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</div><br/>Solitude was a bittersweet sensation for Rowena. On one hand, she got to wake in the wee hours of the morning to nothing more than the birds chirping and the creek babbling. On the other hand, she was on her own and completely responsible for her own survival from day to day. There was no one to take care of her or pamper her like in the noble house where she grew up. This world might have been beautiful, but it was also unforgiving. And even though Rowena was growing in strength with each passing day, she never dared to take it for granted.<br/><br/>On this particular morning, the air was much chillier than she was used to. Rowena scrambled to relight the fire that had died out over the night, trying to get some warmth to her numbed fingers. Apparently a mist had dampened the ground, as well as her clothes, making it difficult to get any sort of fire going. Why had she fallen asleep without making sure everything was tended to? The young woman sat back and tried to recollect.<br/><br/>The day before, she'd come across strange symbols carved into an ancient-looking oak tree. Her hand quickly dropped to the satchel at her waist to draw out the drawings she'd made of the symbols. It looked like it could be Fae, but she didn't have enough about them to be entirely certain. She pulled out a book and began comparing notes; this was what she passed out thinking about last night. In the dark beneath a new moon, she'd been unable to keep enough light to be able to get her work done. Supposedly, the fae had a way to see in the dark, but this was something she had yet to discover or perfect for herself. While she sat there making her comparisons, she felt a strange chill run up her spine. It wasn't the same as the cool morning air.<br/><br/>"Hello?" Her voice called softly, only to see a critter dart from the bushes away from her. The sight was a welcome relief, as she believed this was the cause of her discomfort. She just had a feeling that something was watching her. And now, she turned her attention back to the pages in her hands.<br/><br/>By high noon, she felt warm enough to bathe. The nearest town or main road was several days away, and she felt confident that she was alone as she began to disrobe. Even so, she didn't care to part with all of her clothing before she waded into the river. Her long auburn locks floated across the water as she walked until it reached her shoulders. It was still almost unbearably cold, but the sensation was worth feeling clean for the rest of the day. "Where would those markings lead to...?" She asked out-loud. It wasn't a typical habit for her to speak her thoughts, but she had grown used to doing so for fear her voice would grow hoarse if she spent too much time alone.<br/><br/>Her fingertips brushed over the tattoo that danced across her right shoulder. It was a brash decision made just after she left her father's home. She thought it would represent her choice to embrace nature. Instead, it ended up being a form of regret, because all it did was remind her of the life she had before. She didn't miss having to pretend to be proper, but she did miss the comforts that came with her old life. Sometimes she thought about going back.<br/><br/>But that was never an option she let herself consider for very long.<br/><br/>However long she spent in the water, her lips were blue and her skin was prune-like by the time she got out. Rowena sat at the water's edge and carefully squeezed the water from her hair. In her mind, she could only wonder where to go next. The symbols, although beautiful, meant nothing to her if she couldn't read or understand them. She needed a translator, or maybe to find a book that would help her. Which meant going to civilization. Yet it had been many weeks since her last venture into a city. The experience had been less than pleasant, which made her hesitant to go back. Without a background in travel, she wasn't particularly gifted directionally; she didn't know where the next city was, or how to get to it. Only that if she followed rivers, she was bound to find something eventually.<br/><br/>Tag:<a class="username" data-user-id="294" data-username="@Annukai" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/294/">@Annukai</a>