Serenity
The hopeful start of great friendship with @mpxcyhiraeth
If there’s anything she could always rely on, it’s her abilities to hunt. She practically learned how to shoot an arrow before she figured out how to tie her own shoelaces. With years of experience and the consequent successes and misfortunes that came with the game, Eden also learned that it wasn’t always about the loot. Sometimes it felt nice to just experience the rush of the hunt. To challenge herself by purposely sabotaging the surroundings, sharpen her skills at a disadvantage, letting the rush of the hunt carry her steps. She wanted to prove to herself that while she can be deadly, she doesn’t have to be.
The arrowhead buried itself into the ground just a breath away from the deer’s hoof, but she didn’t miss her goal. This day was too peaceful to bear sacrifices that don’t need to be made. With a smile, she watched the animal take off and disappear into the thicket of the forest, earning its rightful rest from their wicked game. Cotton-like clouds made way for sun rays that were only partially obscured by trees and leaves, peppering the ground with light spots.
Eden slung the bow over her shoulder and walked over to collect the other half of her weapon, the reflection of the sun against water momentarily blinding her when she bent down to pull it out. She was already moving again when eyes shifted towards the direction of the light. Behind bushes and branches, she could make out sunlight dancing atop water. While she’s been in the forest multiple times already, this particular section was still foreign to her, and she never knew there was—a river? A lake? Maybe even just an oversized puddle. Light steps carried her towards the source and when she was just a few steps away from—what she now knew as—the riverbank, her gaze focused on the woman hugged by water.
The demigoddess didn’t recognize her. They certainly never talked, and she was sure she would’ve memorized the beauty in her face if she’d seen her before. With how serene she looked, it wouldn’t surprise her if she was a goddess. It showed in the way she seemed at peace yet fearless of what might be beyond the trees they could see. Only someone unafraid of death and burdened by immortality would look past the threats that scurried through the forest.
Her train of thought was broken only by manners that reminded her not to stare.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Eden emphasized the action of averting her eyes by additionally turning her head, as if it would undo the stolen glances at the stranger. “Am I interrupting?”