Forever Luna

Mollify

Untying myself, I climb to the ground, my feet sinking into the moist earth. Grunting at the fresh mud on my boots, I placed my bag somewhere relatively dry before finding a bush to relieve myself in. Brushing your teeth in the woods was less than ideal, but it gave me something prettier to look at other than my reflection in the mirror. Swirling some water through my cheeks, I packed up my belongings and readied myself for the day.

I wasn't hungry yet, and even so, the minty toothpaste would not go well with the granola bar.

Or would it...

I hesitated before deciding that I wasn't truly hungry. I hoped that by nightfall I would make it to Arleybay. Stopping by Antoine's had been rather sporadic and altered my plans, but I knew it was only a matter of a few hours by fur. I walked by foot before deicing I would shift at lunch time. I wanted to admire the greenery around here; it was always beautiful in summer.

Hours slugged by and I let my head fall empty. Zero thoughts other than appreciation crossed my mind, and time passed by without a problem. I skipped breakfast, uncaring as my boots led me across human land. I don't know why more people didn't travel; it was so calming. The rain from last night had left a wonderfully fresh smell and all the bushes and flowers thrived from it. I have never seen so many bees in a berry bush before.

It was a welcome change from the heat of June, but the humidity grew as the hours passed by. I stopped for lunch in a small meadow, cracking open another sandwich that Layla made me. It was the same as last nights, except the chicken was a little chewier now. I would have to eat it today, anyway; it was too warm in my bag to stay healthy.

Some mice scurried past as I was rolling the foil away into my bag and I shook out the crumbs in sympathy. They were too wary to come closer, hurrying to take the crumbs into the hedges. Rolling my eyes, I stripped off my clothes and placed them in my bag. My shoes hung from their laces on the zipper as I placed the bag on my back. The moment I shifted into my wolf; the mice vanished with loud squeaks.

My claws dug into the earth, testing out my limbs before I ran. I gave into the bliss of being free, charging headfirst through the wilderness. My wolf stayed by my side, both of us contently following our senses. It has been years since I was in Arleybay, and I just hoped my nose guided me the right way.

I wasn't sure how long passed before something in the distance caught my eye. I stumbled to a stop, a loud huff escaping my snout as my claws dug up the damp dirt. Shaking it off the pads of my feet, I slowed my pace as I glanced up past the forest.

For years, I had wondered if my Converse shoe remained in the tree, and somehow, it was still there. Yet, seeing Arleybay in the distance did not give me the same sense of amusement.

It sent an odd sense of insecurity within me, but my wolf huffed at me, forcing me to stand. For years, the shoe had weathered to the point it was almost unrecognisable. I just hoped Arleybay didn't follow the same rule.

Every step felt heavy, every paw in the dirt felt like it was leading me to my doom. My anxiety grew the closer I got, and once I stood atop the hill overlooking the lake, I turned back to my human skin. I was shaking as I dressed myself, forcing myself to look decent despite my inner turmoil.

It was late afternoon, but the sun was still bright and warm as ever. My eyes closed for a brief moment of bliss, basking in the warm rays as the smell of the water washed over me. It smelt of a fond memory, of a childhood home that I hardly came back to.

My eyes wandered, clocking all the homes of the past that remained the same. From up here you could see most of Arleybay, even the marketplace. It was fairly busy, and I assumed that was because people were going home after work. For a town in the middle of a forest, it was well-developed. But I suppose, being built upon the past it had, it wasn't hard to realise why.