[ P ] treasure hunt

A

once quiet and remote area of Rionnach had become a bustling centre of activity and celebration. Elanose day or whatever that was. Colburn wasn’t happy that his home was so public. It left him feeling exposed and the fear that his hideout could be discovered made him reluctant to return to it. Privacy was important to the young thief who was used to living a reclusive and isolated existence. It was odd to see such large crowds moving through the woods as he watched them silently from the shadows. They played games wanting to be kissed by fairies. Too bad for them that the one true Redwood fae didn’t grant them their wish.

He waited until darkness fell before he felt it was safe to move around undetected and the last of the revellers went home. Traces of their presence were left over. Shells from the drinking contest, tufts of fur from the brawl and wilting flowers. Nothing useful that he could eat or make use of. ”Gotta be somethin’ good,” he muttered, nose to the ground as he rooted around for hidden treasures that might be left over from the celebrations.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

S

omething about the night drew the young girl out to explore. Calliope had been spending much of her town near the shore line, enjoying the comforts that came with the sound of waves crashing along the beach or the smell of salt in the air. But these lands weren’t all oceans and tides, so she’d been told. It was time to see what else Rionnach had to offer.

Calliope moved slowly at first, placing her paws carefully one by one in front of her, pulling her along. But that grew to be a boring game for the girl and soon she found herself almost jogging through the forest, weaving in and out through the trees. A wild grin grew on her features as she moved along, a mixture of rapid breathing and laughter escaping her maw.

THUD! Suddenly the girl’s body came crashing into something rather solid, sending her tumbling backwards onto the grass. Calliope grunted loudly at the impact before a ripple of giggles escaped her once more. ”Watch where ye goin’ tree!” Her emerald gaze had been concealed during the tumble, but as she regained an ounce of focus, they opened to realize it wasn’t a Redwood she’d slammed into but rather a boy.

”Oi, me bad mister,” She mumbled out with slight a slight apologetic tone as she slowly picked herself up off the forest floor. Sticks and various leaves now clung to her, tangled and knotted in her fur though she paid it little mind. Instead, she offered out a paw to the boy with a crooked grin. ”Lemme help ye up.”

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Colburn

T

he little thief contentedly snuffled and snorted at the ground like a foraging piglet. No sign of worthy leftovers filling his nostrils with any delightful smells. Well damn. The least they could do was leave him an offering if they were going to trample through his home and make a mess. Different coloured petals were scattered throughout the woods like confetti after a party. It had been fun to watch at first, but a private creature like Colburn preferred to be alone and not surrounded by merry making.

The drunks made for an easy target. He'd found breakfast and supper in one day thanks to the overindulgence of festival goers. His nose touched the smooth surface of bones littered across the earth, stripped of flesh and gristle. It had nothing to spare for a hungry belly.

A solid wall of wolf collided with him, knocking him onto his back and causing his head to spin. "What kinda tree ya think I am?" he scoffed, and then frowned at the twig knotted into his tail tip. It was still impossible to see how he could be mistaken for one, leaf knotted fur, twiggy tail and all.

He squinted suspiciously at the proffered paw and climbed back to his paws without taking it.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck