Caprion's Wings (22 page)

“Do you smell something?” she asked. A
pungent stench floated on the wind, like rotten vegetation.

Burn nodded. Wolfy senses were far more
heightened than humans. “Been smelling it for days. Seems to be
coming from the forest.”

Her eyes traveled to the line of trees. The
fog was slowly burning off as the sun rose in the sky. It would be
a cold, clear day, heralding the winter months to come. Large pine
trees and cypress crowded the bank, thick with untamed foliage,
arching countless meters above the river and branching into tall
canopies overhead. Bright green willows leaned over the Little
Rain, trailing their branches in the murky water. Birdsong filled
her ears: the shrieks of meadowlarks and hollow thump of
woodpeckers, even the coo of an owl somewhere in the dark
branches.

She couldn’t see the source of the smell and
wrinkled her nose again, sniffing the air, reminded of her venture
through Fennbog swamp two years ago, where the ground had reeked of
sulfur and mold.
We’re not far from Fennbog now, are we?
she
wondered.

No, she didn’t think they were anywhere near
Fennbog, and it didn’t explain the rancid smell of rotting
plants.

Burn waved farewell as she continued down
the rigging.

About the Author

T. L. Shreffler is a noblewoman living in
the sunny acres of San Fernando Valley, California, a mere block
from Warner Bros. Studios. She enjoys frolicking through meadows,
sipping iced tea, exploring the unknown reaches of her homeland and
unearthing rare artifacts in thrift stores. She holds a Bachelors
in Eloquence (English) and writes Epic Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
and poetry. She has previously been published in
Eclipse: A
Literary Anthology
and
The Northridge Review.
Feel free to connect online! She loves hearing from readers,
reviewers, orcs, elves, assassins, villains, figments of her
imagination and extraterrestrials looking to make contact. Her
online accounts are as follows:
Email: [email protected]
Website:
www.tlshreffler.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/tlshreffler
Twitter:
@poetsforpeanuts