Flycatcher Downs until we go down
i gave until my soul hurt
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#1
All Welcome 
AW, but tagging @Mona

Eilidh followed the muddy river south until it forked and faded into a marsh, elongating her trek to the coast. She explored more of these territories now that she was returning, far more than she ever did as a resident. She had only met a few wolves in her few days back, and none of them her family. She was beginning to fear that perhaps she was the last Mayfair in the wilds, and that left her heartsore.

But today Eilidh was simply wandering the downs, familiarizing herself with the prairielands in the southeast portion of the valley. The wind whipped through her pale fur, bringing with it scents of the mountains and the sea beyond. Soon she would return to the sentinels, but for now she was content to wander, a lost soul upon the sea of grass.
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#2
along the ridge mona traveled, curiosity driving her outward to fetch herself a hunt. curiosity, and, she supposed, necessity. bearclaw valley was home to several young ones, the least of these not indra's own. and while she found the she-wolf to be a friend, tadec and the one called laurel would tend indra now.
that left her as huntmistress, mona decided, determinedly following the scent of deer and rabbit along the narrowing landscape. the wind brought to her movement; the mayfair lifted her pert head to regard the beauty of cream and gold moving slowly through the green ocean. 
suddenly starved for company, and not caring in what form it came, the little firebird lengthened her gait and loped toward the petite woman, pausing only when her murkwater eyes caught the sight of the vibrant emerald in the other's own visage. 
somehow familiar; mona felt the words pushed from her tongue, and merely stared for a long moment.
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#3
Eilidh moved slowly through the prairie, the ache in her gut telling her it was time to eat. The wind shifted, bringing with it the scent of another wolf. The golden wraith paused, her green gaze searching out the figure, finding it in a young woman not half her age, peering at her with keen interest. As her green eyes met the others, Eilidh felt a familiarity stir within her breast. But she had never met this girl before, so there was no reason to feel familiar with her.

By the look on the girl's face, she felt much the same as Eilidh. She offered a small smile, dipping her muzzle in greeting. Did I disturb your hunt? she asked softly, noting the area was rich in wildlife trails, and she was walking through the girl's path. Perhaps they could work together to find some food, if the girl wasn't adverse to the idea.
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#4
the woman spoke, after exchanging with mona some long look that left the girl shaken. the voice that emerged from the other's throat was as soft as the rest of her, and the valley wolf felt herself relax. the worst now having passed, her lips curved into a small bow and affability suffused her features. "not at all," mona rejoined softly.
a heartbeat, and then the hopeful purling, "would you like to hunt with me?" it was not a usual offering, but then the firebrand could not shake that this was not a usual meeting. drawing closer to the pale she-wolf with a delicate step of her slim body, the mayfair awaited the response of her companion — somehow she did not think she would be deterred
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#5
Whatever she expected from this girl, it wasn't an invitation to hunt with her. And it definitely wasn't the familiar murky green gaze that peered out from her face of burnished gold. Eilidh swallowed, knowing her father had been prolific in his lovemaking. In her youth, Eilidh had ignored the signs, but in the years since she'd seen others like him, men who had mate and family, and yet who still dallied with lovers. It was not an often occurrence, but enough for her to remember her father's past actions.

Strangely enough, she did not hate him for it. Rather, she was excited at the prospect of perhaps having a bit of him back. Lasher could never be replaced, but perhaps with her family nearby, she could feel closer to him. She wished to return to the sentinels to remember him, to convene with his ghost as Emaleth once had with other spirits in the trees.

