Emberflame Ridge The Fires Remains

Looking for someone from Elysium, but otherwise AW! (P.S. Pema is an Elysium member, just needs to be readded and don't want to go inactive again while waiting :)

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She had stepped out of the pack's territory, for the time being, needing some time to herself. Part of her was still waiting. Waiting for Shale to come back and tell her that everything would be ok, with Timberlake at his side. But she knew that wouldn't happen. She had now come to the conclusion that Shale had fallen to the fire, and that with the absence of his father Timberlake had wondered off, similar to the fate of other orphaned pups of the fire. There was no way for her to be certain of either of those two facts, but for her to move forward with her life that is what she would need to believe. At least that's what she thought.

She had obviously never gone through this before in her life and wasn't sure what would be best. She wanted to be the best mother she could to her children but everything had fallen apart around her she wasn't sure how to put it back together, or what it would look like once all the remaining pieces held tight.

She wandered to a forest looking over a ridge. Areas of which were scorched in fire, reminding her of the one separating her and Shale. Amongst the charred trees remained a healthy one by which she sat. Almost representing her, healthy and well while those around her had perished. She sat quietly with her eyes shut, focusing on her breathing, not sure of what to do.

After her tryst with Khali in the Rose Moor, Lily felt like she was walking on clouds. It would be apparent to anyone who passed by that her heat was in full swing, rolling off her in fragrant waves. She didn't really pay it much notice, though; all she knew was that she felt incredibly giddy, incredibly cuddly, and. . .

She'd wandered away for a little while, toward the ridge. She thought about bringing Khali but decided against it; she needed a rest, and she didn't trust herself to keep her paws off him, even for a little while. Some time to herself to clear her head would be good.

But she soon was approaching a young woman, perhaps around her age, staring out over the landscape with an expression she thought might be forlorn. It was one of the Morningsiders she hadn't seen much of, and didn't know well as a consequence. With a friendly chuff, she came near, pulling up alongside and following her gaze.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Lily asked rhetorically, smiling. I haven't seen much to beat this view. I try to get out here as often as I can. She canted her head toward the other. I don't believe we've met properly. I'm Lily.

She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of a friendly chuff and turned her head to see a dark female that looked familiar and presumed it to be one of the Elysium members she had only had a chance to glance at. As she came closer a strong scent hit Pema's nose. The smell of heat she had become acquainted with last year during her heat. It made her think back to her and Shale. How things were rough back then but then smoothed over, only to be lost now.

Not wanting to be a downer Pema turned her head to the female and nodded, not really listening to her comments. She mentioned that her name was Lily and that she was indeed a member of Elysium. "Nice to meet you properly Lily. My name is Pema. Sorry I haven't had the chance to introduce myself. It's just been a lot the move and all."  she said with a faint smile.

She shook her head, waving off the apology. No need to be sorry. You've all had to deal with a lot. How are you settling in? Lily asked, prying a little into the woman's state a moment ago. She had recovered gracefully, with a smile and all, but it was clear that something was. . .off.

Had she had a better grasp of Pema's history, like her human did, she would understand. Unfortunately, Lily had no such benefit.

yikes sorry for the short post

Lily then proceeded to ask how Pema was settling in. It wasn't that settling in had been hard, it was simply that nothing had really happened. She went to the group introduction but other than that she hadn't really been around. She had wanted to become a valued member of this pack, but the past few days had been slow and there was still something holding her back. In the past, the reason for her veering away from the pack was that she needing a secluded area to raise her pups. But now that they were almost a year old now there was no reason for her not to return to her normal routine of things.

"It's been alright. I'd have to say that nothing major has really happened. So I suppose that could be seen as a positive... I just wish I was doing more." she trailed off saying.

There's time enough to do more, Lily responded kindly. For now, just focus on getting settled and adjusting. It took a while to get used to a new place. She was all too aware of that fact, having had to do it three or so times over the past year of her life.

She glanced over at Pema. How did you end up at Morningside? she asked. Are you and Sunny family, or just friends, or. . .? Dear sweet Lily, the can of worms you could be opening up. But she wouldn't know unless she asked, right? And like Delight had said, the Morningsiders had their own stories to tell. They shouldn't be forgotten.

She assured Pema that there would be plenty of time to do more later, but that now would be a good time to settle in and adjust. Pema mostly just wanted to meet everyone, which sorta fit in with settling in and adjusting.

But before Pema could convey that Lily began asking her about her history in Morningside. "I was recruited by a former member, at the time I believe we were low on members. It seems so long ago I can't quite remember."  she responded thinking back to her first encounter with Howl.

When asked about her relationship to Sunny she instantly thought family, but how to explain it was a bit hard. "We started out as friends and then became family. Perhaps the best way to explain it would be to say I am the widow of his uncle." she stated.

Lily nodded--it sounded a lot like her story with Elysium. Sort of. She had just sort of fallen into Alarian's little group, with Lennon and Korei in tow. Xahi, Lainie. . . She realized with a pang that none of those wolves were still with them; where on earth had the time gone? Would she still know Pema, in a year's time?

Her face fell as Pema spoke of her connection to Sunny. Oh, I'm so sorry, she murmured, wondering if it was the fire that had claimed her mate's life but knowing that asking was tactless. Are the children that came along yours? She had noticed a few, one of them at least that looked like the woman before her.

