Sunlight streams through the windows of the train, bathing a thin girl with shoulder-length mahogany hair in warmth. A battered trunk is balanced on her lap, her hands clutching it securely so that it doesn't slid off of her knees and fall to the ground.
"Hey, is this seat taken?" a gentle voice questions, and the girl's head shoots up, eyes widening at the sight of a tall, blue cat with a traveler's bag on his back and a checkered vest covering his torso. She shakes her head in answer and the feline takes a seat across from her, placing his pack at his feet and turning to look out the window.
"Look at those trees, this time of year always reminds me of why I started traveling- and why I stopped." The cat turns to face the girl again and notices a quirked eyebrow, almost as if she were asking a question.
"I stopped traveling because I found something more valuable to me than the life on the road, I found my love. If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" The blue cat tilts his head to the side as he asks this and watches as the girl scribbles something onto a notepad.
Rowan Winter, the paper reads and the cat nods appreciatively.
"Mine's Rover, nice to meet you, Miss Winter." Rover bows slightly as he says this and Rowan hastily writes something else on the piece of paper.
Call me Rowan, please, Rover.
"Very well, Rowan, then. Now, if you again don't mind my asking, where are you going?"
I am going to live in a small settlement called Autumn Springs, do you know of it? spell the words Rowan scribbles next.
"Know of it? Ha! I live there; you don't need to worry about a thing, I'll guide you around when we get off. Do you have anymore luggage that you need help with?" Rover rants, finally stopping and glancing at the girl. Rowan quickly shakes her head once again and pats the trunk on her lap, indicating that it was all she had with her.
"Well then, welcome to Autumn Springs." The cat times the greeting down to the last second, saying the name of the town as the train slows to a stop. "You're going to be just fine, I promise."
A/N: Hey! This is my new multi-chaptered story! This one, unlike Simple Gifts, doesn't have a deadline, so updates will most likely be more random and will probably have larger gaps in between them. Just a note, Rowan isn't mute, but she prefers to not speak a lot, instead communicating through what she writes on her trusty notepad. And, Rover will be a frequent character because, unlike in the games, he actually lives in this town. Reviews are appreciated but not required, and I hope you enjoy Journey of the Heart!