December 26th, 1892 — Blackwood Estate
The day had started out so fine and beautiful, and Merida had risen that morning and had dressed with care, feeling rather in a mood to be fussy and particular. In the end, she had opted for a pale green under garment, a dark green lining and a grass green over garment, decorated with intricate designs and flowers in beautiful accenting colours. A pretty gown, entirely ill suited for where she intended to go. It was meant for a party but the ornamentation felt natural and appropriate for a traverse in the woods.
She should have known from the way she rankled this morning at her maids moods the evening before that she was feeling homesick. It wasn't the girls fault, but the mess with Maxime had rather ruined teh Greyback festive spirit and for the first year in a long time they had decamped to their various homes for the holidays. Only Murdock and his daughters remained at the reach, and he would decamp to the Blackwoods for a few days. Perhaps when that happened she would make a point of visiting - it wasn't too hard from here if she remembered correctly. She would ask her sister later where exactly the Blackwood estate was.
It had been a hard few months. Work had been crazy, so busy and intense - as it often was. Then added to that was the mess with Maxime onyl 2 months since he was bitten and he was already a pain in her ass. She had never met a more graceless and obnoxious ass than that man! Honestly, she had, at times regretted saving him. It was a terrible thing to say - especially for a healer but he seemed determined to make her life miserable - and he seemed to enjoy doing it.
She had been ready for a break, and yet she would have preferred to have stayed in The Reach, instead of taking her sisters invitation to spend boxing day with her. It had sounded quiet and restful at the time, but not felt more isolating and lonely than even the quietest day in The Reach. No sooner had she set out for her walk, sneaking out the back stairs so that no one noticed her slip out of the house in the dawn hours. Then the rain had started and she had been caught without a coat or cloak and it had seemed that regardless of where she had run for cover the miserable little rain cloud had followed her. The warming charm on her gown had seemed like enough when she had left home. Now she regretted it, as she headed deeper into the cover of the trees for shelter.
There seemed to be several miserable little rain clouds hovering over the forest, black spots amid early morning winter sunshine. Worse still without her wand she had been unable to fend it off.
She had gone for a walk in the forest in the hopes of solace, she was content to be on her own, she didn’t need the constant chattering of friends to be happy, but today the silence of the woods had been oppressive. Her friends were miles away, she loved her sister, but she was so much older than her, and the two had little in common. She was constantly chastising Merida for her employment - telling her that she ought to give it up in favour of society married bliss. She couldn't imagine herself as a mere society wife. Most of the men she had met were cold and stiff and looked at her as though she was a curiosity or something to be put into a sideshow. She wasn't sure she could ever give up the life she had for that. She would never be able to do this again.
As the dense cover of the trees, made the air heavy and the noises muted, she glanced around quickly. It was still early, just after dawn and there was no one around. She changed, her skin melting to soft red and pale tawny fur that whicked away the soft mizzling rain, mottled spots on her side and flanks, dark eyes better adjusted to the dim light and she took off at a run.
This always helped exertion and freedom all in one package. Springing through the brush and tree cover, she lost track of time, as the predawn light gave way to the cold grey light of a winter morning she wasn't entirely sure how far she had run, but her breathing was ragged and strained and she stopped in the shadow of an ancient elm to catch her breath, feeling better equipped to face the day now.
Merida had been about to turn, to start heading back in the direction she had come when she heard voices - the conversation in fine clipped accents. Not poachers or lads on their way to harvest firewood. Gentlemen! a hunting party! She turned, running a little distance from the voice, before stopping to listen again, making sure she was heading away from them. All she could hear was silence.
Merida breath a small sigh, preparing to spring off through the trees, to flee as far and as fast as she could, to run back to the forest edge and make her way back to her sisters estate before the house woke, when there was blazing pain in her side and before her brain could process the sensation she was deafened by noise. She staggered a step before buckling to her knees.
She felt her deer form, melt away as she collapsed into the knee high ferns and brush around her. Merida grasped at her hip, her fingers coming away slick and red. A distant part of her brain registered she had been shot - and the pebbling wounds meant buck shot not a rifle - that was lucky, she thought dizzily. The sudden adrenaline burst was too much for her system and her head swam, the trees before her swaying into and out of focus. She vaguely saw a human shape heading in her direction, as she blinked groggily.
