Northstar Vale his heart would not take flight

it is early afternoon when she wakes, having slept truly, deeply, for the first time since losing her way. she first thing she is aware of is the dull ache that spreads through her entire body; this she greets with a groan and a careful unfurling of her limbs, brow furrowed and gaze filmed over with sleep. she'd settled next to a sparse thicket, adorned with a handful of fragile, flame-orange leaves; the first place she'd found that seemed acceptable. 

she wants to seek out Aure, and perhaps even some of the others that live here, though the latter is purely idealistic. she knows that when faced with a stranger, she'll head the other way, no matter how much she wants to, just once, seek out a potential ally head on. it works out fantastically in her head, but when faced with the real thing, she's quick to balk. 

but standing, moving, suddenly seems to require monumental effort. the ache hurts, and her skin burns uncomfortable beneath her pelt. and so she remains where she is, gradually waking and slipping into greater discomfort, hoping that the kindly woman would stumble upon her eventually.

She was within the Vale, when a scent caught her nose. Her nostrils flared as she followed it; a girl, a Courtfall girl she was sure. Her eyes caught the figure, a pale wolf who began to stand as if with some effort. She did not want to frighten the girl, who seemed as if she had just awoken from a deep sleep. Instead, Star let out a soft chuff, announcing her presence and padding a closer but keeping a distance of a few yards between the two.

Now that she was closer, she could see the girl's face better- oh, so young. Star could remember when she was little like that, she was innocent, naive, with a head full of dreams and paws ready to tread as far as she had to to find a home. She was not necessarily like other children, she knew there were evil and pessimistic children in the world, but she still assumed to approach the girl as if she was as innocent as Star once was. "Hi dear, I assume you are of Courtfall as well? I am Star, a Mavroimë." She introduced herself politely.

she shifts, peering back over her shoulder as a footfalls draw near, foreign chuff diminishing any hope that this was Aure. a moment later, and the woman came into view; pale as aurewen was, though certainly with a great deal more fur. tongue passed over her lips, belaying nervousness made worst by her hurt, and the knowledge that she could not easily slip away should this interaction go poorly. 

"um," came her response, embarrassingly faint. a little stronger, then, "um," she did not know how to respond, suddenly, not entirely sure herself if she was part of Aure's group, though certain in that she had no idea what a Mavroimë was.  "I'm Clem. Clementine. a—a hunter." it did not sound as polished as the older woman had offered, nor was she an especially good hunter, and so she chose that moment to fall silent.

18 threads? idk her
sobs

The dawnlight stars had tucked themselves behind thawless veils of afternoon, and so it was that the hours had whiled away since the morning glory of the Court. Undómiel tread beneath them all, her sunknived and stricken vessel still aquiver with the captivation of it all; under bough and by burrows did she wend past, entirely mute save for the threnody of her very soul —

( hear it, could he
hear it?
her?
yes he must, yes )

— before otherwise she heard the susurrations of tones familiar, never to be forgotten. The lapsing therein; the fée soon winged her way to the flamebit thicket of where the roseling  "Clementine,"  rested and the ever-glimmering  "Star,"  kept her company.

rip ellie

The girl was obviously nervous, but in a sweet way, like a little kid ducking behind their parent to hide. Star's heart was already softening towards this little Clementine, and she felt a twinge of regret, that she had never had a daughter of her own to soften her heart like this. Ah, well, she figured she may be too old anyway. Many things in her life had not gone the way she had wished, and so she had given up on many of her dreams and coped. Having kids was just another tack to this list. 

The little girl was a hunter too. "Nice to meet you, Clementine. Ah, you are just like me. Both of us, hunters." She chuckled warmly, hoping that she could ease the girl's obvious tension. Likely she would not be good at it- this muscular, scarred and bloodstained old woman- but she could try. Only moments after she spoke, the approach of the woman could be heard. Star turned to face her, giving her a respectful little bow of her head, before speaking again: "Good morning, Andraste, I hope the day is treating you well. I am just accquanting myself with little Clem here," She explained.

aure! a relieved "hello!" slips from her lips even as her stomach turns uncomfortably. she's certainly more comfortable with the woman here, though before she can reveal any of her discomfort, star addresses aure and she falls into stifled silence. 

uncomfortable, she shifts into a sitting position as the women speak a moment, uneasy. she hurts, and thinks she might know the plant to help, though help is the thing she's suddenly incapable of asking for. she clenches her jaw slightly as the rolling threatens to turn to nausea, managing an "I'm—" before promptly falling silent again. "I like plants, too." this is fine. she can sort this on her own, right?

v tiny post im-

Though muffled beneath the aged bell-tones of the Mavroimë's greeting towards the fée, Clementine's little hello! did not go unheeded by starlit she-wolf; who offered the roseling a faint smile upon shorn lips.  "Both are good investments of one's time,"  she wisped, halfsight drifting from young to old before her.  "There were not many plants to be found along ze shores, were there, eälótë?"  A glimmer in those argent eyes, as Andraste again looks upon the greyblush; not at all malevolent in the light teasings.

Then, a look that lasts a bit longer than usual; takes in the shifting weight of the younger of them both. Might she be unsettled? ... For now, the stricken remains quiet in the company of Star.

The little girl's tone seemed more joyful after Andraste's arrival, which Star was glad for. She did not expect a child would necessarily be comfortable in the presence of an unknown stranger, and so she took no offense to the girl's discomfort with her. She only wished she could relieve it- but that would take time and familiarity, she supposed. She remained quiet, as the the little one piped up, sharing that she liked plants too. Star smiled warmly at the girl- not a smile meant for Clementine to see, but rather a smile that came to her expression naturally, by the sweetness of the child which touched her heart so. 

Andraste asked Clementine something about the shore and its plants, and her accent was like music to Star's ears. The mavroimë remained quiet as she listened intently to whatever response the child may share.