The sun was just making its way over the distant mountains as a harsh wind blew through the forest. It rustled the fallen leaves caused by winter's icy chill. Branches swayed in the early morning light while animals began to shuffle awake. There was a young girl picking at plants, carefully examining and then eventually adding them to her small basket as she deemed fit. She stood out against the icy ground and shimmering skyline with her bulky, black jacket. It appeared to be two sizes to big on her and fell right above her knees. The sleeves were rolled up enough where her hands could poke through. The soft glow of the sun about to rise created a calming atmosphere for her activity. In this moment, the world felt tranquil and her body was at peace.
"Oh joyous days, we sing our praise. The beauty of the earth." She began to hum the song to herself as she wrapped up the bundle of freshly picked herbs. The sun was still making its slow appearance, indicating that there was time left to wander in the small forest outside of her pack territory. This place was neutral land between the cardinal packs. It stretched for miles creating a separation between each territory. The large expanse of land had an abundance of plants for her to collect. A path was woven throughout the first five miles or so of forest. She knew most of it by heart and was the main reason the path stayed clear and visible. It was almost a daily occurrence that she would trek through the woods before the rest of her pack was awake so that she could find fresh supplies or even just watch the sun grace the sky.
Today she had traveled at least two miles in and wandered into a favorite clearing of hers . It stretched on a tad farther than she could see but she only ever explored the initial first mile. Exploring the unknown was always an exciting experience but from a young age, her parents had reprimanded her from doing so without someone there with her. Although she was 17, about to turn 18 and no longer thought of herself needing a chaperone but she respected their wishes. It was easy to understand their fears for her wellbeing because while the territory might be neutral, rouges and other dangerous beings tended to also wander farther out.
"Constance," the girl's ears perked up as she heard her name in the distance. It sounded far away and slightly distorted as it was carried by the wind. The voice was familiar, as it was the sound of Fynn, her father's apprentice. He often was sent out into the Expanse to come find her. Her father was worrisome and most mornings when the household awoke, she would be gone. He told her one time that he would wait half an hour before sending out the boy. But not it was usual for Fynn to simply head straight into the forest. "Constance," he called again before appearing at the edge of the tree line. The girl turned her head and grinned.
"You know it's unnecessary for you to come out here every morning. Especially on days like this." She looked him up and down while shaking her head. As of right on cue, a brutally cold wind blew through the clearing. Ruffling his long, auburn locks and causing his basketball shorts to flap. His muscle tank didn't budge as it hugged his figure. He rolled his eyes at her as she began walking towards him.
"Oh, sweet cicely, I know you worry but I'm a fully shifted werewolf. This weather isn't bad at all." Her steps were slow as she admired the scenery once more. "But it does seem a bit nippy, especially when you walk so slooooowww." He dragged out the last word until she had finally made her to the path. Fynn kindly stuck out his hand and she placed her basket on his palm.
"Oh hush, you giant baby. I'm only enjoying the view. You know it'll be so busy the next few weeks that neither of us will have time for fun." She took off at a slighter faster pace as she talked. The wind had yet to cease and unfortunately she was not a fully shifted anything and the jacket was only doing so much to keep the cold from seeping into her skin. The boy lazily grinned at her, his slow strides easily matching her hurried steps. She glanced back at Fynn before asking, "Not to be a bother but by any chance did you bring a jacket and stash it anywhere." She paused to sniffle a little bit. Even with the sun up, they were completely covered by the foliage of trees and it was absolutely frigid.
Fynn waited to respond, trying to think of something to say. "Did you not read the weather report before you went out today?" She groaned and looked at him. That was something her father would say. Constance began to shiver. While he was right, she just never bothered to check the specifics. Winters in her part of the world never tended to be to bad. Chilly enough for a little bit of snow and maybe some ice but nothing too bad. Yet it seemed today winter was giving her a rather gnarly treat. The remainder of the walk was at a brisk pace and the conversation was very small. The two kids, having known each other for more than half their lives, seemed to always be around one another. Their connection was one of siblings. Constance had grown up with two older brothers but by time she came around, they were almost out of the house. Fynn filled in for a lot of their absences.
It was hard not to think of her brothers, especially now. Kai and Darren were two of the Guardsmen, a select team of warriors specifically for the Alpha's personal use. It was an impressive feat to achieve, especially for both brothers to qualify. As a caring little sister, she was always yearning to help them from a young age. That's what set her on the path to become the next Pack Healer. Every day in the office reminded her of their past injuries and experiences. Within the next month, the boys would be back in pack territory for the annual Gathering. Right now, they were away on some covert mission being cool spies and doing awesome spy stuff. Or at least that was her guess. There was endless preparation for the Gathering, even more so this year as her pack was responsible for holding it. As the Healer-in-training, she had responsibilities stacked to the brim.
As Constance wandered in her thoughts, the pair arrived at the Healer's office. Her mother waited at the doorstep for the two. Her hair was thrown up into a neat bun and a lab coat covering the baby blue blouse and black slacks underneath. She expectantly looked at her daughter and waited for a hug. It wasn't long before she ran up the steps and smothered her mom. "Love you bunches." They murmured in unison. Constance slipped past her mother, absolutely exhilarated to get on with the day. As she began to change into suitable clothing, she could here Fynn talking about his duties as the Weapons Master. Most of the work would be cleaning and paperwork. It was mostly all he talked about on the walk.
All the potential possibilities that came with the Gathering excited her beyond belief. The quicker she got her work done, the quicker the day seemed to pass. Soon enough, she thought, it'll be time. The Gathering brought many opportunities for each pack involved. It opened up avenues of trade, information about certain medical techniques were exchanged, new friends were made, pack alliances formed. It was an experience she had only been able to attend once before. When she was 9 years old, her brothers attended their first Gathering and the whole family went. Her memories were sparse but she knew the feelings she experienced were ones not easily attained. She had truly been happy. And this year, this year would be hers.
—
unedited
