No, the lady had not forgotten about her promise to stick around the ridge, nor had Lale it seemed. Ever since the silver woman left the feathered one had been a mess of ruffled fluff and sassy squawks, quite a disturbance to the silence the cream woman was used to. When the howl rang out Lale squealed with joy and took off, Iolana trailing behind with a soft chuckle and humored shake of her head.
The bird arriving first swooped around the wolfess before tweeting impatiently in Iolana's direction and landing. "Alright, alright!" The gentle lady arrived from the dispersed brush; a smile sent towards the smokey lady before nudging Lale "Calm down Lale!" exasperated the woman. Facing Lumiya again she spoke: "Welcome back" A kind dip of the head while her tail silently swept behind, caring gestures in an act of greeting.
Both feathered creatures seemed quite overjoyed with the recent reunion as the forest filled with the energetic chirps of the dynamic duo. "No no. I wouldn't leave! I am a woman of my word." A polite dip of the head. Iolana wasn't used to all the noise of the miniature pair below, how could two tiny creatures make so much racket? After a few busy moments, it caused her head to hurt. Her head was not throbbing, it was simply a silent attacker, a painful itch always at the back of the mind.
"Hush now Lale." A soft, creamy paw tapped the bird with swiftness. It wasn't enough to cause any balance off-throw, but enough to cause the squawking to lower a bit; a nod. "This place has proved itself plentiful. I'm sure it is a wonderful spot to settle!" The wisp was honest in her words, the forest had provided not only Iolana but also her companion in enough food for both, something that dwindled from time to time. "How many others are there now?"
Iolana had missed the lady's response when quieting Lale but caught onto her next words. The wisp wasn't surprised that the lady managed to recruit so many in such a short time, she was surprised most had probably passed by and the pair hadn't noticed. Lale had seemed quite distracted lately though, the pair got almost nothing but the necessities done in the past while, the thought had been shaken. Lale it seemed was still enthused with the events and came back to the ivory lady and rested beside her paw, quiet and calm now.
Careful to not disturb her friend she kept still before nodding; "That would be wonderful!" Iolana bent her head and nudged the sleepy ball of feathers, allowing the peaceful bird to slowly climb up her neck. The woman made no effort to stop Lale from using her fur to pull herself up, trying only to help her companion get comfy before she and Lumiya started a circle of the territory. Once Lale had deemed a place suitable, it being the fluff at the back of the wisp's neck, she lay at the gentle lady's scruff and dozed. A silent and small nod was sent towards the silver woman; she was ready.
The smokey lady took off swiftly and Iolana could tell she was proud of her achievements. The woman walked carefully as to not wake her friend, this was the best sleep she had seen the bird get in a long time. Hopefully, such naps and peaceful nights would become much more plentiful for the protective fowl.
Iolana trailed the lady and made sure to get in step with her, the fewer footsteps would mean less noise and a better chance of hearing anything the fae would say on the trek towards the border.
She turned her head just in time to see the lady speak of the others. "I'm sure we will meet eventually!" A gracious smile was set on the painted woman's muzzle as the pair continued. Iolana only hoped Lale would be in a good and welcoming mood when such greetings occurred.
It didn't take long for the group to make it to the gorgeous willows, a place of many wonders. The forest was strikingly beautiful and the woman felt the sudden urge to wake up Lale so she could see it too but held herself back. "You are quite a wise selector. Such a wonderful place will be a perfect spot for a pack like yours" A small pause before the lady continued: "ours." she corrected, her lips turned upward.
The woman was offered to place her scent and while it felt right she also felt she should wait until she found a weak spot. "I will wait till I find a weaker spot in the border. I imagine it's not the strongest yet as the pack is fairly new?" Iolana wanted to make sure she was correct in her assumption before going the trek around the boundaries. The was a quiet whistle, high pitched; Iolana's favorite. It was also the only kind she could hear. Either way, it was peaceful and sweet, soothing and relentless, beautiful and a nice reminder that wonderful things exist in hard times. "Have you a name for the group yet?"
The wisp carefully watched the lady's mouth as it articulated every word, glad that Lumiya was not one that was hard to lip-read. "Possibly not even that." Another glance over the delicate terrain before shifting her gaze back to the sterling woman. Seelie Court. Her tail grazing blades of grass, it almost made Iolana wish she could hear the non-squealing sounds of nature.
"Seelie Court" The new syllables flowed from her jaw, a stream of undeterred harmonization. Once again the woman didn't fail Iolana, in fact, she prevailed. The name suited not only the silver woman herself but also the land, a puzzle of a thousand pieces falling in place so flawlessly. A silent nod, her approval showing as she simply smiled onward; quiet compliments were always a special talent of hers.
As usual, Iolana missed the low hum and saw nothing more than a larger breath than usual afterward. She didn't know what sound Lumiya just made but she wasn't very fond of pointing it out and kept her mouth shut. When the silver woman finally spoke Iolana caught all the important words, the only ones she needed. "Extremely fitting."
Iolana had to admit, plenty of thought had gone into the pack, everything was so perfectly organized. The mind was a wonderful thing, complicated, but gorgeous in its own way. Her brow knit with gratitude and hope Iolana smiled again; "Thank you" Her words directed towards the lady's willingness to allow her and Lale to reside in her kingdom, one of the places Iolana had previously presumed she would never be granted entrance.
The pair started around the borders and Iolana noticed the other only sped up when she was positive she could do so when the cream lady would still be able to see her lips. To that, the lady's tail shifted. "Who wouldn't want to stay here?" A soft chuckle floated from her muzzle. It was nice to think she could be accepted so easily into such a place. So far, no problems had arisen. And while Iolana knew it wouldn't last, it still comforted the wisp.
"Fair point." the wisp mused. Iolana still couldn't understand those who didn't want anything to do with an offering pack. She could picture a few downsides to a pack but some saw no benefits and it confused her. One would assume safety would be a true positive to living with others, even if it meant you may also be a target.
Iolana glanced around, at everything, taking in all the sights she could. The horizon of hues, the plentiful trees, glistening snow below, and the swaying of nature as the light breeze blew through. The lady turned her electric gaze back to Lumiya as to not miss any spoken words. The pair continued, and though it had not happened yet, Iolana knew she would come to peace here.