apart. “I wouldn’t wish that on them, anyway. Or well, not really.” That would make her just as bad as they thought she might be, and she tried so hard to prove all of those people wrong. To be good and safe and not any of the things they thought of witches. 

“You’re right, though. It’s silly to listen to it.” She always tried to tel herself that. She’s start off strong, telling herself it didn’t matter what anyone thought, but she always lost that determination rather quickly when the one who was thinking bad things was the head of the family. Most of the wolves had accepted her, but as long as the Alpha was still cold and withdrawn, she still felt like she was an outsider, tolerated because of who her father was. 

But her father loved her, she’d never doubted that. And so did Clara, and many of the others. It was selfish to expect everyone to adore her. “You’ve never actually done something like that, have you?” she asked, wondering if Clara’s streak of mischief had ever manifested in such a way. 

Clara wrinkled her nose, grinning mischievously.  Of if only the poor girl knew of some of the escapades she used to get up to in her youth.  She’d always had a bit of a hellion streak, even before she’d been turned into a wolf.  She slung an arm around the girl’s shoulders and barked a laugh that echoed around the bayou.

“Oh my sweet summer child, if only you knew,” the old medicine woman chuckled.  “I was a terribly troublesome child you know, and when I grew into my fur I think I only got worse.  I used to play terrible tricks on the colonials, lots of plants can cause ah, an upset of the stomach shall we say and back in those days we didn’t have toilets!”

Originally posted by lombardjolie

[fire-burns-within]

Bayou Musings || Xera & Clara

[clarawinden]

fire-burns-within‌:

The second the woman let her go, Xera stepped back, a rush of air slipping from her lips in a ragged breath. She didn’t realize she had held her breath during the encounter. Xera wasn’t afraid of this woman in the sense that she should be afraid. The woman was a wolf, the laws of the land, the ones the hunters created stated that any who crossed the species lands were to be removed. She hadn’t even known where the pack was, just as the hunters had no idea. She had simply set out in the hopes of finding the pack, of looking for this very woman. 

“Nothing,” Xera lied. “Nothing happened to me.” She didn’t really know what the woman was talking about, two souls in one? That wasn’t possible. She hadn’t had issued with time vanishing since she had left the coven her parents had sent her to, but recently it had started back up again. She didn’t know why it had started again or how. All she knew was that it was. She wanted it gone. However, this woman, with her questions, was not the right person to ask for help. 

“I shouldn’t have come,” Xera said quickly. “I shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry.”  

Clara’s dark eyes turned sharp when the girl staggered backwards, vehemently denying that anything had happened - a painfully obvious lie that the old wolf could practically smell on her.  Her brow creased further when she babbled an apology.  The healer’s demenour hardened a little and she huffed, the end of it grating in a frustrated growl.  The girl was clearly in desperate need of help, but if she wasn’t ready to acknowledge what exactly was wrong with her then there would be no help to be found.  The idea of two spirited people was common among Aboriginal cultures - it was nothing new nor shocking to her at the idea of more than one soul, or a multifaceted soul living in one body - but the white colonials had always had trouble accepting the idea.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Clara deadpanned, using the same no nonsense tone she did with the pups of the pack who’d been caught doing something naughty.  She was just as stern a granny as she was a loving one.  “What ails you isn’t some illness of the body or a disease in your mind - nothing so mundane.  You won’t be able to fix yourselves with pills or plants, not until you’re ready to see what exactly is wrong with you.”

“Awas,” she sighed, waving her hand dismissively.  “Go home then child.  I’m willing to help you - but only when you’re ready to help yourself.”

Originally posted by lombardjolie

[healer-phaedra-blog]

Bayou Musings || Clara & Phaedra

[clarawinden]

healer-phaedra‌:

A slow smile spread across her face. Phaedra wasn’t naturally inclined to like being outdoors that much, but being with the pack for so long she’d picked up on enough to get by, and with Clara there it calmed much of her anxieties. “That sounds fun,” she said, already starting to look forward to it. Being a healer, Clara understood her better than a lot of the other pack members did, and getting away for a bit might be lovely.

She shrugged, her face darkening just a touch as Clara pointed out hat she seemed off. She wasn’t wrong, of course, but Phaedra still tried to hide her moods from most people, either not wanting to worry them or thinking they might take it the wrong way. After all, she had a safe home and a father who loved her and many of the pack members were good friends. What more could she really want?

