.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
05-20-2017, 03:00 PM
At such an early hour, a thin mist still lingered in the spaces between the trees, lurking along the edges of the rising foothills. Roland wandered through its midst, following a well worn trail as it wound its way up, higher and higher, to where the air began to cool and the wind blew freely across the crags. It set the grass rolling and rippling like the waves of an ocean, catching the sun’s golden light on every blade as it swayed against the current. The Phantom waded through at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sight of the valley as it stretched out beneath him. The sun had just climbed over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the mountains. Light filtered through the trees, dancing across dying leaves that displayed an array of auburns, crimson, and golds. Above the shelter of the rocks, the air carried an unmistakable autumn chill, but there was a pleasant heat that settled against Roland’s golden skin. He relished it, soaked it in, for he knew it would not be long before they saw their first snowfall. In the silence of a breaking dawn, it was peaceful. Allowing himself only a moment to admire the view, he dropped his gaze down to the grass underfoot. He wandered beyond the borders of the trail, picking his way over rocks and roots, searching, seeking, until he found what it was he sought. He had been scouring the hillsides since the first, weak rays of light had split across the sky, flitting in and out of the shadows with his eyes fixed upon the ground at his feet. It was mere chance that he spotted it at last, nestled and hidden as it was among the tall grasses, and he felt a thrill of relief at finding it there. Perhaps it was the last of them, the only one that had not yet succumbed to the nightly frosts. He would offer it a better end than that. Stooping to take it gently between his teeth, Roland turned back the way he had come, gift settled upon his lip. The sun had risen beyond the crest of the mountains by the time he skirted the shores of the calm lake. Roland did not linger at the water’s edge, though he may have spared a moment to eye his reflection in its calm surface before carrying onwards. Still holding his prize between his lips, he strode across the flats of the valley with a purpose, a spring in his step. Dry leaves crunched under his hooves, and a tune floated on the breeze as songbirds began to awaken, settling in the branches overhead. He slipped in and out of the shade of trees as he skirted the edge of the basin, intent on avoiding any inquisitive gazes. When the greenhouse loomed above him, he cast a final glance about, as if anticipating an ambush of some sort. The area was empty, to his satisfaction, no one present to catch him before his surprise could unfold. With a curious look at the structure towering over him, he ducked timidly through its entrance. At once, he felt a wave of heat against his skin. The air was damp with a viscous humidity, and it felt as if vapor was clinging to his skin. It smelled of earth, stiflingly so, but the Phantom found it oddly soothing. It was a sensation he could get used to. Casting his gaze about for a familiar form, he took a few steps into the depths of the greenhouse, but wandered no farther. “Lena?” He called, trying his best to enunciate around the mouthful between his lips. It was early, but he hoped he would find her there, tending to the plants that grew within the rich soil. He held his offering at the ready, the last of the lavender blossoms he could find within the Basin. Its sweet scent wafted into his nose as he waited, hoping he might surprise her with his gift. @Lena |
