Location: Between North Star Lighthouse and Beacon Chapel
When: A day after the storm
Status: @morayblackmore
There was an eerie kind of quietness to the winding path from the chapel towards the rest of town, towards the lighthouse, where Elistra was headed. The early morning sun cascaded through the broken branches of the trees that stretched overhead, snapped and mangled bones dangled and threatened to fall and add to the messy pile already littering the ground. Mud covered the edges of her boots, clawing upwards with the intent of soaking her jeans. She stepped over an indent in the ground that had collected remnants of the storm, and then over a young fallen tree that she would have to take care of later, when her ribs weren’t so bruised. In her left arm was her usual basket, lighter this time, as most of her and Cecil’s time had been spent feeding those who needed shelter from the storm and its aftermath. The basics were still there, though. Consistency was important.
As she rounded a curve on the path, Elistra froze, her boots sinking into the mud. A black mass of fur the size of a small bear was stooped over a brown puddle, it’s pink tongue lapping hesitantly at the water. A dog. Maybe. Probably.
Slowly, Elistra lowered the basket to the ground and, kneeling in the mud, opened it, retrieving a package of jerky. She tried to open it as quietly as possible, but the sound still startled the dog, and he looked up, his alarmed eyes barely visible through the matted fur hanging like a canopy over his head. They both stayed still, hanging in the moment. And then Elistra spoke. “Hello,” she said softly, watching the dog flinch. “Are you hungry? That puddle will only cause you problems.” She reached into the packet of jerky and offered the dried meat to the dog. A few seconds passed, and the dog took a small step towards her- Elistra smiled encouragingly.
And then a sea bird shrieked overhead, launching itself from a branch and tearing towards the cliffs. The sound startled them both and the dog yelped and started to run- limping, like there was something wrong with one of his paws- away from Elistra.
“Shit!” she cursed under her breath, and sprinted after the creature. It led her along the path, galloping like a horse, until it broke through the treeline and Elistra could see the lighthouse in the distance. One arm wrapped around her middle, each breath a strain, she tried to call out. “Hey! Not towards the cliffs, that’s dangerous! Please come back, I’m not going to hurt you!”