But it was still difficult at times, to know that there were some who would prefer if she wasn’t around. “I just… hear things. Sometimes. It’s probably nothing. I know I shouldn’t listen to gossip like that.” The pack did tend to gossip quite a bit. They were a small, mostly young, very isolated community. It was practically their preferred pass-time.

Clara’s frown deepened.  It wasn’t a secret that not everyone in the pack was comfortable with having a witch living among their midst.  The wounds between their peoples were deep and for a species so long lived, still all too fresh for the wolves of the Ponchartrain.  Maya and Clara had butted heads more than once on the issue and the Beta had been driven to actually flashing her teeth in frustration at her young superior - which for her was something since she rarely lost her temper.

“Bah, don’t be listening to that nonsense,” the healer huffed, wrinkling her nose in distaste.  “Idle gossip is exactly that, idle - for minds that don’t have anything better to be doing.  If you like, I could slip something nasty in their tea - make them run for the bushes for a few days.”

Her smile was pure mischief.  Sure it was an underhanded thing to suggest, but really it was deserved if all they had time for was talking shit - why not make it come out the other end?

Originally posted by lombardjolie

[clarawinden]

Stability or novelty? Honesty or charity? Safety or possibility? Talent or effort?Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Stability, honesty, safety, effort, forgiveness

[yvesdot]

oc asks that reveal more than you think

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Ask them to describe their love interest.

Do they look good in red?

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

What age do they most want to be right now?

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Name one thing their parents taught them.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

Do they like children?

Kissing: tongue or no tongue?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?

What do they like that nobody else does?

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw?

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to?

Stability or novelty?

Honesty or charity?

Safety or possibility?

Talent or effort?

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Would they date a fixer-upper?

What recurring dreams do they have?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

[fire-burns-within]

Bayou Musings || Xera & Clara

[clarawinden]

fire-burns-within:

Everything about this situation screamed at Xera. She was not supposed to be in the Bayou. She was not supposed to be talking to the wolves. The witches had turned their back on then and bowed to the hunters. The wolves had no reason to like or forgive the witches. The fact that she was even standing there, seeking out a wolf could very well mean her death but that was how desperate she was. If the wolf didn’t kill her, a hunter might if they heard about her crossing the line. She didn’t care. 

She took a step back as the woman moved, fear spiking in her as it did when anyone got to close. Xera needed to remind herself that this wasn’t Thomas. This woman might have been a threat, but Xera, by her nature was also a thread. Her skin warmed as the fire that flicked inside her started to wake. She didn’t like being touched but she held herself firmly in place as the woman’s hand touched her skin. She didn’t flinch but the brown eyes hardened for a moment, almost so as though a different person was looking out. It was brief and fleeting and then suddenly the frightened and soft witch was back. “I don’t know,” she said softly. It was the truth, Xera didn’t know exactly what was ailing her. “I just… lose track of time. Not always but sometimes. One minute I’ll be working and the next it’s a full day passed and I’m not sure where I am or even who I am. It’s been an issue for years. It went away when I got back, but it’s started happening again.” She was scared and she didn’t know how to change it. 

Clara could see it in the girl’s eyes.  Fear, plain and simple.  Fear of the unknown, of what was happening to her.  She didn’t miss the subtle shift in the young witch’s eyes and again she smelt it on her, rot and smoke and wrongness.  She lowered her hands, seeing at how uncomfortable her touch made the girl and chewed her bottom lip between her teeth.  

This girl was a witch.  By all assumed rules, she should either kill her outright or drag her back to the city and throw her to the hunters...but Clara wasn’t of Ponchartrain blood and she didn’t hold that same hate in her heart.  On the contrary, she’d shed far too much blood herself over her long years of life and found it unpalatable nowadays.  She was a healer and as such she would help anyone who came to her in need.

“There is a tear in you,” the Cree woman said sadly, tapping her chest.  “Inside.  Not physical, but with your spirit.  It’s been pulled apart in two.  There are two of you in there now, but you are not a two-spirit person.  They can’t exist in harmony so they fight like bears.”

Clara frowned, struggling for words that would make sense. She sighed, puffing out air to blow the stray hair out of her face.  “What on earth happened to you child?”

[healer-phaedra-blog]

Bayou Musings || Clara & Phaedra

[clarawinden]

healer-phaedra:

It was easier to relax around Clara. She’d never had to worry when she was with her, after all. She’d been supportive for as long as Phaedra could remember, and was one of the few people that she truly trusted. That didn’t stop her from shrieking a bit though, when she unbalanced her as they walked. That was part of the fun, even though she knew she wasn’t actually going to fall. 

