Arrow Lake — tied knots in the laces of my worried shoes,

set in early, early 24/04 after these events.
tagged for @Oath, @Aurëwen, and anyone else from Diaspora! ♡

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Despite the subtle helping hand of the warming touch of Spring that had settled itself into the day with the rising of the morning sun — which was only a mere hour ago — the dove couldn't shake the chill that had snuck itself beneath her powdered coat and had announced it's unwanted stay as it clawed close to bare skin. Maybe sunrise wasn't the best of times to make a visit, but she relished in the possibility that the lake that Diaspora claimed would be quiet, save for hopefully the huntress she was ever so hopeful to speak to. Her other half had still been slack with slumber when she had risen; but the dove had left a trail, her destination hardly far from where they slept, in the event she felt inclined to follow.

The femme wasn't cut out for the sharp edges and steep ascent of the mountainside, regardless of how much the puff of her pelt would very much like to disagree; there was no denying she was not much more than skin and bone, still yet to see herself fill out from her whelp days which looked to be dragging on and on. The lack of a pack and the scarce meals between Oath and herself probably contributed more to this dilemma than she was willing to let on, but nevertheless she allowed this train of thought to drift off as she came upon the clear waters at the bottom side of the lake and the distinct pack scent of what could only be the border's edge.

How did this dame — who called herself Aure — navigate such terrain with bairns and a wounded shoulder to boot? the girl pondered, brow furrowed in confusion as mahogany hues ambled upwards along the edges of the falls. Once halfway between the mouth of the lake, where the river expanded, and far enough away from the roaring of the falls where her voice would surely be lost, the pale dove sat, tentatively, face flushing with a gentle heat at the thought of this endeavour. Should she have brought herbs, something for the matriarch's shoulder? Food, as a peace offering? Her last attempt at a civil encounter at a territory border had all but gone sour, and the girl found herself briefly flustered with all the possibilities that may soon unfold. Who was to answer her call, if not Aure?

So the wraith sat in silence for a few minutes, shoulders hunched and tail tucked tightly around her front mitts, fumbling over what she should do, how she should call out. Just procrastinating the inevitable, really. Hopefully the rushing water would drown out her calls and she could return back to their den because at least she had tried. Maybe Oath would come up from behind her, sly as a fox, accompanied with that hoarse sleep-slick drawl to save the day.

Eventually coming to the conclusion that the former was unlikely to happen, much to her chagrin, the dove decisively swallowed the lump forming in her throat and puffed her chest, ready to roar —

— and instead chirped the most pathetic awooo the adolescent could muster.

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This is just a far away single post cameo because Dragomir can't leave his birth den, but he can hear the howl and is learning to howl himself, so seemed like a great opportunity!

Even the softest of adult howls was enough to pierce through the veil of sleep that lingered over a drowsy Dragomir. The falls were relatively far from the thicket and their thunder failed to reach his young ears, but Goosie's call somehow did reach into the thicket. His eyes popped open as it drifted on the breeze and then faded. Without any hesitation, spurred by a calling in his heart from the days of his ancestors, Dragomir propped himself up on his elbows and strained his large ears to listen.

There was no returning sound, but that was okay. Even without another howl to prompt him, the little wolf tipped back his head in a clumsy toss and sent up his own high-pitched a-woo-woo-woo, which wavered dangerously in pitch and rose and fell without any discipline. His was much too little to reach further than a few feet down the mountain, but his tail whapped happily against the ground as he repeated it again and again, this tiny mimicry of a howl that needed so much improvement, but was perfect to him.

As her brother took watch over her cygnets, the far-seer draught from one of the chuckling brooks; only a awhiles away from the thicket she’d roused herself from. While languishing for a spell, she heard the herald of the yearling who’d tended to her mishap only a fortnight ago — and she definitely heard the straggling answer of her son, rabbit-soft ears swiveling to hear that wavering strain.  ( Vonnaruil was beside himself in his own glee. )

It was the perfect moment to tutor Dragomir as well as to answer Goosie. Crescenting the neck her beloved deemed graceful, the spring winds made her own answer diaphanous and husking — low in the breast, deep within the belly. But with Dragomir’s incessant endeavors, the mother was devastated, and her call stuttered into an even airier series of euphoric laughter. Aurëwen couldn’t wait to hear the roar of balaur ei, or the war-cry of belea ei. They would shiver these mountains to their southern roots.

