Hushed Willows Show me the places where the others gave you scars.

tagging @Reverie

Her heart was fickle thing, and with her uncertainty she flittd through lands surrounding the glacier where she'd been born. Wayfarer wondered if any of her siblings had gone back there, if they thrived there, if she was missing out on something. As a rogue yearling she'd hoped Veteran would make something for himself there someday - make it better than anything they'd ever had.

Most days, she yearned for the bond once shared her brother. She'd she'd many a tear for the distance placed between them, for she knew that was largely her own fault. Wayfarer wished she had asked him along with her when she decided to disperse, but teenage stubbornness and pride had fuelled the belief that she would be better off alone.

What a damn fool she'd been.

No, she wasn't ready to face Veteran. She wasn't prepared enough to ask for his forgiveness, so circled back with the hope that she might lose herself elsewhere. On finding herself at the edge of a forest with sweeping tree branches, the wanderer looked for a quiet place to rest as evening crept in.

Tags for reference!

Slowly, slowly, Reverie had seen improvement. She had never been one to simply lie around and wait for these kinds of things. In the mornings she worked at decorating the den she shared with @Boone; gathering flowers and ferns to adorn the place where they slept, clearing out the remnants of past inhabitants, even digging a small cache for the pair of them. These were tasks she might have finished in a day had she been healthy, or if she would let her husband help her — but Reverie was determined to do it now, on her own, to prove to herself that she was not broken. That the world would never break her, no matter how cruel it became.

In the evenings she walked the territory, sometimes with @Blossom, sometimes with Boone, or both of them if they had nothing else to occupy them. But on this day she was alone. It occurred to her, after a time, that she ought to mark their borders as she'd seen her husband doing. Truthfully Reverie didn't know the first thing about establishing a territory. But it was not in her nature to leave every burden on the shoulders of another, not willingly, and so she drifted through the trees marking here and there in idle thought.

There was still pain; so much pain that sometimes she could hardly think, but that had never stopped her before. Not when she'd been pregnant, not even when she'd been sick, bleeding, on the brink of starvation. Still she winced every so often, and there was no convincing herself to bear any sort of weight with her injured hind leg. So it was with a heavy limp that she crossed the territory they'd claimed, eventually stumbling across a familiar scent trail. She remembered this wolf. Wayfarer.

Excitement set her tail to swaying, and she howled a greeting to the woman before starting her pursuit. It didn't take long to find her. Wayfarer! She called out when she spotted the pretty auburn wolf, eyes alight. Oh, I didn't think I'd find you here! This is - well, Reverie moved closer before continuing. This is the place we decided to claim. My husband and I. It's beautiful, isn't it?

The syllables of her name were called out to her in a familiar voice, and the russet loner paused in her tracks. She pointed her muzzle I the direction of a gilded female, beautiful and pale in the waning evening light, and she inhaled deeply as she rose her muzzle with a bright smile as she observed Reverie's approach through the trees. Wayfarer lingered there just for a moment, allowing her that brief time to appreciate the other she-wolf through the swaying willow branches.

She moved, drawn to Reverie and craving the company of her own kind, and as she veered her way she noticed the discomfort with which she moved. Wayfarer quickened her own stride and her brow creased with her concerned frown. The shift of her expression did not seem to sway the limping wolfess, who greeted her with enthusiasm.

Amber eyes swept over Reverie, looking for the source of her pain, so focused on locating injury that she completely missed her announcement regarding her intent to claim the forest in which they'd found one another again. You're hurt, she stated, what happened? Here, the rogue moved to offer a shoulder, eager to support, let me help.

For a moment she'd almost forgotten. But Wayfarer's concern immediately reminded Reverie of her own battered state, and her expression turned somber. Oh, um, Heat crept over her ears and cheeks, but she accepted the silent offer of help and leaned against Wayfarer's shoulder. It was a relief to take some of the weight off of her uninjured legs — but embarrassing. Her pulse quickened a little at the proximity; she tried to swallow the feeling as she went on. There was a - a cat. A mountain lion, I think. It chased me and - I fell.

