Blackfeather Woods and when at last the work is done

dated for the ~24th of February; remaining vague about who is with her

She walked into the trees like a kid home from college—a confident stride into territory she knew better than herself, and yet all had changed. The border was faint; the presence of wolves dramatically faded. Maegi breathed in and caught the barest trace of Relmyna, and could weep. A little stronger, Kove's smell. Flicker's. But it was clear that they had gone.

The Melonii trod the winding paths of her youth, feeling lost for words. With the absence of physical bodies, the spirits had grown stronger. They pressed in on her like stifling shadows, whispering in her ear. The daedra, the dead. Those lost to the Void, and those who were the Void and always had been. Friends, enemies. The tiny voices of those who'd passed so young, they hadn't even begun to live.

The ravens squawked overhead. A pang went through her as she thought of Blue (is he safe?)—and then, as if reading her mind, one swooped low, talons whistling past the crown of her head. It flew down the path ahead, toward some unseen end.

Maegi thought of following it, and then declined. The last time she had followed a raven, it had led her far from where she needed to be. Far from home.

She reached the Blood Garden, carefully avoiding the thorns that sought to snag her flesh with each step. The young woman found a relatively thorn-free place and sat among the roses, staring ahead.

"We're important. Our pack started with our grandmother, Meldresi Melonii. She was the first one to start the Dark Brotherhood in the Teekon. But she died before I was born, and she's buried here, somewhere."

Meldresi. What would she think of this? Her woods, abandoned so readily by those who claimed to worship her.

"She would have wanted to kill you, too."

Potema's voice in her head used to be a detriment, dragging her down into despair. Now it only sought to spur Maegi on, if only to prove the damned witch wrong. How foolish she had been, to even entertain the words of a drug-addled maniac. She supposed she couldn't be too hard on herself. She had been young, after all. But she wished she would have had this kind of wisdom then.

Was her mother dead, too? She hoped not. It would mean Maegi hadn't been the one to strike her down, and putting aside everything else—all the traumas, all the nightmares—that was one thing she couldn't live with.

this makes no sense w my timeline but i'm just gonna roll with it

soft footfalls carried the woman with a silent ease across the former border where she'd stood only not too long ago alongside wintersbane- prepared to try and start over in the mysterious woods that had from the start seemed to have it out to catch her and draw her deep into their mysterious depths. they had of course been successful right up until they hadn't and their whole pack had abandoned them. not that it was a dig or anything, she had too but now after all this time she found herself back here. why the fuck? she couldn't tell you. in fact a lot of her actions recently came without plausible excuses and this was not something she was happy about.

she was most definitely not the reminiscing type, a master at constantly burying her past so that was not what had drawn her foremost back to teekon itself but also here. a frustrated huff pushes its way from a tightly clenched jaw as her movements grow more stalk-ish with the added irritation to her usually emotion-free grace. maybe she just missed the forests themselves, they had offered her shelter from the horrible bareness of the flatlands that had been quite close to truly driving her insane. the urge to free a sharp laugh comes strong at that, she felt pretty on the edge right now if she were honest. her mind wasn't as reliable as before perhaps, a worrying thing since it was really all she fucking had. 

she ventured deeper, dark eyes scanning the area with a mild curiosity as to whether lone wolves had already taken to the abandoned lands. it seemed relatively quiet and she was surprised by how this fact relieved her. however it wasn't too long before the pale woman became quite aware that she was not alone as the scent of another fae drifted her way. couple more steps and there was, sat amongst the thorns. she was standing right in the other's line of sight so said nothing, simply letting her head dip- dark eyes guarded but neutral. despite the ever ready tense nature of her muscles, it was clear she really wanted no trouble.

The specter that emerged from the trees was unfamiliar to her, and so Maegi stood again, hackles raising and her lips curling in instinct. Who are you? she demanded, feeling more protective over Blackfeather than ever now that it was empty. Who else was here to defend it? She hadn't seen nor heard Relmyna's daughters, though their scents were still fairly present.

