A Very Good Morning

The room had become lighter. That was about all her eyes could tell. But it was enough to let her know that morning had arrived. The chickadees chirruped in the rustling trees, and the air was filled with the scent of wet grass. It was a very good morning.

She dressed herself with minimal fuss, donning a pair of soft cotton trousers and a woolen tunic, brushing her fingers along the soft, slightly fuzzy fabric. She completed the look with her favourite silk belt, bought from a trader in far off Murad by a friend as a gift, it was common knowledge that silk was her favourite fabric. It was something she was fond of petting while she pondered things, as the cool, smooth texture kept her focused on her thoughts rather than the cacophony of distracting noises that filled her forest home. She momentarily brushed her fur into a pleasing shape before grabbing her trusty stick and heading out the door.

The wooden boards were rough beneath her feet, but she knew them well, effortlessly wandering across the thin, slightly wobbly bridge, high up in the air, casually waving the stick in front of her in case something had changed. The pathway creaked beneath her, and she could hear the sound of someone stepping along the roof of the building close in front of her. Light, slow footsteps, middling sized creature, but not quite as nimble as a squirrel such as herself.

"Blanca!" A familiar voice called out, causing her to smile. She quickly skipped across the remainder of the path and onto the building, waiting as the familiar voice stepped closer. It was the voice of a friend. A tree kangaroo named Fidel, with a soft, slow way of speaking and a scent of fresh wool about him. Soft fur too, though he didn't like it when Blanca touched him too much.

"I was wondering where you'd been, Blanca,, I hadn't seen you in a day and a half." He continued, sounding quite relieved. Blanca twitched her ears and attempted a serious expression.

"I was experimenting." She replied, tapping her stick on the ground, brushing her claws against the natural grooves in its surface. "I spent the night in my kitchen, and I do believe I've discovered a new potion recipe. Or at least not one I've heard of before."

There was a slight pause as Fidel reacted with an expression before realising his mistake. "Oh gosh, you have? What does it do?"

"I'm,,, not entirely sure as of yet. But it's a new mixture of herbs. I used some of the ones that traveler from Murad gave me. I was told it's good for relieving nausea. It had a very strong, unique scent, definitely not one I'd mix up with anything else. Slightly rough texture, some sort of root." She rambled, emoting with her free hand.

"Well, it sounds useful to me." Fidel replied, she could hear the encouraging smile in his tone.

"That's the hope!"

As the two chatted, Blanca could feel the air cool and the wind pick up ever so slightly. The birdsong stopped and the general scent of the area changed to a more murky, chalky one. A storm was brewing.

"Wow, the clouds are getting grey, must be rain." Fidel muttered, shifting in place. "We should head indoors. How does the pub sound?"

Blanca thought for a moment, before smiling and agreeing. At that moment, a big, cold rain droplet surprised her by landing square on her nose with a big splash, causing her to jump and Fidel to giggle. Definitely time to head indoors...