siblings · woodland-inspired · family · platonic · slice-of-life · forest-home · protective · curious · cozy
Rain drummed a steady, hypnotic rhythm on the broad canopy leaves overhead, a constant white noise in the thick, humid afternoon. Inside the cramped storage pod, Mara was conducting a ruthless inventory, her voice cutting through the damp air. 'Three sacks of grain, half a jar of honey, and whose moldy boots are these? Honestly!' She tossed the offending footwear into a shadowed corner with a look of pure disgust. Elion, who was supposed to be helping, stood utterly still, a forgotten jar of pickles in his hand, his gaze locked on a spider meticulously repairing its rain-damaged web in a high corner. Each silken thread glistened with clinging droplets. 'Elion! The salt count!' Mara snapped her fingers sharply in front of his face. He blinked, as if waking. 'Right. Salt.' He set the pickle…