Pema gave Lily a faint smile after her apology. It was a kind gesture but one that wouldn't really help any. When asked about her children Pema nodded,  "Not all of them..." she said thinking for Faye. "I had two girls and two boys, but my largest son wandered[b] off in the absence of his father. I'm not sure where to..." [/b]she confessed. (Would go into more detail, but not sure where the other pups and their players stand ATM. Sorry) 

"I must sound like such a wreck to you."  she said with a half-hearted laugh, thinking about how all of this much sound to someone who wasn't there.

She shook her head. Not at all, she murmured. Just someone who's been through too much heartbreak for one lifetime. Losing a mate was one thing, but Lily couldn't even comprehend the pain of losing a child. It just wasn't something she could measure yet. She knew, though, it must run incredibly deep.

How strong Pema was to still be standing here! Lily didn't know if she could do it, herself.

I'm happy you're here with us, she said, smiling. Is there anything you need from me to feel more comfortable? What sort of things are you interested in? Everyone seemed to have various strengths, and Lily wanted to try and cater to them all, even if they were off the beaten path. That just made them even more interesting, she thought.

To was nice to get a few of these things off of her chest. It was nice to open up to someone who didn't know here past, didn't see how she reacted when all of it was happening. Only able to judge what she chose to share. 

Lily expressed being happy about Pema's presence within the pack, but she knew she was only being kind as Pema hadn't done much since being here. When asked what could possibly be done to have her feel more comfortable she wasn't sure what to answer. "Perhaps being busy. Giving me a distraction and deeper sense of purpose as opposed to feeling bad for myself." she said with a shrug. "I used to be the pack's medic before I got pregnant and had to take some time for myself. There was a time where it seemed like someone was getting injured almost everyother day." she commented with a slight amount of humor.

Lily nodded to the first half of the sentiment, blinking with delight at the second. A medic, how wonderful! she said warmly. We haven't really had one since Alarian left. . .there's usually not much to tend to. Well, we had a sickness, which was why we moved, but that's gone now. Still, better to be prepared for the worst, yeah?

She swore she could smell greenery as she inhaled, staring at Pema. Lily didn't know all too much about herbs, just the rudimentary "what not to eat" and so on. Creating and stocking herb caches, you could do, she murmured, thinking out loud. Perhaps I'll ask around and see if anyone is in need of help. You never know.

It sounded as though the position of a medic was vacant within the pack which was a positive for Pema and a positive for the pack that there was someone to fill that role. It didn't sound as though there was anyone with prexisting injuries Pema could tend to, which in almost all cases was a positive, but it also ment Pema's services were not needed at the moment and waiting for someone to become injured seemed a bit morbid in a way.

Pema shared the same sedaments about being prepared and responded with a nod and a smile. Lily's next statement caught Pema's attention. Stocking the cache would give her something to do, and prepare her for whatever was to come. It also gave her an in with the other pack members that simply didn't just stumble upon her. "That's a really good idea Lily. Thank you. I may need some help in knowing where some of the current caches are, but once I have that down collecting herbs should be no problem." she said with a small genuine smile. She assumed that the pack might have a few herb caches already, but couldn't know for sure obviously. With was her in, her niche.

Lily smiled sheepishly. To tell you the truth, I've no idea where the herb caches are here, she said, glancing away in sudden shyness. Again, plants just really weren't her thing. Her fiery eyes cut through the trees as she continued. I'm not sure if we even have any. It might be a golden opportunity for you, she added, turning back to Pema. To make your own, take ownership of the entire, erm, system.

Her tail swished gently behind her. Just let me know if you need my help with any of it, she said, her face becoming more confident. Perhaps one of the children has an interest in herbs and healing. They can help you out, as well. Little Eleuthera seemed the type to be interested in that kind of thing, or perhaps Okeanos.

So the pack didn't have a herbal cache, or at least they weren't known enough that Lily would know where they are. It would be more work for Pema, digging out a place where they could be stored, making sure they were in an easily accessible place, and a few other important factors. But like Lily said it was a system that Pema could set up and make sure it was done right, or at least in a way where if she needed to help someone she could do it quickly.

When Lily mentioned how some of her kids might be able to help her with some of the stocking tasks it made Pema think back to when Meadow was young and taking an interest in the field. Thinking of how that could once again be real, made her smile. Anything that could help put her family back together was worth attempting.

"Thank you Lily for the suggestion. I will seriously consider it. Is there anything you might need I can grab for you? I'm not sure how well versed you are in herbs, but perhaps you would like something to calm your nerves or relieve some kind of pain." Pema was really greatful and if she would help someone the first person she would want to help would be Lily.

Her brows came together in confusion. No, I don't believe so, she answered, wondering what had led Pema to think that was necessary. Maybe she looked stressed? Wouldn't be so terribly surprising, but she thought she did a fairly good job at keeping a happy face through it all. Or was she just speaking generally?

Hopefully this will keep you busy, Lily chuckled, recovering from the puzzlement. Again, let me know if there's anything else I can do.

She remembered again her original intention to spend some time alone, and gave Pema a gentle smile. I should be going, but it was nice to finally meet you, she said. Do take care, and don't be a stranger. I'll see you around, yeah?

With a wag of her tail and a grin, she departed, heading for a quiet, shady notch in the forest in which to get some afternoon shut-eye.

Pema missed Lily's shock and only heard that she couldn't think of anything. Taking herbs for simple everyday needs was something Pema had become used to, but others might think this strange. It was nice to have made a friend within the new pack. This was her first steps to a new way of life and she was eager to start. The first step was to create some caches. For now she nodded eagerly with a smile and said farwell.