She hadn't stepped foot in the Glen since she'd met here with Siarut.  Springtime yielded memories of fireflies and small-time romance, but the early autumn was too chilly for most insects and Ceara was no longer as receptive to flirtatious advances as she has been in the past.

The seasons had transformed the landscape before her into something unrecognizeable, and they had touched her in a similar way.  She was no longer the stupid, innocent girl that had been fooled by Sunny into thinking she was valuable, nor was she as kind as she had been when she had been inducted into the Redhawks.

She found a love deeper than the surface feelings for Siaurt when she looked at Raven.  She was no longer a stranger to the drunken sweetness of apples.  She'd come to know the touch of a lover, though she still retained her maidenhead.

She had aided and ended lives.

Coping was not the quite the proper word for how Ceara was managing herself.  She found that it was easier to deal with things when she was working herself to the bone in the daylight and getting drunk at night.  Someone would find out soon.  Or maybe she'd crave something harder.

She didn't want to think about it.  Moths flew from between the tall grasses as the firebrand parted a trail through the glen, alert but lost in thought. 

Shadow moves underneath shadow undetected.  Only the sound of Speedy's rapid footfalls betray her existence.  Ceara's ears swivel as her head turns sharply, gunmetal gaze trained in the stranger's direction.

A small brown form breaks from between the foliage.  She blinks, eyes skimming over the girl's form as she introduces herself.  Not particularly, she quips, but a loose smile hangs on her lips.  She is too tired (emotionally, physically) to offer much more.

Say, are you a Blackthorn?  Both girls shared the same family characteristic, but it was a fairly common marking.  She wouldn't be surprised either way.

She felt bad for being in such a dour mood.  This stranger reminded her of herself just a few months ago, affable and carefree.  Inviting.  Right now she felt nothing of the sort.  She was just tired.  I haven't been here in a while.  Pretty far from home, other haunts usually do it for me.

She tossed her chin in the direction of her spine.  You got one of these bad boys.  They're a trademark of my family, each and every one of us have this stripe.  We're all over the damn place, I'm sure you'll run into more of us sometime.

Now she cocked her head back in the general direction of the Plateau, although it was far away enough from here that the gesture was likely meaningless.  Back that'a way.  We're called the Redhawks.  But I'll let you in on a little secret.  It's like, two redhawks and the rest of us are Blackthorns.

She cracked something closer to a genuine smile.  I'm not from 'round here either, but if your last name isn't Blackthorn then I doubt we are.  Still wouldn't surprise me, though.  You're nice enough to be one of us.

She cleared her throat and took a look around.  So uh, where you from, anyway?  You stayin' 'round here?

Tegan! she blurts, ears perking up.  That's my... she did the mental gymnastics required to figure out what they had decided on calling each other.  cousin?  Right?  Cousins?  Yeah, they were 'cousins'.  A Blackthorn's a Blackthorn's a Blackthorn.  Whatever.

Glad to hear he could help you.  He's a good dude.  She gave a short nod and cracked another grin.

Oh really?  I happen to know a bit about that.  I don't really have much fur, hah.  I grew up somewhere a lot like this, but I split after my brother left.  Ended up in a beautiful red canyon.  Things just weren't too, uh, stable there.  And I missed my brother, she admitted.

She wondered what he was up to now, and choked the thought down as she blinked away some tears.  That was close.  So you on your own then?

She didn't know that Speedy had liked Tegan, but if she did she totally would've set homegirl up.  

I miss the canyon.  At least with all of the boys she had felt valued.  Raven loved her, but she still felt weird around Colt knowing he was with that beautiful golden girl that obviously thought so little of her.  Her toes shifted in the grass and she cast her gaze to the ground.  Maybe one day, I'll get out of here.  I'm tied down at the moment, which was a lie, but she really didn't have the heart to leave, but eventually I'd like to start my own thing.

Who knew.  She didn't think herself leadership material, but as much as she loved being around family, it wasn't doing it for her.  At least not right now.  She hoped it would pass.

Anyway.  If you need somewhere to hole up for the winter, I don't know if we'd be too hospitable.  We've had a lot of people take advantage of us lately.  But it's worth a shot.  If you're interested.  I'm Ceara.

She chuckled.  I don't know, like a pack.  I work my ass off back home.  I think I probably make a better packmate than a leader, but..  She rolled her shoulders in a shrug.  You never know.  It was nothing about Raven and Quixote; they did an excellent job leading.  Towhee deserved her position and Niamh worked nearly as hard as Ceara did.  She just wanted something different right now.  Maybe that would change when winter set in.

Oh, she said, blushing.  Um, thank you.  She blinked as her ears flattened and then raised again.  She was slower to warm to girls (Raven had really been the only exception thus far) but did that mean Speedy was like, into her?  Uh, I don't.. have you ever been boozy?  I don't know if there are any apples 'round here.  You have to be careful not to have too many or it's not pretty.  But if you were thinking something a little more E for Everyone, you're out of luck unless you've got some ideas.  If this girl was wanting to have that kind of fun, she'd have to say so herself.

She is reminded of Bruges, what little she remembers of the night (probably, that thread hasn't finished yet).  Only this time she supposes she's the one who is introducing another to something new.  

She sniffs around before she finds a lone apple tree.  It is still early in the season and there are not many that have fallen and are overripe.  There isn't enough to get them smash-hammered, but there is enough to get them both loosened up.  She grabs one of the fruits and takes a bite before batting one over to the other girl.

Watch out.  They don't taste anything like meat.

She nods.  Not bad at all.  Ceara grabs another and eats around the core, watching Speedy as she devours the fruits like nobody's business.  These ones won't do much, but when they're fermented they'll mess you up if you eat too many.  Gotta watch out, chick.  She brushed close and bumped her hip against the brown girls and looked back over her shoulder with a wink.  Let me know when you feel it.  You'll know.

The effects were just beginning to settle in on Ceara, too.  Sure is, she said with a giggle of her own, sweeping in close to the other girl.  Careful, now.  You don't wanna eat too many the first time.

She liked the way that being drunk made people open up to her, how it made her feel like she was on top of the world again.  She laughed and dumped herself on the ground next to the other girl and rolled onto her back, touching her nose to Speedy's shoulder.

She missed the way the woman's face fell.  Me too.  This was a bit of a hike for her to take regularly, but.. she'd done it for Siarut.  I'm a scout, she says, even though she's kind of not really, so maybe I'll run into you again..

Damn wolves and like, not having instant text or messenger pigeons!

You don't sound too happy about that, she said, halfheartedly teasing Speedy.  Truthfully, Ceara wasn't happy about the coming winter either.  Only a few weeks from now, they'd see their first snow.  Ceara didn't quite have the pelt for the winters the Teekons had, and she knew that soon enough she'd be forced to build a den.. and she hated dirt dens.

Let me know where you end up.  She'd found a good friend in Speedy, and she really needed more people like her to hang around.