The leaves turned a crisp golden red and orange, brilliant shades of those warm colours spreading all across the line of trees that lead up straight to Sylvia's home.
She tramped down the road, holding her skirts up slightly so the mud didn't stick to the hem. The air was chilly, just as autumn days should be. Sylvia let her shoulders relax slightly as she unlocked the door to her house, stepping inside.
"You took a while," someone's voice said. Sylvia turned.
"What did I say about coming into my house without permission?" she asked, unimpressed at Geoffrey, a close…friend, should she say, of hers. "Friend" didn't suit them, but neither did "acquaintance" or any other sort of word. Sylvia settled with friend for now.
"You told me not to do that."
"And yet you're not listening."
Geoffrey smiled. Fake smile. Didn't reach his eyes. As usual. Sylvia was still unimpressed. "What do you want?"
"Did you see them?" Geoffrey tilted his head towards the window.
"I saw the trees, yeah. Really pretty."
"Sylvie—"
"Sylvia," Sylvia corrected with a long-suffering air. "And yeah, I did see them. What do you want me to do about it, Geoffrey? They're here to fight the wolves in Redback Valley. Why would I try and stop that? Why would any of us try and stop that?"
Geoffrey smiled again. "Because," he said. "They'll act like they need us now, and then throw us away the second the war is won—"
"Aw, are you going to cry?" Sylvia snapped. "No one cares anymore, Geoffrey. You're stirring ashes at this point." She scoffed. "I'm not helping you."
Geoffrey stood up. "I hate fall," he said. "They say it signifies change, but there's really no change happening at all. Just a cold, miserable winter again."
"Someone should've joined the Waywards," Sylvia said, crossing her arms.
Geoffrey frowned at her. "Meet us at the Drowning Swallow tonight. We'll talk more there."
"Right."
Geoffrey left.
"I hate fall too," Sylvia said, spinning on her heel and going up the stairs, catching sight of the gorgeous line of trees just out her front door. "But Flint and Fay know I love the autumn."
