Solo A Chance Meeting

[Lhana]

75 Winter, 516 AV

It had been a bright, brilliant day in the forest, and the night-turned cool darkness was nothing short of relief. While earlier Lhana had basked in the sun, now she was relaxed, eyes closed, the slow dimming of the light behind her closed lids and the chilling of the once-hot rock she lay on her only means to tell the time. Of course, she could have opened her eyes, but that would have really defeated the objective.

One breath in...

She inhaled slowly through her mouth, feeling her stomach rise, and imagined the air travelling down her throat and into her lungs, slowly inflating them. She imagined energy flowing with it - purple energy, she decided. A deep, vibrant purple flowing through her body, filling her with strength and power and energy until she could feel it thrumming through her, quickening her pulse and filling her with a sudden urge to jump up, to run and yell and play -

And one breath out, she thought.

And out it came, in a slow, smooth whoosh through her nostrils. She exhaled as her stomach fell, as her lungs fell lax and her whole body slumped back against the rock. In her mind's eye, purple fled as the air left her, and all that power and energy that had once thrummed through her veins disappeared into the air, leaving her lax and almost floaty. She took in another breath, just as deep, intending to sink deeper into the trance-like state she'd spend hours trying to reach, when -

Her nose itched, and the concentration fell away from her. "Drat," she said mildly, sitting up to stretch aching limbs as she scratched the slight pain away. She had made a little progress, but nowhere as near as much as she had wanted that day. It was late now, though, and by the rumble in her stomach more than time for dinner.

Normally she would head home, but it was too far and she had brought her tent with her for a reason, and it was tucked into her backpack at the bottom of the rock - within easy distance should something go to steal it. She went to it and picked it up, then hoisted it onto her back with little effort. She had found a good place to rest earlier that day, back when it was still light, and was fairly confident in her ability to find the way.

[Lhana]

The tent did not take long to set up. Lhana's hands were practised and, for their size, surprisingly nimble, as she tied knots and tightened cords. By the time it was up, the sun had completely set and if not for her ability to see well in the dark, she would have doubtless had far more difficulty in settings things up. By this point it was too cold, the chill biting where once it had been pleasant, and even her fur was not enough to stop her from shivering.

She ducked into the tent and pulled her pack apart until she had her blanket in her hands, then wrapped the large piece of material around herself. She shuddered into it with a relieved sigh as her body slowly warmed up. Food was next, and provided by her parents - four meals worth of insects and fruit, with a tiny pot of honey, the former having been eaten earlier in the day. She mostly had fruit left, as the majority insects had been cooked when it was still sunny enough that a bright light would attract no attention from predators. For this meal she sliced several of the fruit into pieces with her knife, carefully spooned a small amount of honey onto each one, and nibbled on it slowly, revelling in the sweet taste.

Delicious. Outside, the wind had picked up, from a mere rustle to shrieking gusts. Lhana finished her snack and packed everything back where it belonged for ease in the morning, then double checked the tent's straps to see if it would hold in the weather. She would be fine, she decided, provided the wind didn't get any stronger. If it did - well. She would have her blankets and fur, both for protection and camouflage. That would have to be enough.