It was on that nestled thought that Aure began to wound her way for Diaspora’s border, tail feathering a languid rhythm at bony hocks. She strode with enough purpose that heads might turn, yet meandered at a mellow gait if anyone wished to accompany her. Adamant as ever, though, anyone would be hard-pressed to stop once she set upon seeking another out; especially as in well of a mood that she hadn’t felt for some time.

She eventually arrived to where Goosie waited in the end, alone or no, with flounce down the crags and chirruping of, “Calan vaer, nestor.” The silver’s words were teasing, airy, as she finally halted with a gleaming smile. “You remembered me? I’m flattered. Are you well?”

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Before the dwindling call could properly vacate itself from her throat, the dove picked up on the juvenile rebuttal of what could only have been a recently birthed whelp as they reached out in return. Such rusty notes, so glorious indeed! The smile that bestrewed the girl's features was so undeniably delightful — oh what a tender spot she had for new sprung bairns, so exquisitely new and youthful in their innocence. Only once she heard the howl of the matriarch, followed by a dusting of laughter, did the fae feel truly reassured, noting her call being a far cry from the tone her speech had inhabited before on that fateful day in the lair.

The dove loosened her guarded stance ever the more once she caught scent of Aure approaching — which soon turned to the sight of her — as the femme carried herself down the treacherous path before her with languid, practiced ease. Once fast approached, her new-formed friend trilled happily, a bumbling of words in a language she didn't understand, but which were soon followed by words she definitely knew. This nymph was just so interesting, and the girl was struggling to put a paw on why she had come to this conclusion — but regardless of failed self-convincing, the dove couldn't stop herself from feeling helplessly flustered and borderline intimidated by this wonderful female. She had a bold presence that Goose couldn't quite wrap her head around. Oh me oh my.

"Ah, yes, quite," A soft voice uttered in response, doe eyes looking back towards her hindquarters in quiet reassurance in regards to their previous incident, "Everything seems to be fine."

"I came..." Why did she visit? "...to make sure you were doing well. I mean, considering you're a mother, and everything involved. I guess I couldn't shake the day from my mind... I suppose maybe I'm worrying too much." She fumbled, eyes finding themselves on the grass in front of her as a bout of self consciousness appeared to overwhelm her.

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early to bed and early to rise, stigmata was not far off when a pitiful voice reached him - perched above a herd of deer silhouetted by dawnlight and grazing unawares. as one the flock lifted their frightened crowns and pointed quivering noses in the direction of the noise. the general's attentions followed suit, and remained pointed towards diaspora's borders even as the ungulates began to churn and flee beneath him. he began descending even before the stampede's thunder had a chance to drum up, and he abandoned his current task to abate his curiosity for the caller. 

he was only a few miles off, and his pace was a strong canter, bringing his arrival quite soon after aurëwen's. he was equally both surprised and not by her presence there, which wound up causing him to appear    unaffected as usual. and though he had been unable to help looking towards the porcelain ambassador first, it was their guest that eventually drew his commanding gaze.

she was a dainty creature. fine-featured and feathery; colored much like a spring dove, and built as finely as one - leaving little to be visually impressed about, for a wolf like him. he moved like smoke to gather up at his magnetizing packmate's sleek shoulder, and he rose to a resolute posture, peering down at their guest with heavy, half-moon eyes.  "who is it that calls over diaspora?" he asked quietly, skin shuddering.

Had she known the thoughts that ran rampant in both of their heads, Aurëwen may’ve been flattered to such a deep place of humbleness that she might never recover from it. But she didn’t know, of course; only ever recognized it whenever her family of three made it known to her. So a listless ear flickered at Stigmata’s arrival and the question, and as the general hulked at her shoulder, her focus returned to the speckled dove before her once more.

