Daily Duties

Rustling. Rustling. More rustling. All around the small girl were trees and more trees; around every trunk was brush and more brush. It was all as unfamiliar as it was… oddly comforting. Not many things in Eden’s small world brought her comfort, but forests were one of the exceptions. No matter one’s density or span, they provided her a sense of security. However, it had been an exceptionally warm day, and she was no fan of the heat — of summertime in general. There was absolutely nothing appealing about it in her mind. She much preferred the turning of autumn and the frigid touch of winter despite her thin fur and low cold tolerance. It was easy to warm up but not so much to cool down, and it was less likely she would encounter other animals out on the cold barren landscape. The dismal heatwave of this new land made it no better, making her point all the easier to prove.

Her fur felt uncomfortably snug against her skin as she meandered, exerting as little energy as physically possible, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth; her breath chopped into labored pants. Enjoying the forest scenery was borderline impossible; all she could focus on was how miserable she felt. She longed for the cooling sensation of a bath, realizing just how royally she had taken her previous ones for granted, now left hot and distraught. In a futile attempt to survey her surroundings she glanced around, her teeth clenching as she saw nothing but the same scenery everywhere she looked. Getting lost amid forests was a common theme with her, and one would think that by now she would learn her lesson. At the very, very least, though, the canopy brought a sliver of relief from the looming sun.

Eden had been alone since morning, waking up habitually just before the sun peeked over the horizon. It was a new record she didn’t mind keeping that way for as long as she could help it. Pushing through the underbrush, a familiar flash of red caught her eye and she felt even more relief upon noticing it was one of the guild’s stores. Fairly versed in the different store markings’ meanings, the one presented ahead of her indicated it was empty. Any semblance of hope Eden had trickled away, but she wasn’t disappointed. It merely boiled her blood.

Movement off to the side gave her pause as a large figure approached the store. Her body tensed and she went to duck under the underbrush, but then the figure cleared the foliage. It was the guild’s Lord. The girl immediately relaxed, her shoulders dropping. Taking a second to ease her nerves she observed the woman, who appeared to be replenishing the empty store. Right on time. Eden felt somewhat pleased by this opportune moment, now with an incentive to approach. She and Timber were well acquainted so she felt no shame in drawing near. She wasn’t particularly hungry but passing up the opportunity to eat was downright foolish, mostly because she had not a clue when her next meal could be.

Walking straight up to the Lord, Eden stopped right beside her, staring directly at her. There was an expectant, almost demanding glimmer in her golden eyes as they flitted from Timber’s to the rodents that she held between her teeth. She wore a classic unamused scowl that was more akin to a pout than anything else, but it told of the indignation she felt at the world at the moment—which was nothing especially new—but the edges of her frown seemed a little more pronounced than usual.

“Can I… have that?” The question left her mouth with little ease and more force as she was still adjusting her speech patterns to compensate for that insufferable stutter. She may have come off as snippy but she knew Timber would see past it. She was expected to… by Eden, at least.

“Of course you can.”

An exhale through her nose was all Eden had to offer as an acknowledgment for the Lord’s compliance. Still glaring expectantly at her she waited a little less than patiently, already peeved from the long day and the horrid hot feeling that enveloped her frail body. She wanted so badly to loll her tongue out of her mouth and pant but she was not about to look so stupid in front of the woman. So she was minorly struggling with keeping her labored breathing below her breath—she was wheezing.

Eden watched as Timber bowed her head and dropped the squirrels. For a moment her honey eyes almost sparkled at the presentation but quickly they darkened with their typical shadow before she greedily snatched one, carrying it a little ways away into a small patch of shade. Laying down she spared not another breath or second glance at Timber as she tore into the soft flesh, feeling her pent-up anger slowly flush away at the relief of food on her tongue. Maybe... a little bit of panting wouldn’t be so bad now.