“There’s some thing I could use more of. I should go by the end of next week, at least.” She didn’t blow through herbs as much as she used to when she was younger, now that she was more developed in her own healing powers, but she still liked to be prepared. There were some things herbs were just better for, and beyond that, there were some people who preferred an herbal remedy, not wanting her to use her powers on them. 

“What have you been up to of late?” She loved hearing Clara’s stories, even when they were mundane. There was something about her energy that was grounding, and that was something she sorely needed as of late. 

“Oh?  I’m going medicine gathering come the weekend now that things have properly bloomed.  I went through a lot more stock than anticipated this winter,” Clara said.  “I’ll be spending a few days out in the bayou, you can come with me if you like - we can call it a girl friend’s camping trip.”

Her tone was teasing, but Clara was genuine in her offer.  It was nice to spend time with someone who could appreciate the healing power of herbs and nature’s gifts.  It was a lost art nowadays, but Phae understood their power and their importance - especially to Clara.  It was so deeply ingrained in her culture and who she was as a person.  Beyond just being a werewolf, she was a proud Cree woman and she would never give that identity up.

“Me?  Oh nothing much, treating sniffles and scraped knees mostly,” Clara replied, wrinkling her nose in an expression of mock boredom.  “How about you my girl?  You seem down...”

[fire-burns-within]

Bayou Musings || Xera & Clara

[clarawinden]

fire-burns-within:

In the back of her mind, something tickled and tingled. Xera couldn’t figure out the feeling but it wasn’t pleasant. Something told her that what she was doing wasn’t going to work, but where the fleeting idea came from was a mystery even to Xera. She had no reason to think this wouldn’t work. The woman of the Bayou was well known for her abilities with herbs. If she couldn’t help, then the herbs might be useful in a potion of her own brewing. She just really needed the time slipping to stop. The disassociations were starting to get more frequent and she didn’t know what caused them or how to stop them. 

“I’ve tried sage,” she said taking a step back as the woman came closer. She wasn’t really afraid of the woman, but there were rules and she was in a place that she wasn’t really allowed to be in. A witch conversing with a wolf, if the hunters found out… Xera valued her life, though apparently not as much as her sanity. “But not Lady-slipper tea. I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is.” It wasn’t an herb she’d ever used in any of her potions, perhaps that one would help?

The corners of Clara’s mouth twitched downwards in a small frown.  The more she smelt this girl, watched her and saw the absolute fear in her eyes, the more she doubted that smudging and teas would help this poor child.  The medicine woman took another slow step forward, taking care not to scare the girl while closing the gap between them.  

“Hold still child, I’m not going to hurt you okay?  I just want to get a better look at you that’s all,” she said, using a soft, crooning tone she used for hurt children or frightened wolves on their first moon.  A calming sound, one of nurturing and tenderness that had earned her the affectionate nickname of pack ‘Nanny’.  Clara looked deep into the girl’s eyes, watching them shift and dart - they seemed...unstable - like waves on a restless sea and her scent was still wrong.  Smoke and rot, they didn’t belong together.  “I’m sorry, Lady-Slippers won’t be helping you my girl.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t help you - but you need to speak the truth to me,  okay?  Tell me what exactly ails you.”

[clarawinden]

nsfw - 9, 34, 60, 75, 85

9. Describe your perfect mate.Someone who can understand my culture and my history for one. And they would have to have a good connection to earth and nature. Beyond that just someone with a good soul...and nice eyes.34. Have you ever had sex with a woman?Oh yes.60. What is the biggest age difference between you and any of your partners?Well give that I've got a few centuries under my belt they've been pretty big. I think the biggest was around two hundred years?75. What s the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for you?Okay I know it sounds stupidly cheesy, but...picked me flowers.85. Would you ever date someone off the internet?Seeing as I don't have internet I've gotta say no.

[clarawinden]

wtf - a trait they express the wrong way

My anger is not always directed at the right person. It was much worse in my youth, but I still have a tendency to lash out at the nearest person whether they deserve it or not.

[clarawinden]

7, 10, 15, 18, 31, 45, 72

7. Can you commit to one person?Yes, I have on the past and I could certainly do so again10. Do you believe in love at first sight?No. I believe there are people you can fall for and love more easily than others, but love at first sight? Nonsense.15. Do you have any piercings?Just my ears31. Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?Of course, who hasn't?45. How many people did you kiss in 2012/2013?None, not passionate romantic kissing anyway.72. What words do you like to hear during sexI don't like hearing words so much as moaning and grunting. I like it a little...animalistic ;)

[clarawinden]

80. When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

Not terribly long ago - my little Phae knows she's dear to me, I always tell her so.

