Moonstone Quarry R-E-S-P-svee-T - find out what it means to ME!

backdated to around March 1 or so -- looking for @Meerkat or @Sialuk but no obligation to join! just lookin' for friens :)

Wow. This was cool.

No doubt that Ibis would have dragged her away from the quarry well before she reached the summit, but Bridget seemed to have no such inclination toward being a hoverer. Which was nice. Lilitu preferred not having her every move stalked and scrutinized. She felt more adult for it.

And views like this couldn't be beat. It was worth the climb. She was still panting a little, but grinning despite that, staring down into the gleaming, still mostly frozen water. It was late afternoon, and the sun reflected off the pool just right. The pastels of the sky were warm and inviting.

It was like she was on top of the world, in both a literal and spiritual sense. And really. . .she felt great.

She should've been happy about how quickly they had raised a village around Kukutux. Meerkat was happy for her, Sialuk and the rest. But knowing she did not plan to stay prevented her from feeling truly a part of things. She kept to the spine's outer fringes, mostly to keep an eye out for Bronco or other fireflies, but also because that's where she felt she belonged.

Today, her paws grew restless and she ventured north. She didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, lost deep in thought. At some point, she snapped to attention with a sharp intake of breath, looking around in slight bewilderment as if wondering where she was and how she'd gotten here. And who was that?

Her honeyed gaze stuck to a slightly larger she-wolf with the loveliest gray marbling in her coat. From here, she couldn't quite figure out if the stranger's eyes were light green or maybe yellow. Meerkat blinked her own several times and ventured toward her with a quiet, "Hello."

Whatever fascination Meerkat had for Lilitu, she had just as much for the young woman that approached her. Such soft shades of golden-browns, but paired with glowing orange eyes. Her tail wagged, and she raised her chin whilst grinning, shooting back a chipper, Hello, in return.

She waited for the girl's next move, whether it was to draw alongside her or keep her distance, before speaking again. Isn't it so pretty up here? Lilitu asked—a rhetorical question, of course. One would have to be completely dead to the world to not recognize the wonder that spanned in all directions beyond them. You can see everything!

Her yellow eyes glided down the quarry. I wonder if there's anything down there, she remarked idly. Or anyone. She was still a little bit reticent to explore unfamiliar places after encountering carnage on the mountain, but it did no harm to wonder. Though she supposed she could ask the local. Have you been down there?

Lilitu looked back up, almost too quickly—it made her dizzy. She swallowed, steadying herself with a nervous smile.

The warm reception teased a small smile out of Meerkat. It grew a little more when the stranger proved to be rather chatty, marveling at the views before asking her if she'd been down into the quarry. Meerkat took a moment to have another, proper look around before turning back to her fellow yearling in time to catch the self-conscious smile.

"I haven't," she replied, "but we could always go check it out? I'm Meerkat, by the way."

She licked her lips, suddenly quite nervous. I dunno, Lilitu said, frowning. I mean, I want to, but my mama would never let me leave home again if I go too far away. I'm traveling with her and a healer, she explained. And then realized she had completely bulldozed over the introduction. 

Oh! I'm Lilitu, she said with a laugh. Sorry. It's been kind of a strange few days.

How could she explain? Dead, dismembered bodies; charred mountainside; haunted faces. Then again, Meerkat smelled like Kukutux's new pack, and that one woman had mentioned that Kukutux was in mourning. 

Maybe Meerkat knew more than Lilitu assumed.

Her invitation prompted a hesitation from the other yearling, followed by a confession. Meerkat tipped her head slightly, an unconscious behavior to favor her working ear. Her lips twitched into a small smile as she pictured the girl's protective mother. She had left her own mother's side long ago, much to Towhee's sorrow at the time. But she understood.

Both ears twitched at the mention of the past few days. Before Meerkat could ask what she meant and what their travels entailed, particularly with a healer in tow, she introduced herself. Her name immediately reminded her of Nǚwū's bashful sister, Luli. The resemblance earned a few slow waves of Meerkat's tail.

"Don't worry about it, Lilitu," she replied, referring not only to her belated introduction but her reluctance to explore too far. "Where are you traveling to and from?"

Oh, she was really nice! Lilitu relaxed, feeling no added pressure to go explore (as much as she wanted to). We're from the fen, she said. If it had a proper name, she hadn't heard it—all she'd heard referenced was "the fen." It's like, um, kind of wet and swampy. Or it would be when it's not covered in snow.

She cocked her head. What about you? she asked, then paused. Wait. . .you kinda smell like that mountain I climbed the other day. Where Kukukux lives. Do you know her?

Any friend of the ethereal woman was a friend of hers. Lilitu was so fascinated by her, the way she spoke, so different from anyone she'd ever met before. She was elusive, and she made matches—a concept that had been entirely new to her. Lilitu wanted a match, although apparently she had to wait until she was an adult.

Maybe Meerkat could help get her an audience with the matchmaker. . .

The mention of the fen didn't trigger recognition immediately, though when Lilitu thought to describe it, Meerkat wondered if she was from Brecheliant. Before she could inquire, the other yearling asked about Kukutux, effectively sidetracking her.

"Yes, I live with Moonglow on Ouroboros Spine," she replied, motioning toward the neighboring territory, "for now, anyway. I lived in Firefly Glen until..." She hesitated, wondering if this would be the first time Lilitu had heard of the tragedy. "Are you aware of what happened to Moonspear and the glen?" she questioned softly.