Eilidh remembered herself suddenly, a sheepish grin crossing her muzzle. I apologize if I seem far away. You remind me of someone. She shook her head. But I must be imagining things. What is our target?
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#6
mona could not shake the sensation that in some way, she knew the woman who stood before her — but how? and yet, both cortland and constantine lived in this land. it was not beyond the realm of possibility that they were others of her kith who had remained here, or found their way back after the sundering of donnelaith.
suddenly seized with a deep nervousness she could not explain, some whisper of warning or flightiness rising in her blood, mona did not wish to introduce herself. hoping fervently that the other would not align them toward such, the firebird lifted her slim muzzle to the air, searching for a quarry, but the soft words widened her gaze.
the mayfair stared once more at her companion, sensation of speech evading her quite thoroughly. crimson ears slanted; mona breathed a sigh that hung with anticipation, a wariness she could not help. "you remind me of someone also." not merely someone — the timid spark that mona carried, a dream of a world wherein she was not alone.
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#7
The girl, half her age, was much more flighty than Eilidh remembered herself to be. Perhaps it was a result of upbringing or circumstance; either way, Eilidh had no intention of frightening the girl any further. She was about to choose a target for them when the girl paused, saying she reminded her of someone, too. Eilidh blinked. Who? she asked simply, her emerald gaze fixed on the russet child with the familiar murky green eyes. She dared not hope for the answer she so desperately sought, so remained silent while she waited for the girl's reply.
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#8
my dad, mona had wanted to say, but the lush curves of the woman, her gentle eyes — these things brought rowan to mind. throat seized in a vice-grip, swallowing suddenly painful, the firebird glanced toward the ground and drew a long breath. "do ... do you know the name lasher?" came her timid voice.
there was such a bevy of reasons why the ivory-cream wolfess would blink and shake her head, or state she did not. there were far fewer reasons why she would respond with any understanding. 
but it was the latter upon which mona perched her small seed of hope, murkwater eyes searching the elegant beauty of the stranger's features.
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#9
Lasher. She had not heard that name in years, not even from her own lips. But she clutched it like a prayer to her heart, always remembering her father as the cornerstone upon which their family was built. Eilidh thought of him every day, and yet here, with this girl, she felt closer to him than she had in these long years apart. The world paused at his name, and relief washed over her in waves. Yes, she replied softly, all thoughts of the hunt forgotten. Who was this girl that knew her father's name?

Lasher is my father. It didn't matter that he was dead, he would always be her beloved father. My name is Eilidh. She paused, her family name forming on her lips. Did she deserve to call herself a Mayfair after all she had been through, all she had done in the name of survival? No matter what she'd done, Eilidh knew her father would love her no matter. Eilidh Mayfair, she finished, her shoulders rising every so slightly. How do you know his name?
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#10
mona reeled.
fumbling, she sat down shakily upon her scarlet haunches, expression sharpening as she perused eilidh's face. there was a hint there of something familiar and yet unknown; the little druid-child swallowed hard. "mona mayfair. lasher is — was — my father, too." a bittersweet flash of something; "but i never knew him," the girl added in a softer voice.
and so this was her sister, sibling to the pair of dark twins born of lasher and blue willow. "casmir is well. a-and constantine, he is here too," mona blurted, the words rushing out of her over the shattered remains of whatever nerves she still carried. "and my brother, cortland. he is in the wilds as well."
unsure of why she had said so much, and yet said nothing, the crimsonfurred mayfair fell silent, but was unable to bring her gaze from eilidh, fascinated and yet suddenly afraid her existence would be unwelcome.
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#11
The girl stumbled, and Eilidh stepped forward, seeking injury upon the girl. Are you well? She asked, quick to step into her medic role. But she found no physical harm, and instead understood what caused her to reel when she spoke. Another Mayfair daughter, another sister. Though some might have backpedaled away from such news, Eilidh reveled in it. Who is your mother? she asked softly, touching the girl's shoulder with her nose. Then Mona revealed that Casmir and Constantine were well, and that she had another brother, Cortland. She wished to meet him immediately.