After cleaning the bones she picked up what little meat remained and carted it back over to the store, doing her part and dropping it in. Stepping back she looked at Timber again, looking as unenthused but just a sliver more satisfied now that she topped off any hunger she would have to deal with later in the night. She couldn’t wait for nightfall, where it was cooler and she would feel more comfortable traveling under the cover of twilight. She squinted instinctively, feeling a bubble of curiosity well in her chest as she blatantly studied the Lord for a moment. She hadn’t seen her in a long time; she wondered what had her so gripped.

“Where have… you… been? You disappeared,” said Eden, her tone inquisitive but also slightly accusatory. She had better have a sufficient answer… but it wasn’t like Eden was in any position to make her criticisms. She did have her complaints, however, and she would be damned to keep them bottled to herself. She was going to relay them to someone whether or not they wanted to hear them; she could not care less.

Her expression shifted into something akin to a childish scowl. “And w-why are we even here? It’s so h-hot and miserable and I-I don’t see any point in st—staying in a land as po-poor as th—isss.” she snarled with clenched teeth, not aimed particularly at Timber but the situation as a whole. Her heart began to race which made her body heat elevate. It was evident her repressed emotions were beginning to spill out with each word, and she was less focused on filtering her stutter.

As she watched Timber rise to her paws and tower over her, Eden wanted to slink back, but taking back her words never once crossed her mind. They were a true testament to how she felt. She was left to stare back her Lord in the eye, her signature scowl weighing down her face as she began to speak about their struggles, jobs, moving on. It was all a confusing, sticky web that she could only understand through experiencing it. Timber said that this place had promise. A heavy exhale left her nose as she shifted her glower to the side, accepting the lecture she was being given but not without lowering her ears in a last stitch effort of defiance. Surely she was lying to make her feel better. This land was not prosperous. It was damaging. The scraps of the fruit of Timber’s labor earlier proved that to Eden when she tried to restock the store. She knew she was capable enough to rack up more than mere scraggly squirrels, but this horrid drought was incapacitating her. Everyone.

Eden, though far from socially adept, could sense the Lord’s shaky temper that she provoked. But to Eden, all she had done was tell the truth to Timber. But she wasn’t relenting as she continued on about the packs and giving things time to settle. This summer won’t last forever? Eden’s eyes narrowed further as she shot a pointed look back up at the woman. “Of course it won’t,” she muttered with surprising ease. It gave her some courage to speak more of her mind, even if it was a fleeting feeling. “Which will fall first? This heat… or us?” There were dramatic implications, perhaps some unnecessary, to her question, but Eden wasn’t counting on gleaning an immediate answer. The heat of the moment had her asking anyway. Glancing down at the pile of squirrels in the store she paused to try and emphasize her point. It was clear to her Timber’s mind was already set, which in truth gave Eden more of a reason to push back.

“Do you… really think i-it’ll work? These packs? Can you really… guarantee it?” There was doubt in her tone, defeat even, but also a certain underlying frustration. She had been a part of the guild for a few months now so she had an idea about how it functioned. But pack relations and politics were beyond her. She knew it was imperative their operations focused on a contract. That is if their efforts paid off. They were new, still trying to establish themselves in a land surrounded by packs whose influence was widespread. Eden knew Timber was no miracle worker — but an individual who was already being worn thin by these circumstances. She squinted up at her expectantly, her scowl turned more into a deep frown that had a slight genuine softness to it.

Eden’s oversized fluffy ears fell flat against her crown upon hearing Timber’s reply that came without a beat of hesitation. It irked her, how confidently she could assert these baseless (as far as she was concerned) claims without even so much as a hint of uncertainty or caution. She combed her frustrated brain for more things she could poke and prod at — for more irregularities that she could harp on in an attempt at talking some sense into the woman standing before her… as futile as it was beginning to appear. She didn’t want to give up, however, but the more her personal feelings and resentment towards their circumstances fought against the logic her Lord was pushing onto her, the more the pressure between her temples surged. The evidence of its presence was clear on her face in the form of aggressively furrowed brows and squeezed shut eyes.