Was this a member of the pack she was unfamiliar with? She squinted, bi-colored eyes glinting in the dim light. She had been gone for long enough that anything was possible. Still, she didn't trust easily—and never would.

dark eyes narrow at the quick movement the other wolf took- standing in one fluid movement accompanied by a flash of her teeth. tundra's own pearly fangs would peek out in response as her lip moved accordingly- she didn't really feel overly threatened for the most part the other woman seemed to be acting on defense rather than intending to attack right now but nevertheless there was a hostility to her and the young soldier knew better than to ever let presumptions guide her movements.

there's a few moments after her name is demanded that tundra spends hesitating ever so slightly- cold eyes never wavering despite this. damned pride had her unwilling to just give out her name because someone else had demanded it especially after greeting her in such a way. however the attitude was quick to slip as the woman sighed slightly- lips falling back down to hide away her teeth once more despite the tenseness remaining in her limbs. frankly she was weary and not in the mood to act childish over such a simple thing, especially since it wasn't like she was well known enough for her name to likely mean anything. "tundra" it slips softly from her lips despite its hollow understones. without skipping a beat she presses on "and you?" was the bi-eyed woman a former member of the pack too? she knew well she'd never gotten around to meeting everyone with her reclusive behaviour so couldn't make the call herself.

The woman kept her cool, which both satisfied and unnerved Maegi. She was no crazed marauder, evidently, which meant she felt comfortable here. Which meant she'd probably been living here. The Melonii relaxed a hair, though still keeping a wary eye on Tundra, letting her hackles descend once more.

Maegi, she said, for it was no use disguising her name when they both stood right in the heart of Blackfeather Woods. This is my home. I was away when the pack disbanded and everyone left. She lifted her chin, giving Tundra a curious stare. But you didn't leave.

Why?

soon a calmness albeit being on the uneasy side, settled between the two after she introduced herself without much hassle. this instantly satisfied her suspicion that the woman had just been on the defensive side as the hostility faded when she got tundra's indentity secured. it was now the other's turn to offer up and she did, the name given instantly causing dark eyes to flicker with a rare light of curiosity and perhaps even slight amusement. so this was maegi? of all wolves to meet it did indeed seem to be a small word. "so you're maegi" slips from her jaws, echoing her own thoughts almost subconciously. a brief moment later she gives her head a slight shake and elaborates, suddenly aware as to how odd and maybe a bit creepy the statement would appear with no context.

"i was in some caves around here a while back and i came across a brute, not going to lie he was in quite the state seemed quite out of it. but he kept calling me maegi so i didn't know if you were dead, missing from the pack or i just hadn't come across you" her head tilts slightly to the side "judging by your being here now i guess you were a member after all" she's intrigued enough as to what that whole situation had been but not enough to go prying, if the other wanted to tell more she'd listen but if not she wasn't gonna cry over it or anything. 

maegi confirms she was indeed a member of the pack but had been away when they disbanded which might've been also around the time she'd come across the boy. the final statement leaves the pale woman shaking her head. "i actually did leave just after the pack broke apart, in fact i actually left teekon altogether i only returned recently...i couldn't tell you why i found my way back here i certainly didn't intend on it" a frown creases her features as dark eyes lift to the surrounding forests. "i felt a pull here from the very start and kept meeting wolves from this very pack that actually interested me which didn't happen too often." it was unlike her to even talk this much but hey she'd been doing a lot of stuff unlike herself lately.

Maegi was probably the equivalent of the blinky guy gif, recoiling a bit at what the woman said next. Uh, what— she started, but then Tundra had an explanation for her. Still, it didn't quite make sense even after that. Who was this 'brute' she spoke of? Why had he been mistaking other wolves for Maegi?

What did he look like? she asked, eyes drawing to tight, suspicious slits. Did he say his name?

What if it was Iliksis? Eugh. She shuddered a little; the man gave her the creeps.

