[Glimpse; Mantle] Into the Woods

Since coming back from the Hedge, Rowan had changed. It took him some time to realize it, to understand how deeply his encounter with the Hags had affected him. How steep the price he payed had been.

It had seemed like such a little thing at the time - his reason for coming back. That rotten feeling had been eating away at him, tainting every experience for a little over a year. He had wanted to get back at Them for what they have stolen. He had wanted it so badly that it had overshadowed everything else. So when the opportunity to get rid of it had presented itself, Rowan had jumped on it. He was already back anyway, what use could he had gotten out of it?

Without that guiding thread, he had spiralled deeper and deeper into dangerous waters. At the time, Rowan only had his perception of himself to dictate his actions. He was Autumn, the one people went to for answers. His search for those answers drove those close to him away and made him brittle. Dani, Tanner, Felicity - everyone became second best, because all that mattered was knowledge.

Rowan knew better now. Falling apart was easy, it was picking yourself back up that was the labour. While he still believed that people should make their own mistakes and learn from them, Rowan now also realized that someone had to stop others from going too far. He dreaded to think what would have happened to him if not Imbolc, Archie and Fawkes. The Darkling would never admit to it openly, but he owned the insufferable Emerald one from jolting him awake.

Autumn was the season of the harvest, tempting Its followers with bounty ripe for the taking should they chose to brave the woods. But the path is treacherous and full of turns, and stepping off of it often spelled one's doom.

    So be it - he would be the Wolf, the thing in the Dark. For as long as the Laden Mirror would be plagued by hubris, he would be there, stalking, hunting. After all, he was now part of the House of Ruin.