[astepinwonderland]

vaguely nsfw asks

1. Are looks important in a relationship?

2. Are relationships ever worth it?

3. Are you a virgin?

4. Are you in a relationship?

5. Are you in love?

6. Are you single this year?

7. Can you commit to one person?

8. Describe your crush

9. Describe your perfect mate

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

11. Do you ever want to get married?

12. Do you forgive betrayal?

13. Do you get jealous easily?

14. Do you have a crush on anyone?

15. Do you have any piercings?

16. Do you have any tattoos?

17. Do you like kissing in public?

20. Do you shower every day?

21. Do you think someone has feelings for you?

22. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

23. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat?

24. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?

25. Do you want to be in a relationship this year?

26. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?

27. Has someone ever written a song or poem for you?

28. Have you ever been cheated on?

29. Have you ever cheated on someone?

30. Have you ever considered plastic surgery? If so, what would you change about your body?

31. Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?

32. Have you ever experienced unrequited love?

33. Have you ever had sex with a man?

34. Have you ever had sex with a woman?

35. Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

36. Have you ever liked one of your best friends?

37. Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?

38. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?

39. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?

40. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone?

41. Have you had sex so far this year?

42. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander?

43. How long was your longest relationship?

44. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?

45. How many people did you kiss in 2012/2013?

46. How many times did you have sex last year?

47. How old are you?

48. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?

49. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her?

50. If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept?

51. Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for?

52. Is there anyone you’ve given up on? Why?

53. Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are?

54. Is there someone you will never forget?

55. Share a relationship story.

56. State 8 facts about your body

57. Things you want to say to an ex

58. What are five ways to win your heart?

59. What do you look like? (Post a picture!)

60. What is the biggest age difference between you and any of your partners?

61. What is the first thing you notice in someone?

62. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you?

63. What is your definition of “having sex”?

64. What is your definition of cheating?

65. What is your favourite foreplay routine?

66. What is your favourite roleplay?

67. What is your idea of the perfect date?

68. What is your sexual orientation?

69. What turns you off?

70. What turns you on?

71. What was your kinkiest wet dream?

72. What words do you like to hear during sex?

73. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?

74. What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for?

75. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you?

76. What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone?

77. What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?

78. What’s your dirtiest secret?

79. When was the last time you felt jealous? Why?

80. When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

81. Who are five people you find attractive?

82. Who is the last person you hugged?

83. Who was your first kiss with?

84. Why did your last relationship fail?

85. Would you ever date someone off of the Internet?

[millennialpinkblood]

Pls I’m so bored… LOVE ME

[clarawinden]

Bayou Musings || Open

[clarawinden]

delphine-pontchartrain:

The dress felt unusual on her, the way the stray gusts of wind flitted through the trees and seemed to tug at the fabric gently, brushing it across her skin all over.  Delphine was used to more practical clothing, especially out here in the Bayou but today, for the first time in what felt like months but was closer to weeks, she was headed into the city proper.  And when a lady from the Pontchartrain walked through the streets of New Orleans, she did so looking as best as she could, even if she was coming from the pseudo exile her pack currently found itself in. 

Her stylish flats made a crackling noise as they moved over the dried twigs and leaves that made up the bayou floor.  Those became more hollow sounding as she stepped slightly out onto the wooden planks of the walkway.  She stopped and breathed in the same air, closing her eyes for a moment as she did so, letting the quiet settle back between them before answering.  “Nothing urgent, Clara,” she said, voice low, but still loud enough to be heard, not wanting to disrupt the scene around them too much, “but I was heading into town and wanted to know if you needed any errands run while I was there?  Figured there was no harm in stopping by.”

Clara knew a heartbeat before hearing her voice that it was Delphine.  Even amongst wolves she had a keen nose and she more often than not identified people based on scent rather than sight.  The healer sat upright, smiling down at her Alpha standing below.  She didn’t often deal with Delphine, but the times she had sat down with the regal woman had been very enjoyable.  The leader of the Ponchartrain wolves was wise and soft-spoken and they’d often swapped stories of adventures and days gone by.

“That’s very kind of you!” Clara said, bobbing her head in gratitude.  Her dark eyes looked Delphine up and down, noting her formal dress so far out place in the depths of the bayou.  “I am in need of some salt and sugar if you wouldn’t mind - though I have to ask, where are you going so dolled up?  This isn’t the usual town errands I take it, eh?”