Losing face in this situation was the last thing that was desired, but Eden felt icky. Dirty. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a cool mud puddle under some forest canopy and sleep. If she was going to feel dirty, she may as well at least cool down at the same time. She kept her eyes cast down as the woman continued speaking, about how if things weren’t working they wouldn’t be here. She couldn't contain the urge to roll her eyes, keeping them down afterwards as she mulled over what Timber was implying. It made her intrigued to see the extent to which she was being pushed to turn these unfavorable odds around, but Eden felt like she didn’t have to squint much further beyond the surface to see it. Would that be enough for her to comprehend it? No. She could barely even understand it.

There was nothing beyond a shadow of a doubt that left any leeway for optimism, but Timber's next words gave her pause. She finally looked up to meet her Lord's gaze, her face contorted in confusion and dubiety. What’s been causing this? Her phrasing had her head tilting, brows narrowing in suspicion. “What’s that.” she demanded more so than asked, far too focused on what she meant to bother tempering her tone that betrayed every nuance of her curiosity, but also frustration.

Timber’s initial words caused Eden’s unruly brows to furrow together even tighter as her face scrunched up in both confusion and annoyance. Just answer my question she thought but did not dare say it out loud, for she could already feel the phantom pains of what lecture may ensue if she got even snippier with the older woman. A heavy sigh fell from her lips followed by the dropping of small shoulders in defeat, as she could only listen to her. In truth, she was merely curious. Why would she mention to her this secret if she had no intention of telling it? It was not as though Eden was clever enough to turn it around in her favor. At least, that was how she viewed it.

The small girl’s fluffy ears perked up as she noticed movement in front of her and her golden eyes cast up quickly as she flinched on instinct, only to stop when it was just Timber sitting down. She began explaining. A dam? Those things made of wood and sticks that those fat rodents built? And destroy it? Was… that even possible? Her bewilderment at the idea was evident on her face despite how she thought she was masking it well with her typical scowl. From her own perspective, it definitely was not. But… the Lord was a stubborn one, that much Eden did know. And if their place among this valley rode on the success of this damn dam, perhaps she wouldn’t mind placing a sliver of her faith in Timber. Wow, how generous Eden was.

“How… ridiculous.” She muttered despite her thoughts, forcing down a growl that urged to surface. She would keep her reservations about her until she could be proven otherwise. Until this unbearable heat went away, until their resources flourished once more, and the food returned to the valley. After another short pause, another sigh sounded, one far more forced than before. “But… do what you must.” Her tone feigned disinterest but finally, she looked up to meet eyes with Timber, her own hardened. “Don’t m-mess up… or you’ll hear about it from me.” It was Eden’s subtle way of telling Timber that she knew she could make a difference. In fact, if there was any individual who could make a difference in this valley, it was her.

Well, at least the Lord acknowledged it was a ridiculous idea. Maybe that acknowledgment paired with whatever nonsensical logic Eden struggled to wrap her head around would pull this fantasy into reality. But, she also could not deny that her hope stemmed from a place of selfishness. A break from the heat with a rush of new water into the valley? The young girl was not going to deny such a dream. She hated the heat as it was. If she could benefit, the whole valley would. The amount of time, effort, and resources it was going to take to bring this idea to fruition though, was where her doubts cast shadows. According to Timber at least, she trusted her resources, which again, had the Magnum wanting to roll her eyes but she resisted.

Upon Timber’s next words, her eyes fell to the side, her face twisting into an expression akin to pouty annoyance. The Lord was certainly only jesting but it sparked something in her. Annoyance mostly, of course, but also maybe a lick of pride. She shook her head. “That’s right. I’ll hu-hunt you down if I… have to.” Another minor threat, one a little more ambiguous. In victory or defeat.