𝑷𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑹 𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 • 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧. 𝐦 (wolfblood)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨

.・。.・゜✭・.

.・。.・゜✭・.

I KISSED ASTRA into a canter and the two of us took off into the forest just as the sun was beginning to set. The sun made shadows of the skeletal trees on the ground, creating a maze of shadows as we rode. I couldn't be bothered to tack up, so I went bareback - I rode bareback often enough and me and Astra had known each other a long time, so I knew that we'd be fine.

The sun was warm, despite having only just come out of winter, and the breeze drifted on by. Daffodils had begun to bloom - the white ones, not the yellow. I slowed Astra down into a trot so that I could grab a cluster from the damp ground. It was the evening after the storm and the ground was still damp. Apart from that, no other evidence of the storm was visible.

I slowed my gray mare into a walk as we approached the river and hopped off her back, the soles of my ankle boots softly hitting the damp grass. I didn't care for how soggy my clothes would be afterward, so I sat down beside the riverbed and began entwining the daffodils together until they formed into a flower crown. Delicately tying the stems together once I was done, I stood up and placed the crown on Astra's head, being extra careful to mind her ears. 

"There, perfect." I marveled. She let out a snort of approval as I rubbed her neck.

Suddenly, her ears were pinned forwards and her nostrils were flared. I gave her some space, knowing that those were the signs of her being afraid of something and was likely to buck. Her tail swished as she scanned the forest intently. Her eyes landed on a squirrel that was running back up the tree.

Her ears resumed their normal place as she walked toward the tree. I laughed as I watched her circle it, searching for the squirrel. I shook my head and left her to it and walked further down the river. 

Even though the forest was open to the public, no one ever came for walks in the evening. I guessed it was because everyone had farm animals to attend to. I sighed contently as I watched the sun in the distance. Everything around me was highlighted in golden, even the water seemed to sparkle. 

I came to a stop after a while. I made sure that Astra was in my line of sight, even though I knew that she wouldn't run off - I wanted to make sure that she was safe. The sun began to be blocked out by a hill, and my surroundings were beginning to become dark. After a few moments, everything was shadowed and the sky was a calming shade of carolina blue.

I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling the breeze starting to pick up and the warmth of the sun fade away. I relaxed my muscles and held my hands out in front of me. I felt the unfamiliar flutter of power on the tips of my fingers - I didn't dare open my eyes. The feeling began to feel more intense and my hands dropped to the side and my eyes opened.

I lifted my hands to my face, letting out a few breaths. I sighed and removed my hands - I needed to do this. If I was going to tell Maddy, I needed to show her, and summoning the light on my own was something that I was not capable of yet.