i'm not living right — introduction, open

maybe she'd have been the perfect warrior. she was smart, she was strong, she was agile. she knew every move by heart, she hardly ever missed a catch. she was raised to be competative by competative parents, amidst competative siblings. she was taught that she had to be the best - anything less would be unacceptable.

except for one silly mistake. because she'd been young and dim, curious as to what a male could offer a girl like her. curious to see what pleasures were in life, beyond the pleasure of doing her duties.

it was this silly mistake that resulted in asterheart having children at nine months old. this silly mistake landed her in the nursery when she was fresh out of it. this silly mistake made her get her warrior name late, it tarnished not only her reputation, but her family's.

she tried to fix it. she trained nearly every second of every day, she wasn't far behind in receiving her name. she might not have been a perfect warrior, but she was a good one. she hunted, she trained, she patrolled. she had the composure, the intelligence, of someone seasons older. she was good at her job, all things considered. but catching up had a cost, and that was her children.

she wasn't sure they even liked her. it was quite possible they outright hated her, in fact. she'd given them so little attention as children, she'd been forced to chose between her work and motherhood. she wasn't always sure she chose right. maybe she should have focused on them, ignored her training, gave them a better childhood. they were the same age she'd been upon their birth, they were growing so well, and yet, she'd missed so much of it. she wasn't sure if she should even try now - if all that damage could ever be undone.

aspenheart walked into the camp, strong legs carrying her with grace and speed, a pair of rogue rabbits dangling from her jaws, contemplating this. contemplating her mistakes, her decisions.