Stepping into the West Woods wasn't quite like walking into a dark cave, but almost. The air was oppressive, but Ash supposed it was due to the darkness and the closeness of the trees. Light didn't penetrate the canopy here as it did in Evershade.
He scanned the undergrowth for signs of old trails to make traveling easier, but in every direction there was nothing but thickets and sparse patches where mayapples grew. No paths to be had. Not even rabbit trails.
He paused at the base of a spindly tree and took a bite of the strawberry he had stuffed in his gathering basket. Stars above, it was delicious. After he swallowed, he perked his ears and listened for danger. The funny thing was, there wasn't much of anything to hear. There was no rustling, no birdsong, nothing beyond his own breathing. Even the Fray seemed to fall silent. He was right. There was something off about these woods. And that's what he needed.
Picking his way through the underbrush, Ash searched for a comfortable place to work. He knew what he was looking for--a small clearing with a bed of moss and some twigs nearby. Maybe a stray shaft of light to illuminate the space, but that might be asking too much.
He trotted up a large root to get a better view of his surroundings. There were dark trees as far as he could see, but a fallen log off to the left caught his eye. Hopping off the root, he hurried to the decaying tree and found a nearly ideal space. Moss carpeted the log on one end and spread in a blanket on the ground. This would do.
He hung his gathering basket on a knob jutting out from the bark and planted his paws on his hips. Now that he was well and truly alone, it was time to get to work.
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