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[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow 22nd Day of Winter 514 AV W ith the sudden drop in temperate from the winter season came changes in Saraphina's campsite. Since the chill had worsened over the last few days, the Tiger Kelvic was spending more and more time in her animal form. Her human body just wasn't cut out to handle the cold weather, honestly she was rather surprised that human's had managed to settle as well as they had in the frostier climate. But, despite her experience and childhood in the frigid north, Saraphina was not immune to the cold season. Which is how she found herself sitting before a midsize fire, nursing a cup of spruce needle tea and muttering darkly. She, Saraphina Skyglow of the fable frozen wonderland of Avanthal, home to the Goddess Morwen....had a cold. Sniffling unhappily, she pulled her wool cloak tighter around her and bundled her bedroll more securely around her body. The sickness wasn't terrible, more annoying than anything. A stuffed up nose, a slightly achy body and an irritating chill that she seemed to be unable to get rid of. Hence the extra layers of cloth and the warm drink. The fire helped to ward off the cold and the thick branches were now heavy with snow, which prevented the wind from blowing through. T he crunch of snow and a wuffle of warm air passed by her ear. Turning her head, Saraphina managed a small smile as her Bloodbane moved closer to her. The stallion had been surprisingly hardy through the cold, keeping an upbeat attitude and being annoying as usual. It was nice, the challenge that Abaccus presented on a daily bases made things interesting. They hadn't had a fight for dominance in some time, though that mostly occurred around other horses. And out in the Bronze Woods, it wasn't often that many people stopped by. The wilds tended to scare them, and Saraphina could see that for those not trained to survive. Still, even though she'd come down with an illness, Saraphina still felt pretty good. The flu would probably pass in a day or two so long as she kept warm, drank lots of fluids and got some rest. The Kelvic was in a healthy condition. Hunting had been good in the area, and she'd managed to catch a few rabbits before she'd gotten sick. The skinned carcasses were bundled in her burlap sack, but she felt no need to cook them yet. The flu had robbed her of her appetite right now, but later she would force herself to eat something. There was no need to weaken her condition any more than it already was. T he cooking pot she'd placed beside the fire was filled with freshly boiled water and the needles of spruce trees floated on the steaming surface. Spruce needles had a lot of nutrients in them, but chewing them was a bad idea. No one liked that. But when they were boiled in water, the tea they made worked wonders. It tasted awful, like burn tar and sap, but Saraphina knew it was good for her. It would help to ward off the cold she had, so she forced herself to drink the horrid concoction despite the taste. Maybe when she went into the city again, she'd pick up some real tea. For now, she was happy with the warm water and bitter needle brew. Snowflakes fell from the sky and she watched them fall with a smile. The nostalgia of remembering Avanthal made her heart pang a bit and she sighed heavily. Truly she loved the outdoor, she loved her independence and solitude. But sometimes....it would be nice to have someone to talk to besides Abaccus. If she could understand her horse, that might be different. Sipping at her drink again and sniffling to try and unclog her nose, Saraphina curled into her blankets deeper.