The ground rose to meet her but she never felt it hit.
She should have known from the way she rankled this morning at her maids moods the evening before that she was feeling homesick. It wasn't the girls fault, but the mess with Maxime had rather ruined teh Greyback festive spirit and for the first year in a long time they had decamped to their various homes for the holidays. Only Murdock and his daughters remained at the reach, and he would decamp to the Blackwoods for a few days. Perhaps when that happened she would make a point of visiting - it wasn't too hard from here if she remembered correctly. She would ask her sister later where exactly the Blackwood estate was.
It had been a hard few months. Work had been crazy, so busy and intense - as it often was. Then added to that was the mess with Maxime onyl 2 months since he was bitten and he was already a pain in her ass. She had never met a more graceless and obnoxious ass than that man! Honestly, she had, at times regretted saving him. It was a terrible thing to say - especially for a healer but he seemed determined to make her life miserable - and he seemed to enjoy doing it.
She had been ready for a break, and yet she would have preferred to have stayed in The Reach, instead of taking her sisters invitation to spend boxing day with her. It had sounded quiet and restful at the time, but not felt more isolating and lonely than even the quietest day in The Reach. No sooner had she set out for her walk, sneaking out the back stairs so that no one noticed her slip out of the house in the dawn hours. Then the rain had started and she had been caught without a coat or cloak and it had seemed that regardless of where she had run for cover the miserable little rain cloud had followed her. The warming charm on her gown had seemed like enough when she had left home. Now she regretted it, as she headed deeper into the cover of the trees for shelter.
There seemed to be several miserable little rain clouds hovering over the forest, black spots amid early morning winter sunshine. Worse still without her wand she had been unable to fend it off.
She had gone for a walk in the forest in the hopes of solace, she was content to be on her own, she didn’t need the constant chattering of friends to be happy, but today the silence of the woods had been oppressive. Her friends were miles away, she loved her sister, but she was so much older than her, and the two had little in common. She was constantly chastising Merida for her employment - telling her that she ought to give it up in favour of society married bliss. She couldn't imagine herself as a mere society wife. Most of the men she had met were cold and stiff and looked at her as though she was a curiosity or something to be put into a sideshow. She wasn't sure she could ever give up the life she had for that. She would never be able to do this again.
As the dense cover of the trees, made the air heavy and the noises muted, she glanced around quickly. It was still early, just after dawn and there was no one around. She changed, her skin melting to soft red and pale tawny fur that whicked away the soft mizzling rain, mottled spots on her side and flanks, dark eyes better adjusted to the dim light and she took off at a run.
This always helped exertion and freedom all in one package. Springing through the brush and tree cover, she lost track of time, as the predawn light gave way to the cold grey light of a winter morning she wasn't entirely sure how far she had run, but her breathing was ragged and strained and she stopped in the shadow of an ancient elm to catch her breath, feeling better equipped to face the day now.
Merida had been about to turn, to start heading back in the direction she had come when she heard voices - the conversation in fine clipped accents. Not poachers or lads on their way to harvest firewood. Gentlemen! a hunting party! She turned, running a little distance from the voice, before stopping to listen again, making sure she was heading away from them. All she could hear was silence.
Merida breath a small sigh, preparing to spring off through the trees, to flee as far and as fast as she could, to run back to the forest edge and make her way back to her sisters estate before the house woke, when there was blazing pain in her side and before her brain could process the sensation she was deafened by noise. She staggered a step before buckling to her knees.
She felt her deer form, melt away as she collapsed into the knee high ferns and brush around her. Merida grasped at her hip, her fingers coming away slick and red. A distant part of her brain registered she had been shot - and the pebbling wounds meant buck shot not a rifle - that was lucky, she thought dizzily. The sudden adrenaline burst was too much for her system and her head swam, the trees before her swaying into and out of focus. She vaguely saw a human shape heading in her direction, as she blinked groggily.
The ground rose to meet her but she never felt it hit.
1036 words!
Endymion Dempsey
![[Image: 6jslCZa.png]](https://i.imgur.com/6jslCZa.png)