follow the white lillies.
that is what iris had been taught, and that is exactly what she did as she descended from the rich plains out into what looked to be a valley. mountains carved themselves into the horizon, jutting into the sky like spearheads. she is gilded by the sun and the heat, moisture beading off of exposed tongue.
white lillies dance around her. she is exposed out here, her girls would likely say, and she revels in it, the rawness of this place. no one can hide from her here. her head tips back in the sending of a call; entertain me.
she curls her tail around her haunches as she bends down to preen at her forelimbs, shedding the grime of last night. inevitably, she will cross paths with a follower of her siren call, and when she does, there will not be a single flaw to her countenance.
perfect, perfect, perfect.

she does not have to wait for long.
her suitor is better than anything she could have expected. a man, one who is tall and handsome in that dark, rugged way that was just her style; aged like a fine wine, and probably with just the right sourness of one too. but he does not look too happy about coming upon her.
she turns toward him as if she hadn't at all expected him, lashes fluttering as she blinks away her surprise; quite obvious in her examinations of him, but pretending to make an effort to hide it.
you... you okay, sir? she calls out, noting the distinct reek of cortisol which swarmed her senses. perhaps she would have a cure for that — albeit a temporary one.

do... do you?
there is something distinctly off about this man, some level of tragedy to him that she does not understand and could not be expected to. she rises to her feet, spindly-limbed and scintillating, shuffling closer in order to better gather an idea of him without invading his space.
my, what a lovely hunk he certainly was.
sorry if i bothered yah, her lips pull up into a friendly, hopeful smile — yes, sweet, innocent little iris. i was just wondering who was out here. i'm not, uh, not from here. but-- are you okay? she regards him with curious eyes, doting, even.

rising sun valley. such a lovely name, iris thought to herself, and that same sentiment was certainly echoed in the men who called it home.
but it would be plain rude to advance herself upon a man who was so dismally despondent, and so she pins this thought for the time being. swiftcurrent creek, huh? her head tilts ever so slightly to the side, jaw tilted upward. i take it you needed some fresh air.
my name's iris, she finally offers, tone light and bouncy in an effort to create — well, some form of positivity. what's got you so down? if you don't mind my asking.

there were two primary reasons iris had extended her offer. one: she needed a place to live, and two: she simply did not fear what could possibly await her. shelter was shelter, food was food, and work was work — so long as her hands were busy, little else mattered.
and, on top of that, men were men.
she hesitates for a beat, startled by the sudden shift in akavir's tone from seemingly pleading for help to rejecting the notion outright. her brows lift. why not?
i know a thing or two, and this was indeed true in some respect; she could tell a handful of plants from one another, and she understood the basics of caring for those who were sick, young, or injured, skills that came from a lifetime of being delegated to such tasks. and i can hunt. i can... provide, i guess i should say.
the dazzling light of her gaze indicates that these provisions could be whatever he wanted them to be.

yes.
the question was not about iris, really, or at least that was what she felt; it was more for him, whether or not he was willing to blindly accept a stranger into his fold. she looks at him resolutely, shifting now to walk toward him as if it were a silent gesture for him to lead the way.
whatever you need, i'll do, her smile does not falter, but shifts into something that borders on a genuine gesture of kindness. as long as i've got a place to sleep at night. deal?
she winks.