[Chr24] Stalking in the Woods

With a small hum, Aeris jumped down off the small cliff and began to walk down a pathway that lead to a small forest.  The rest of the group was already there, waiting for the late 'buck.  Her tune continued through as she had a light jog towards her friends.  As she approached, the others stood up from their spots.  The clearing outside of the forest was shoveled out enough to create paths where it there normally would be a dirt path in the spring and summer.  It was the best place to look for Christmas trees, and they were all excited to be able to go out and get their first ever real Christmas tree.  There was an entrance carved out, enough for 'bucks to be able to go through and look for their tree and then be able to return to a clearing as to not get lost.

"Ready?" Zana asked as she shook off a few particles of snow that had managed to attach to her fur.

"Yep!"

Aeris was probably the most excited.  It had been her idea, and it would be going into her den.  While they were intending on sharing the moment and the tree, really, it centered around her. 

"Shuu isn't coming?"

She took notice of the lack of Shuu, before Moonie shook her head, "No."

"Anyway," Zana looked towards the thick of the forest, "We should go while we still have daylight.  Don't wanna get lost."

The group gave a small chuckle before the four of them headed into the wooded area.  Looking around, they noticed all different sorts of trees.  Small, stubby ones to towering ones, seemingly as thick as they are tall.  Most of them were able to have collected some snow.  As the group continued to walk through the woods, there were a few that were "maybe's," but none of them screamed out as perfect to them.  And they wanted it to be perfect, it was their first, and who knew, maybe it would be their last!  They didn't know what the future held.  The small ones seemed sickly, and the large ones were too big to fit.  It truly felt like a Goldilocks situation as they made their way futher and further into the wooded area.  

They soon reached a smaller clearing, one they didn't know had been there, but were able to stand and look around fully.  The trees were now tall but thin. 

"Maybe we just trim the top of it." Aeris gave a lighthearted laugh at the idea, though knew leaving the bottom of a tree would be... unfortunate for whoever came across it.  They almost wondered if they should give up, though none of them dared to say it.  After a small moment they began to walk another path that had come out of the clearing and as they did, they soon spotted a perfect little tree.  It was almost like a mini tree.  It wasn't tall, though it was full and seemingly healthy.  Like a little bonsai Christmas tree.  They began to jog towards it before Zana stopped, hearing something rustling in the trees.  "Did you hear that?"

The group silenced, stopping and looking towards their friend.  They hadn't heard it, but were curious what she had heard.  As they kept still and quiet, they finally heard more rustling.

"What is that-"

Just as Aeris had begun to speak, something flew right towards her, knocking her down onto her back before the others began to laugh.  Aeris looked back to see Moonie's Gingerbread Shoon as he floated over and rested against her back.  Aeris couldn't help but give a small laugh.

"You really scared me, Shuu!" She teasingly got onto the Shoon before shaking her head and walking past, going up to the tree and looking at it.  It wasn't much, but somehow it felt perfect.  "Well?" She turned to look at the others, "What do you think?"