𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 : 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒏

Chapter 10: Deep Into The Forest

His skin is warm, the Sun's rays that manage to peak through the trees around him touch at his arms and cheeks with comforting grazes.

The forest is light and free, the doom and gloom blanket that typically coats his dreams is gone, lifted up for a peaceful and tranquil moment.

Renjun glances around him, eyes taking in the silence but buzzing timber around him. The healthy leaves that canopy the woods, the bright moss and bushes that are home to the many critters and animals at normally call this place home.

He walks, wincing at he steps on a pointed twig. He glanced down at his person, realizing that he's in the clothes he went to bed in like his previous dreams.
Being more conscious of his lack of shoes or long pants, he steps much more carefully.

Renjun walks straight, he's in this dream for a reason and that means he needs to explore.

As he takes a deep breath, the warm air calms any doubt he had. This is special, it's a special dream. He can feel it in his bones, and though he can't connect with the earth like he can in real life, he doesn't feel any worry or warnings.

This is good, this is safe.

The air smells like a mix of the trees around him, ceder, pine, even redwood if he focused hard enough. Beyond that there's a spike in floral the farther he gets from his wake point.

The smell lures him, making Renjun follow the sweet smell of flowers until he hits the edge of the forest. To a small open field.

The little field is littered with blooms that shouldn't be there, bunches of Baby's Breath and Alstroemeria stalks littered around. White Carnations, white Gladiolus's, and even Aconite.

He can't remember what most of them mean, their symbolisms, but he recognizes the petals and smells. Most are pure, intentions easy and sweet, though the Aconite throws him.

He knew it well, a flower that killed easily with it's beauty. Aconite, Monkshood, or Wolfsbane, whatever you wanted to call it, meant caution, it meant death. It stood out so much amongst the dainty Baby's Breath and the White Carnations, it set an unease into his gut.

To make things a bit more strange and slightly unnerving, as he stepped into the flower beds, their petals brushing against his legs with feather light grazes as they almost curled into his touch, he notices the large tree in the center of the field. 

The smell hits him first, it's hidden under the floral beds of the flowers around, but it's there. The smell of rotting flesh, the very sickeningly sweet smell that only a Hawthorn bares. As Renjun approaches the hauntingly beautiful tree in full bloom he almost holds his breath.

The twisted branches are decorated with it's green leaves, the blossoming flowers, and the bright red berries. The sharp thorns that guard the tree and it's pungent smell is its own way of keeping the unwanted away. But this tree is special, sacred.

Eventually as Renjun walks forward he runs out of flowers, the area around the Hawthorn is cut down to the short grass. He glanced around as he steps closer.

Distantly he can hear voices, music even.

It's soft, like it's miles away, but it's clear. What he's hearing isn't far away, it's right where he's standing. He spins around, eyes darting about at the surrounding flora. But there's nothing, it's just him.

The music is happy, it sounds ceremonial. Old instruments and laughter. It's sweet and joyous, and underneath the slight nerves he feels is a warmth he can't explain.