A Gleam in the Thicket

A tiny glint caught my eye from deep within the dry berry brambles along the fence. I slipped closer, treading lightly over the tangled twigs. Tucking my head beneath a canopy of thorny arches, I nudged aside a cluster of dried leaves with my chin. My pumpkin nose flared with a warm, steady amber, uncovering a smooth, cloudy green glass marble resting in a hollow of soft mulch. I hovered low, watching the little sphere drink in my golden glow and send pale emerald rings shimmering across the damp earth.