But I'll be okay, really. Boone has been taking care of me, Reverie brightened a little as she said it, eager to reassure the woman she already thought of as a friend. Her gaze drifted over the tufted ears and sunset-colored eyes; she was very aware of the warmth of Wayfarer's shoulder against her own, the scents of the wilds woven into her fur. Besides - I'd much rather hear about what you've been up to! Come on, I'll show you the lake, and you can tell me all about your adventures. It's just that way. She gestured with her nose to the west. Maybe Boone would want to meet her — but for some reason the thought made her skin prickle uncomfortably.

Would it be so terrible to keep Wayfarer to herself?

Yes, Reverie decided, and put the thought out of her mind.

She felt Reverie's weight on her shoulder and, prepared for it, she braced herself to support. Wayfarer gently poked her nose to her companion's furs, sniffing and searching for the location of her injuries. She kept an ear pricked to listen for the explanation for her sorry state: fleeing from a big cat, and ultimately taking a tumble. The rogue gritted her teeth, Amber gaze seeking the sunshine of Reverie's.

Someone else, she stated, had been aiding in her recovery, and there was something in her tone that rubbed her the wrong way as she mentioned a name - Boone. Wayfarer couldn't explain the sudden ripple of frustration beneath the surface to hear it, though she exhaled and pushed herself to move beyond it. It was weird, and stupid.

Reverie wanted to hear about what she'd been up to, and shifted. Wayfarer followed closely, watchful, a little nervous that the gilded wolfess would lose her footing. You know, just... she wasn't really prepared to share her inner turmoil with anyone, revisiting old haunts. Nothing exciting.

She trailed along, letting Reverie set the pace.

Reverie found herself lingering on thoughts of Boone; the way it felt when he held her, when he kissed her. It was a safer train of thought than whatever this was, this feeling that flared in her at Wayfarer's light exploratory touches — and far more distracting. Maybe it was not her new friend that she wanted to keep to herself, but her husband?

Wayfarer was very pretty, after all. Kind. Easy to talk to. Suppose Boone found more appeal in her and her easy friendliness than in Reverie? Already she worried, often, that he would regret his decision to marry her; to tie himself to her forever, forever! Her! There were other women, better women, who would surely want him.

Reverie was abruptly worried that Wayfarer would be one of them. But she tried to discard this thought, too, as quickly as it came to her. Instead she turned her focus to the soft words spoken, the reluctance she sensed in them. Reverie had never been one to pry, but... If it's important to you, then it's worth sharing, She said gently, but in the next moment offered her an out: But there are plenty of new things to see here. Look, you can almost see the lake! It's always beautiful at sunset. Well, if there aren't any ducks around to ruin it. Reverie wrinkled her nose slightly with the mention of ducks; she'd come to dislike them for their loudness and their stink.

It's not important, the young wolfess answered swiftly, though not unkindly. She intended to respond as smoothly as she could despite the turmoil within her, eager to dismiss any discussion of her own foolishness and wrongdoing. The absolute last thing she wanted was for Reverie to realise that she was a yellow-bellied coward.

Mysterious stranger would work better for her, she hoped.

They carried on to newer things, better things, and Wayfarer was lightened to feel the spotlight shift from her. Her amber eyes rose to take in the scenery, searching through foliage for the shimmering surface of a promised lake. A velvet lobe swivelled at her companion's mention of ducks; their meat was not one she favoured, but they served as easy targets. They'll be gone soon, she commented, certain that they were migratorybirds, for the cold season. Your Winters here will be peaceful.

That's true, Reverie sighed, thinking wistfully of how much she loved the other birds that would be departing for the winter. I like most birds. Just - not ducks! When I was a child I had a pet hummingbird for a little while, a pretty orange and gold one. Her father had hated it. He'd hated it so much that one day he'd killed it, right in front of her, and Reverie had never forgiven him.

