Broken Boulder I found peace in your violence

She traveled north from Blackfoot Forest.

She'd lived in the west, south, and east in previous years. She'd lived in the forests, the grasslands, the mountains. She'd seen the stars and the seas. She'd seen most of what Teekon had to offer but the taiga had always called to her. It reminded her of her childhood home: the lichen, the cool steppes, the low scrub of trees, the smell of fresh open air and blue sky in all directions. 

It was worth mentioning that it was as far as possible from the corner of Teekon where her life had gone horribly awry. 

The conifers rose at the edge of the world, a mere dark smudge. But to Liri's surprise, the wind shifted as she neared the very edge of Teekon and brought with it the scent of others. 

She paused on her way across the grasslands and with a disparaging glance at her disfigured leg, for the first time considered joining a pack.

It was not what she had planned. In all honesty, she didn't have anything planned. The wraith would have been content to wander alone for the rest of her days.

She'd managed well enough in the north for the past year. She could still catch small game.  But perhaps that wasn't enough to be a part of a pack? Would they want her, damaged as she was?

She was still a healer, she had uses. But suppose that alone was not enough?

Before she even thought about it, Liri's paws carried her forward towards the scent. 

I must at least try. 

There was no discernible border. As she got closer, the scent became that of many individuals interwoven in and out of the territory. Liri paused at its fringes for good measure. 

With a last, hopeful thought the ghost tipped back her head and called for the leader.

Days blended into days, nights into nights. Few things broke up the monotony of Lily's routine at Bracken Sanctuary, and when the howl pierced the air, her ears perked in sudden intrigue. She rose to her feet, giving a long and languorous stretch before trotting the short distance to the border to meet the newcomer. 

She was tiny but well-muscled, with a pelt opposite her own, like Korei's. She kept a respectful distance from the border, but Lily gave her a smile, moving forward to come closer. Her pumpkin eyes surveyed the woman with no wariness or malice as she spoke. 

"Hello," she said brightly, white teeth gleaming in her dark face. "Welcome to Bracken Sanctuary! Have you come here seeking shelter?" 

It was a line she had practiced over and over again in her head, and now she finally had the chance to use it. They were a sanctuary, were they not?

Liri antagonized the choice in her head obsessively for only a few moments before another arrived. 

She was one of the few wolves Liri had ever seen that was near her own size. Perhaps an inch difference and a few extra pounds missing between the two. The size of the dark one immediately put her at ease. 

Liri had long learned not to judge on appearances but the girl, with her ebony coat and dancing orange eyes, reminded her of a tiny blackbird. 

But as the dark girl approached Liri felt an oddness poking at the corners of her brain. 

She's the first person I've seen since Pip.

Mentally, she flinched. To think of him, even now, stabbed as sharply as being gored by an elk. The wraith allowed the grief to wash over her, the force of it as strong as a flood. 

And then she pushed it away, stored it away for safe keeping. She shifted automatically into a submissive stance and smiled at the younger woman. 

"Hello," the wraith rasped. Her voice was whisper-thin. She had not spoken in so long she had feared she would no longer remember how to. 

Sudden embarrassment washed over. She realized what she must look like. Her pelt was more scars than it was fur. 

"I seek a home," she answered cautiously.

"I'm not much for big game. I can track alright and small game is no problem." She could not bear to look at the ruin attached to her body. 

"I am a Caregiver though, a healer. I can still pull my weight." 

Given the chance, Liri knew she'd prove that she could do more than that. She'd work and work and work just to get the memories out of her head.

Lily had kept her distance, half-fearing that she'd make the woman uncomfortable, but at the gentle rasp of her voice the dark girl drew closer. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the scarred appearance--what on earth had happened to her--and beckoned her in, even as she still spoke, gesturing with her muzzle to cross the border line.

"Come on," she said softly, once the woman had finished speaking. "Come with me and I'll find you a den. My name is Lily--what's yours?" She began to pad toward the boulder, though waiting for the newcomer to catch up with her before proceeding more quickly.

She didn't care much about the woman's history, to be honest. Lily had no idea that most packs required a sort of resume for interest. If you were useful, you were in--if not. . . Her birth pack had been familial, and with Bracken, she hadn't had to demonstrate any particular skill; she'd only had to be in the right place at the right time--with the right wolves, too.

They were a sanctuary. They took in those who needed a home. There were no strings attached, no tests to pass. Perhaps later, when she'd settled in. . .but not now. Now, the woman needed rest and love, and Lily could give that to her.

The apparition was surprised - it had been so long since she joined a pack(and there had been numerous groups she'd been a part of in some form or another)that she could scarcely believe that someone could be so kind. 

"I...thank you," she murmured inadequately as she crossed the border - albeit hesitantly. The abused woman almost expected it to be a kind of trick. 

"I am Liri. Liri...Blackfoot." It's the first time she had a surname to give. 

The towering evergreens and the low scrub aren't the tangled trees and shady groves she called home.

But, perhaps for the first time since, Liri would be safe.

Once Liri had made the decision to cross over, Lily carried on, headed toward the entrance to the dens. It might seem dark and a little eerie to a newcomer--she'd certainly been taken aback when she first had seen it--but she cast her fiery eyes calmly back at Liri, hoping to reassure her as they stepped between the boulders and into the caverns.

She nosed about, looking for an empty nook, and found one not so far from her own, which was in turn not far from Korei's--she'd purposely chosen one close to her best friend's. "Will this do?" she asked, voice echoing slightly off the walls of the boulder.

She hoped Alarian would be pleased at the new member; how could he not be? Her mouth drew downward in a frown as she thought of the Governor. She couldn't decide whether she missed him or not--well, no, that wasn't the question. She missed him, yes, but she was also quite angry with him for leaving, and she wasn't sure whether she would have joy or fury for him when he finally came back.

Liri followed Lily into the forest, which thinned and soon gave way to a large and rocky clearing. Picking her way amongst the stones and up to a large Boulder, seemingly split into two halves nestled together, Liri didn't hesitate to step through.

The darkness didn't worry her. The wraith felt more comfortable in places that were gloomy. She felt less stared at. 

"This is perfect," she smiled kindly at Lily, a hint of her old self peeking out into this new world. 

The cave was snug in appearance, just the right size for her. Secretly, she was relieved. Liri could not have slept in a den dug under a tree. 

Not since she burrowed into one to give birth to her son and watched helpless as he died amongst the pine needles. 

"Thank you. So much," she gave the blackbird named Lily a last smile and crept into the den.