[fire-burns-within]

Bayou Musings || Xera & Clara

[clarawinden]

fire-burns-within:

Xera knew, better than most, that where she was was absolutely off limits. She was not supposed to be speaking to the wolves, but she didn’t care. Or well, she cared enough to be scared but not enough to stay away. This wasn’t about the supernatural. It wasn’t about the witches and the wolves and the hunters. She didn’t care about any of that. This was about her sanity and the continued issued of time slipping away from her. She had no control over it, had no idea when it would happen or even why it would happen, but minutes and hours would seemingly vanish for no reason that she could comprehend. She wasn’t about to go to a doctor about it, Xera’s mistrust of the creatures that paraded around in lab coats and pretended to have a patient’s best interest in mind had been breed from her years spent in the care of a madman. 

She let out a deep sigh when the woman didn’t immediately dismiss her or threaten her. Both had been worries of hers, but it had been a chance she was willing to take because she truly needed the help. “I’m not really sure,” she said honestly. “I can’t remember the name of it. It’s for clarity of the mind. I’ve been struggling with keeping focus to the point that hours seem to slip away without my notice. I was hoping to find something to help with that.” 

Clara narrowed her eyes slightly as the girl answered.  Her voice quavered, small and afraid and her eyes had such a haunted look that it made the healer’s heart pang with empathized sadness.  Her frown deepened when she described her symptoms and she sniffed the air again.  There was something off about the girl’s scent - yes, she smelt of magic, smoke and flame, but there was something beneath it, an undercurrent of decay.  It was the sickly sweet stench of rot, something dark and twisted like the gnarled roots of a long dead cyprus tree.

The werewolf’s face softened and she jumped down from the shack’s deck with the effortless grace that the centuries had graced her with.  She landed near silently on the balls of her bare feet, taking her to move slow so as to not startle the girl who seemed liable to fly back into the dark bayou at a moment’s notice.

“Clarity of the mind, hm?  I might have something for you,” Clara mused.  “I know you’ve probably tried burning sage, but have you smudged yourself with sweetgrass smoke?  Or perhaps Lady-Slipper tea?”

These were the old standby’s - the common remedies she’d used for years for people...but, looking at this lost looking young witch, she had a feeling something far stronger and far more spiritual would be required to fix whatever was ailing her...but first she needed to suss out what it was that was hurting her so.

[healer-phaedra-blog]

Bayou Musings || Clara & Phaedra

[clarawinden]

healer-phaedra:

She shook her head. “I don’t need anything. Just wanted to stop by.” Perhaps she was a little lonely, but she felt ungrateful admitting it. The wolves had taken her in, and many had been—and still were—extraordinarily kind to her. It was too much to expect that all of them would love her, not when they had such an understandable bias against witches. A part of her realized that, and tried to reassure herself that it was nothing personal, but— the pack was the only home she could remember. It was difficult to not take it personally that there was a sizable contingent of that family who thought she didn’t belong her, even when they’d seen her grow up with them.

And often when that happened, she ended up slipping off to Clara’s. They had more in common than she did with the others, what with her having her own talents at healing, and she’d never implied that Phaedra shouldn’t be a part of their pack.  She probably knew exactly why she was here—she was intuitive in that way, and Phaedra didn’t pretend even to herself like she’d really be able to hide anything from her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to admit that she’d been feeling more out of place as of late. Maybe if she just tried a bit harder, her smile would be more real.  “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” 

Clara smiled sadly at her adopted ‘pup’ and jumped down from the shack’s small deck to the little wooden dock below.  She ruffled Phaedra’s hair affectionately, knowing full well why the witch had come wandering out to the far fringes of the compound.  Tensions had been growing as of late and to make matters worse, no one was quite sure why.  It was like the growling and chattering of woodland beasts right before a storm rolled in and sadly for poor Phaedra, anger was usually taken out on the most vulnerable to be found.

“Yes, summer’s finally here,” Clara grinned, slinging an arm around the girl’s narrow shoulders.  “C’mon, walk with me.”

She guided Phaedra over the narrow walkways, looping her arm through the shorter woman’s, nudging her playfully as they walked.  Of course she wouldn’t let Phae fall into the swamp, but it was funny to hear her squeal in fright and her young charge needed distracting from the gloom that hung over her like a rain cloud.

“How’s your herb stock?  Do we need to go do some picking any time soon?”