hello to high and dry - anyone

[Merida]

Merida

from the ashes, a fire shall be awoken

The woman is almost comforted by Merida’s presence as she lowers her haunches to sit on the damp, fallen tree. The fox’s tail curls around sooty paws, a murmur of amusement tracing the sharp features of her face as the little smile that graced her mouth falters, eyes becoming glazed and dark. Merida snorts unpleasantly, large ears tipping back slightly as she realizes she is no longer being admired by the golden pegasus. The bright red ember of her irises are framed around black lids as they narrow, wondering why there was such a sudden change in expression. Not that Merida truly cared about why the stranger was frowning, but is moreso interested as to why her voice had caused it. Of course, Merida cannot feel the sense of foreboding and paranoia that came from the tall forests of Sylva (she didn’t notice it when Gryffen ruled, and wouldn’t notice it now), but instead occupies her mind with thoughts of sunshine and her wolf, or if there were any grubs beneath the trunk of the tree she currently sits on.

The presence of another is given away, and the fox’s ears tip back towards him before her head spins around. A child has found them, and a little huff leaves Merida’s black-lined lips. The question is directed at her, and though she has nothing against children (she had one once, she remembers vaguely), there is a look of boredom that crosses her face as she turns back towards the mare, stretching out across the moss-covered bark and a yawn escaping her throat. “Rude,” she murmurs quietly to herself in a mumble of breath, wondering why is it that if she was equine the question would have been ‘Who are you?’ and not ‘What are you?’

But children are fickle and unassuming, so with a quick inhale the fox musters a cunning smile (nearly terrifying as canines are revealed, sharp and shining in the sunlight) for the boy, lifting her head to sniff at the smell he brings with him. “You’ve never seen a fox in these woods, boy?” Answering his question with her own, her red and eccentric eyes flickering towards the pegasus.

“I’m Merida.” Her name is offered to both her and the child, despite her gaze resting on the cobalt and gold of the mare before her. “I used to live here, you know. I’m thinking of staying this time.” Now that I have a reason. “Do you live here?”

@[Lepis] @[Rajanish]