She brightened to see the lake ahead, however, all aglow with the colors of the evening sky. Her pace picked up, eyes finding Wayfarer for a moment to see what she thought of it. I wonder if it'll freeze... Reverie murmured, thinking now of the winter ahead. Her gaze drifted across the lake for a few seconds, then abruptly shifted back up to Wayfarer. Will you stay? I mean - I'm sure you have places to see! But, you know, winter is hard alone... and you're always welcome here, any time. And truth be told Reverie desperately missed having an abundance of friends surrounding her. She missed casual company and easy conversations; things she'd surrendered for love of her first husband and had never quite reclaimed since. Maybe it was thoughtless and childish of her, but Reverie couldn't help but reach for that now. She liked Wayfarer. Perhaps more than she should.

Reverie was adorable in the way she tried, offering tidbits of her life and who she was - hopeful, perhaps, that Wayfarer would give something of herself in return. Her amber gaze remained fixed on the lake's shimmering surface as they pair neared its edge, though she shot her companion a sideways glance and a hint of a smile at her tale of her pet hummingbird. Her own youth had been a difficult one, plagued by memories of a mother who'd seemed desperate to avoid her and void of such simple joys.

She settled on her haunches, figuring Reverie could use a break from using her bum leg. Wayfarer spotted a pair of mallards swim along, though no quaking erupted from them. There was a sense of peace to be found there, a stillness in her life that she'd been missing.

So when Reverie asked ger if she would stay, the rogue turned to meet her bright gaze. Warmth flooded to her face and she blinked, her heart leaping in her chest as she tried to make sense of the feeling that bloomed within her.

Was this how it was to be wanted?

I'll stay, she said softly, tempted then to lean in and touch her nose to Reverie's own, but she bit it back and swallowed.

She would stay. Wayfarer would stay, and Reverie was so thrilled that for a moment she forgot herself! Oh - ! She reached out thoughtlessly to hug her, surging with a warmth too large to be contained. But after a moment she realized that maybe it was intrusive, and pulled away sheepishly. Sorry! I just - oh, there's so much I want to show you here! And you'll have to meet Blossom - she's my daughter - and Boone -

It'll be wonderful, She finished a little breathlessly, eyes alight on Wayfarer now. You're wonderful. Truly. I - I'm so happy you're staying. Reverie flushed, a little embarrassed by her own showy display of affection. But she meant it. She glanced back to the lake, self-conscious now, and spotted the ducks. Well, at least those ones are quiet. She mumbled in an awkward attempt to shift Wayfarer's attention away from the moment they'd shared.

She had not expected the enthusiasm, the contact - the breath escaped from her lungs. Wayfarer stiffened Reverie's embrace, knowing that she wanted to lean into it but too afraid to. It was short-lived, for the gilded wolfess withdrew and Wayfarer blushed crimson beneath the tufted furs of her cheeks. Her smile was awkward, while her tail thumped the ground on which she sat.

It stilled, however, at the mention of a daughter - and the name Boone. Someone special to Reverie, clearly, and likely sire to the child that Wayfarer would've thought her too young to bear.

She rose her sunset gaze again, seeking her the soft yellow of her companion's. Wayfarer didn't know if she'd fit in with whatever Reverie wished to make here, but she wanted to try.

The ducks. Her stare followed Reverie's and at the mention of them, the duo piped up as if on queue. Wayfarer, after a beat, tilted her muzzle back and laughed out loud in amusement.

I'll get us an updated thread! <3

No rejection was forthcoming, but Reverie sensed Wayfarer's unease. Her embarrassment intensified for a moment — until the sound of the ducks immediately contradicting her broke through the air. Her own laughter joined Wayfarer's. It felt as if the air between them had eased some, and so Reverie relaxed a bit.

They would spend a little more time talking by the lake, and Reverie would show her friend some of the other striking features of the forest before the sun fully set. When she finally parted from Wayfarer it was with the knowledge that the woman would still be near, that they would see each other more often and perhaps swap stories, share laughter, discover more beauty among the willows. That thought was soothing.