”This is Goosie,” she mused, though not without appreciation. ”She tended to me after my... foolishness in ze Lair. I’d like to think she saved my life, too, diverting ze brawl like she did.” An impish curl came to the corner of her scarred lips, but what she said was true and her tone was honest. Any aftermath that had happened all those weeks ago... she felt it the situations may finally be easing up, some.

And she only looked ahead from it, now. With an absent feathering of her tail, Aure continued, ”Yes, I— we are well, ze children and myself. No need to worry, Goosie. I am grateful for what you did that day,” smile softening to something more leveled, ”as grateful as I am, now. You are very considerate, and brave, I daresay.”

not-so-subtle transition to a joining thread, maybe?
paging @Oath, you're up next! ♡

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Despite a conscious effort, the dove couldn't help but shrink back ever-so-slightly, puffed ears finding themselves submissively pressed back against her skull at the sight of the towering figure of the hessian that approached from the flank of Aure. Although quiet, a deep and reverberating tone soon followed, quite rightly questioning the appearance of a stranger in diasporian territory, and Goose could feel the words drum within her chest — if the ivory had not been there alongside him, the yearling would surely have been spooked.

Before she could fathom about pulling herself together to respond, Aure thankfully intercepted and spoke on her behalf. The dove found her eyes trained on the ground as words of praise danced through the air between the three, but not before a shy smile found itself curled across heated features first, face surely red underneath those speckled cheek tufts. Brave. What a word to be called! It had never once been used in any such way to describe the feeble girl. Thin shoulders rolled themselves forward with embarrassment as she peered up from between fluttering lashes, inwardly struggling to recall the appropriate protocol in regards to responding to kind accolades from even kinder strangers. This was a rare predicament she did not often find herself in.

"Y-you, I must say you speak far too kindly of me, uh, I must just have been in the right place at the right time, yes?" A nervous chuckle tinted the last few words of her question, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "You were the brave one I would say, taking on such a horrible beast as the one in that cave! I-I mean, I mean you would have fared well without me! But yes, I mean, yeah, I am glad I could be of some help." The dove nodded, a timid smile pulling at the corners of her lips as she stood up straight once again, preparing to maybe move off. It was early, after all, and she was sure these kind folks would much rather be sleeping or attending to their duties. "I — uh, yes, I am glad you're okay. Sorry if I have awoken you, I thought, maybe, sunrise would have been an ideal time to stop by, but I see I have stirred a few souls..." She trailed off, but not before her features settled back to a more somber display.

"I'm afraid I should be going; I fear leaving my companion alone for too long by herself in case something were to happen to her—" (Which was a huge concern of the dove's, the ever-present burden of failing to find their flock, apace with the possibility of losing her other half always weighing heavy on her breast) "—and we must be on our way to find our next refuge."

And just as she pondered her farewells, the idea abruptly unveiled itself without so much as a warning, and entirely without an ounce of reasonable logic: I wonder if we could stay here— Uh, absolutely not, and how rude of you to assume, uninvited inner-voice! Goose bit down on her tongue in response, afraid the intrusive thought would physically catapult itself off of her vocal chords and shoot out of her mouth, her esteem saturated with pure shame that she could have even hoped for such a thing (despite how short-lived it was and unintentional it was).

And whilst doused in the over dramatics of her inner turmoils, the pale then failed to register the familiar pats of brown-doused paws approaching from behind her.

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as his packmate relayed pertinent information about their guest - namely her participation in a dire rescue of the new mother - stigmata found his gaze softening upon the stranger. any wolf who cared for his own was a welcome face at diaspora, and he was about to explain this to the shy creature, when she abruptly excused herself. the silvered shadow watched quietly as she retreated with a small, burnished companion, and looked rather apologetically towards aure once they had gone out of sight.

"i forget sometimes that my presence is not easy to tolerate for those who do not know me. i suffer strangers so little these days..." he sighed, before shaking off their disappearance rather quickly. "care to walk with me a while, aure? perhaps tell me more about your needing to be rescued...?" he pressed with a quirked brow, leading the chatty angel off into the heart of diaspora - an act he had once avoided doing, now committed freely and without concern.