The sky glowed a soft orange as dusk settled over the edge of Ashbirch Forest, the sun sinking low, ready to vanish within the hour. Julie, Aisha, and Skadi waited at the meeting point, the air cool and sharp with the scent of pine and damp earth.
Two horses stood nearby, their saddles weighed down with supplies as Julie checked the packs, her hands deftly tightening straps. Skadi hung upside down from a tree branch, her legs hooked over it, swaying gently as she gazed at the sunset with a goofy grin, humming a tuneless song.
Aisha on the other hand, paced restlessly, her arms crossed, a scowl creeping across her face as she scanned the horizon, her wand tapping against her thigh.
