Wapun Meadow It's a trivial day with nothing special

@Larus

Find your wings, little dragon, and fly—

And flew she did, reaching the heights that her heart longed for, and then soared away.

The phases of the moon cycled at least once, possibly twice, since her departure from Asterr’s tribe; a vessel returned to her people, the young mother took on the role in place of her parents. An ever so kind leader, unity birthed beneath her reign—trust and strength built, stability provided for the one daughter that always remained. But remaining there for the rest of her days simply was not in her cards, for the Chieftess’ encouragement—you must find yourself, as I once did—presented her with every ounce of bravery that she could muster and drove her to set out on a journey of her own.

A journey back to her roots, to discover again the lair her mother cherished.

Familiarity crept up her spine the moment she laid eyes on the looming forest in the distance, the haunting voices of the foxes still present; their laughter was nearly infectious, though their language evaded her, as did the desire to greet them. Kaori continued north instead, ceasing any continuation of her journey only after reaching the meadow—breaking through the treeline that guarded it was an easy feat and the meadow’s embrace a welcoming one. And although the flowers would not bloom for months, the creek that divided the center still remained, flowing beneath the thin veil of ice that covered it. Unable to recall when last she stopped for a drink, the girl began searching the banks for a stone large enough to break a hole through the ice.

When someone has a poor memory like Larus, it makes some aspects of life difficult but others surprisingly simple. Take for instance his current travels to Bearclaw Valley: the past few weeks of roaming close, then the hours spent in Blondine's company, one might expect him to recall at least a bit of it. Friendships made, a home speculatively built; but no, all of that was gone already. He would linger in the vicinity of the valley until some whim pulled him away — and then conveniently return the way he'd come, perhaps compelled by his own residual scent.

The downside would always be the lingering feeling that there is something important he needs to be doing, or a place he should be visiting, and these hints plagued him as he journeyed. Instinct directed him as surely as the wind, or the direction of the snow — as said before, whimsy. He was getting better, though. He could recall the sight of the valley's steeply curving hillside and he knew, deep down, this wasn't the same place. The meadow sprawled out around him until it terminated along the horizon.

And there, creeping along the banks of a river that Larus had no memory of (despite it being his actual birth place, how fortuitous—), was a dark shape. Immediately upon seeing this curved stygian figure his brain shouted, BLONDINE! Yet he stopped, he stared—and quite rapidly he knew this was wrong. Not her; someone else, someone new.

Silently he began to prowl closer, his heavy steps unhindered despite the snow; he did not call out to the stranger as they lingered at the river's edge... Just to be safe.

A selection was made, the piece of earth grasped gently betwixt jaws. She wondered if her decision was the correct one, finding the ease of carrying the rock to be worrisome—if she could so easily pluck it from the ground and move with it in her mouth, would it truly be enough to break the ice? Knowing well enough that worrying would only waste time, she opted to instead test out her choice and freed the rock from her grip once it was stationed over the creek. Down it fell, quicker than she expected, building momentum—

Crack.

Kaori grew still for a second or two, gazing at the newly made hole in the ice and smiling to herself. A good choice, she thought, a good decision. Leaning down, she lapped at the water, as equally surprised by the sheer chill of it as she was grateful for having found a source so easily. Whilst her teeth ached and she could feel herself being frozen from the inside out, a shiver crept down her spine—from the cold, she presumed, or perhaps the eyes of the stranger.

Heavy footfalls were not easy to miss, cushioned only ever so slightly by the snow underfoot—yet even the snow betrayed him, each step accompanied by a soft crunch as the surface was disturbed. The girl ceased her drinking and lifted her head back up, turning partially to gaze at the fellow; she was curious now, the nerves that plagued her as a child replaced by the desire to learn. “Ah, hello,” she called, voice just as gentle as in her youth. “Are you thirsty as well?” She moved aside and welcomed him closer, motioning with her muzzle to the opening in the ice.

This probably wont make any sense as I should be asleeeep.

It did not take long for the stranger to take notice of him. Whether it was his heavy steps or the intermittent sound of his travel that caught her attention (or perhaps the golden mask upon his face), she did notice him and yet she did not send him away nor become defensive. Larus felt a brief sense of hope flare within himself in that moment. It was rare that anyone were to recognize him and he doubted that was the case here, but he couldn't shake that need for identification and possible connection.

She called to him softly, inviting him closer with her body's shifting. His eyes lingered upon her for a few moments as he tried to ascertain her reason for being so accommodating; it could've been a trick, or maybe his luck was indeed turning around. Are you thirsty as well? She asked — and he looked to the crack in the ice she had managed to create, wondering the same thing.

He could not remember when he had last consumed anything — so he moved in beside her, nodding shyly as he did so. When he opened his mouth to speak however, Larus' voice uttered a different question: Do you live here?

popping an ending on this. hope your break goes well<33

The stranger was quiet at first, watching; Kaori wondered for a brief moment if he was the nervous sort, just as she had been during her childhood, and allowed him a greater space to access the water from. She offered him a smile, small and hopeful, which only grew as he approached; the accepted invitation was a pleasant thing to behold, and she wondered if she might make a friend through this encounter. But when his mouth opened, it was not a drink taken but a question asked, to which she responded with: “No, I do not. My home is… quite some distance away.” The latter part felt like a lie as it slipped from her tongue—was her home truly far off in the distance, with her mother and young siblings and everyone else, or was it still hidden within these lands? She could not be certain of her answer.

Kaori spent some time with the male, exchanging pleasantries, before ultimately deciding to take her leave; whilst she sought a friend to accompany her through these lands, there were still some things she must take care of on her own. With words of parting, the young dragoness departed, gone to carry out her journey.