[Training] edge of dawn

Damien

the woods have remembered you

The barracks were quiet, empty except for Damien. Dawn had just begun to spill pale light across the wooden beams, that fragile hour before the sun fully claimed the sky—the one Theea always favored. He moved among the racks, eyes scanning axes until one caught his attention: a large-bladed battle axe etched with rune-like markings, its smooth leather-wrapped handle promising a sure grip. Lightweight enough to throw, heavy enough to hurt—it was perfect.

He set up a target against the far wall and tested it with a throw. The axe spun through the air with a satisfying hum, embedding itself cleanly. Damien retrieved it, rolling it in his hands, feeling the balance, the weight, the potential. The barracks held the chill of night, and the silence pressed against him.

On a bench along one wall, Aria lay curled up with a blanket, ears twitching as she watched, nose nudging a stray feather or bit of dust, clearly amused but safely out of the swing’s path. He had made sure she was tucked well away before he started, though the cub’s bright eyes followed every movement.

Somewhere beyond the doors, the sound of Theea's footsteps would soon punctuate the silence, and he would be ready—practicing his throw, alert, eyes sharp with just a glimmer of mischief.

ever since the first time you got lost in them