The Forest

Twenty-One.

The camp seemed fuller since the humans came. There are more people around as well as more horses out and about in the open fields. The horses had become more spread out as they tore up the grass peeking through the snow.

We were all waiting for the snow to melt as spring began to bloom. Nothing could be better than the arrival of spring.

This morning I woke up early to get a few things done with the horses. There are a lot more chores around the camp now and I'm in a position to pull my weight. The horses also like me, which is a bonus.

In the fields Celeste and the new mare were grazing at some of the grass that peeks through the snow. I began taking out the flakes of hay and scattering them around the field and filling up the buckets with the horse feed.

We have a lot more horse feed and hay now. 

One of the things we'd need to do when spring is here, and the snow has melted is start planting crops of some type. That would be the number one thing to get done.

Crops would feed both us and the horses.

To my surprise when I went out in the field there was a human boy out there scattering a flake of hay in front of one of the draft horses. The draft horse is a tall mealy chestnut with a white mane and tail.

I walked over to him.

He turned around and jumped upon catching a glance of me.

"I was just helping feed the horses, this one is my mom's horse." He looked frightened at me being in front of him.

"No issue there, I could use help. The horses are going to need water to drink, and the buckets are heavy to carry, I assume you can carry them?" I asked.

He nodded. 

"Yes, I can carry buckets of water."

I smiled before walking off towards the wolf section of camp. He seemed uneasy but followed me. The wolf-shifters have been collecting water from one of the streams that run by. There is also a river a little bit out.

Of course, the forest is dangerous to go in, but it's necessary for all of us. We all require water to survive.

There is also the ability to melt the snow which some of the wolves had done, I noticed a few humans having set up campfires to melt the snow into drinkable water.

But snow isn't something that stays year-round. The river and stream are needed.

I gathered the buckets and began filling them up with water before handing them to the boy standing behind me. We filled up three of them before bringing them back to the horses.

In total seven buckets of water were placed throughout the field, and I told one of the shifters that either snow had to be melted or water needs to be collected. I returned to the field after that where the boy stood.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Arden." 

Arden looks to be about Ivory's age. He has long curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin.

"It's nice to meet you Arden, I'm Ruby."

I smiled at him.

"I know, your Court's wife."

I smiled. "I'm not his wife. We're not married." I told him.

"But you are together, right?" Arden asked.

"We are, I don't think the wolf-shifters here understand the concept of marriage, it works differently for them." I told him.

"I never would've thought the wolves we gave the monthly sacrifice could turn into humans. Was it scary finding out?" Arden asked.