Where are Casmir and Constantine? The question was desperate, her heart near to bursting with joy for family, old and new. I've been too long away, Mona. Tell me of yourself. Eilidh did not blame Lasher for finding comfort when his mate was gone. It was not an unusual thing for him, and the more she learned of the world, the more she saw his dalliances for just that -- seeking comfort wherever he could, loving others as his heart told him to, and still putting family above all.
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#12
meant to get this up last night; got distracted and fell asleep D:

mona's focus narrowed to a fine point as eilidh reached out to her, one that soon blurred with saltwater. constantine had been kind, the witch on the strand cruel. but here was 
her sister!
nudging her shoulder in worry, speaking the names of their past siblings. granting the rejected girl some semblance of the acceptance she had craved in waking days. lasher was gone, and she did not know if she would see rowan again, but there was magick here. quite overcome, mona gave a single sob, clicking the rest off with her teeth and gazing up into the brilliant green of her sister's eyes with fierce gratitude. and slowly, ever so slowly, the firebrand composed herself and lifted a fore-ankle to wipe wetness from one velvet-red cheek.  
"rowan mayfair is my mother," mona rejoined in a calmer voice, the sunlight of this revelation lighting the sodden plains of her features. "she and casmir raised my brother, cortland, and i. oh, cortland tobias, and i'm mona antha," she added with a light laugh. the humour faded momentarily as she thought of the twin who had been her father in youth. "casmir and rowan perhaps went back home. they had brought us here to tell us of our history, and we ... we left them."
worried that perhaps she would fall headlong out of her sister's new graces, mona worried her bottom lip with pale fangtips. "what ... what would you like to know?" she drew a shuddering breath. "and where did you go?"
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#13
So this was the girl Caiaphas mentioned, the red-furred daughter of Lasher. Eilidh had never thought to have another sister, had never imagined her family would be bigger than the four siblings she'd grown up with. Now she had two more siblings, another sister and brother, to call family. The fact that the girl's mother was Rowan, the cream-colored wolf Eilidh had barely known, didn't deter her in the slightest. Family was family, and they certainly shared enough blood. The healer listened to the girl, noting her quiet, her sobs, and the way she spoke with apology thick in her voice. Casmir was never one to stay in one place, and whether this girl and her brother left their uncle, well...there was a reason.

Her open face closed when Mona asked about where she went. Her hope for a better future, the openness she wore like a cloak, disappeared. She did not want to remember what she went through, the lengths she went to protect herself, to stay alive...Away, was all she managed. Eilidh shook herself and forced a smile. Where do you live now? With your brother? She asked, hoping to pry into the girl's life in order to forget her own. Do you know where Constantine is?
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#14
mona was searching the face of this woman — sister! sister — a wonderment. tears soon stained the fur along her cheeks; the firebrand was most inept when it came to holding back her emotions. but eilidh was beautiful, with a curvaceous delicacy that mona could only one day dream of having.
that her sister did not wish to discuss particulars was not something that escaped mona, but she left it. perhaps one day she would know the tale of where it was eilidh had gone. "yes!" she exclaimed, and then the crimson velvet of her brow furrowed. "well. i remember where he was. and i live in bearclaw valley."
a wistfulness crossed the delicate plains of her countenance. "i'm not sure where cortland lives now." shouldn't she, though? if she was to call herself any sort of sister?
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#15
Bearclaw Valley. She filed the name away for later use; if she didn't find Constantine, she would seek out Mona and perhaps stay with her. And if she did find her brother, then she would love to reunite with Mona again. In either case, she needed to know the place Mona called home. Sometimes siblings wander, Eilidh began, smiling softly. She had done so herself, and finally had returned to her birth place. Perhaps one day she'd actually visit her place of birth, and see Donnelaith again. But for now, she would enjoy her time in the wilds just the same. I'm sure he will return, just as I have.
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#16
fade after another round? <3

mona nodded. eilidh was correct. and perhaps she had not ended her own wandering. she wished 
to extend an invitation to her sister to come and stay with her, but the pale woman was focused on constantine. "i saw him on the spine of a mountain," the girl murmured, motioning in its direction. "and bearclaw valley is that way, if you ever find yourself near." a pensive look, then one of affection. "will you ... will you tell constantine i am thinking of him?" came the young mayfair's timid voice.
they parted ways soon after that, and mona returned home with a newfound joy burning warmly inside her heart.
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