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There was a place, just five miles out of the city gates, that Lapine liked to think was paradise. It was quiet- not an uncomfortable, all consuming silence- but something that the hustle and bustle of Orario could never achieve. The musical birds singing their lovely songs, trilling to one another in search of love. The gentle bubbling of the river stream just a hop-skip-and-jump away, water streaming past glistening rocks and falls. The occasional splash of a fish leaping above the surface hoping to catch the fluttering dragonflies unawares. The warm breeze that brushed past the clearing from time to time. Tickling the girl's skin and whispering sweet nothings into her ears.

Yes, there was a great beauty in this place. With the grass as green as the emeralds of nobles' rings, waving in tandem with the wind and leaves. The trees, tall and strong, reminding Lapine of a land long forgotten. The sun's rays trickling in through the dense foliage above, beams of light warming her thick fur as she gazed up towards the sky.

And oh gods themselves, the sky. Lapine still couldn't believe the vast beauty of it all, the forever blues and pinks and oranges and purples. Always consistent, always changing. The sunrise and fall still took her breath away each and every time she witnessed it, the brilliant colors reflecting in her eyes of darkened honey. She can still feel the arms of Cassius wrapped around her when she saw it for the very first time, letting her know that he was there, that she wasn't alone as she lost herself in the infinite colors above.

But more than the tranquil grasses and blooming flowers and flowing rivers, this clearing offered something very important to Lapine. Herbs. Medicinal herbs, to be more precise. They weren't too hard to come by, if she was being perfectly honest. You could purchase them off of every other vendor who had even the slightest lick of sense and know-how, but there was still something therapeutic in going out to this field and picking them all her own.

Well, she wasn't entirely alone right now, persay. She had Cerise, her faithful companion who never left her side. And by faithful companion, she meant stuffed animal. And by stuffed animal, she really meant stuffed... thing. It was a rather poorly made creature, if she was being honest. But it was the first one that Lapine had ever made. Folds of white and pink faux fur, exceedingly soft and plush as can be, even with its missing eye and extremely strange body shape. Like a melted puppy combined with a mop. Rather sad looking, but it was a precious treasure to her. And for at least a little bit, Cerise helped her manage the crippling terror of being on her own for just long enough to go and pick her plants.

On her hands and knees, not caring for the dirt or grass, Lapine hummed a quiet tune as she plucked a few herbs with a tender touch, careful not to damage the plant too much or to pull the roots. To leave them as undisturbed as she possibly could, and only take what was needed. And as she focused more and more on the task at hand, the less and less she became aware of her surroundings. A dangerous thing to do, but at the moment Lapine did not mind. After all, she was a mere five miles from Orario.

What was the worst that could happen?