She gazed solemnly at Tundra, waiting for her response and absorbing the rest of the story. She was, admittedly, pleased to hear that the woman felt drawn to Blackfeather Woods. Perhaps she would stay and become a part of the circle Maegi seemed to have collected throughout her strange, haphazard life. Who even knew, anymore?

suspicion descended quickly upon her company at what she said, instantly eager to know who the male could've been. the bi eyed girl's physical features made no effort to hide that life hadn't seemed to be the kindest to her at times and her attitude seemed to go well with this. although this would be a feature that many would feel a need to stay away from, it always had the opposite effect on tundra. perhaps a bit like with relmyna she'd instantly feel drawn to the younger girl, a strange pull to those you perhaps felt something in common with? whatever it was there would be no indication of it on the creamy soldier's face as dark orbs almost eerily devoid of visible emotion would rest calmly upon maegi as she gave a small shake of her head. "i did try asking but he wasn't fully there" silence fell between the two for a few more moments as she racked her brains for more specifics on the conversation "i think he said something about many names and then went on tell me it was a good question" she would lift pale shoulders in a shrug, perhaps an apologetic one but one could only guess as not a muscle on her face had twitched in difference throughout. 

"he was young enough, perhaps close in age to me or you and pale pelted. had a few dark markings though and quite an abundance of scars. it was dark though and he was lying so the details are blurred" she watches on unwaveringly, waiting to see if any recognition would flicker across her face at the vague description. she'd had to have meant something to him, being in such a state her name had been the one thing he'd desperately clung to. she'd seemed to be his beacon in the darkness of his mind- surely she'd know who he was. she wonders idly where he was now- the cave had been the last and only time she'd seen him.

Pale, dark marking, lots of scars— Oh, that sounds like Mou, Maegi said, a little dismissively. If it had been after she had left without word, little wonder he was out of his mind, looking for her. The thought gave her a pang, but she pushed it aside, at least for now. No use dwelling on something that was in the past and had been apologized for.

So you feel a pull here? she asked, ears canting forward curiously. Why? What in particular brought you back?

She wondered whether Tundra heard the voices of the daedra, or whether they called to her, too. It would be extraordinary and Maegi would be happy to help walk her down the path of her religion. That said, perhaps the woman just liked the scenery. Which seemed awfully hard to believe, but hey—everyone had their tastes, right?

she's close to disappointed at the sudden loss of interest to come across the other as she stated that it sounded like 'mou' in flatter tones- former intensity gone. surprise also takes its place at the fact she was disappointed at all, had the prospect of getting to know even another wolf's drama been that appealing to her? she shoves down the urge to grit her teeth- frankly disgusted that she'd sink to that level, perhaps not seeming like a big deal to anyone else but it left her feeling....just ugh. it wasn't easy to go from a life of hectic danger to sudden peace, a part of her perhaps yearned for the fast paced life she'd previously led despite doing everything in her efforts to escape it at the time. now all she had to focus on was her mind and she was starting to think that in itself was leaving her worse off, she felt like she was going crazy.

nevertheless she doesn't bother asking for anything else on this 'mou', it wasn't anything to do with her anyway so she'd leave it to maegi. the girl isn't done though, and tundra lets her gaze find its way back to her bi-eyes from where it had wandered to the distant trees. the question leaves the pale woman at a loss for words and she's met head on by a rogue emotion she never has any dealings with; uncertainty. because she really didn't fucking know, and she always had a reason for what she did. "i well..i always felt more comfortable in forests and this was the only one i could see in those horrible bare flatlands" she tried meekly, knowing well she was simply grasping for an easy answer when it made no sense, there were plenty of forests within teekon.

it wasn't easy for her though, she'd never believed in any kind of destiny and fate shit or whatever gods she knew the blackfeather wolves believed- it had always just been her and her mind keeping her alive and showing her what to do, nothing else. but her tug to these woods was inexplicible. a soft sigh escapes her tense jaws as shoulders drop ever so slightly, her dark eyes do maintain their guarded veil but are no longer narrowed and appear wide and searching as she simply murmurs "i really don't know maegi, it's not easy for me to admit that but all i know is that since i've made it to teekon i've wanted to be in these woods." she feels slightly more at ease after expressing this aloud and takes a few steps closer, "are you planning on doing anything with the place?" would she give up her home now or try and make something of it?

Hmmm, it wasn't that, then. But she knew it had to be more than just the presence of a forest that had brought Tundra here. There were other forests, after all. She remained silent for a couple of beats, unsure of the answer. What was to be done, except stay here? She supposed that if wolves gravitated here, then they could live here, too.

Was that how packs just came together, or did they need something. . .larger? A grand purpose, a design?

Well, I'm staying here for good, Maegi said, her gaze returning to Tundra after growing distant for a moment. Whether others do is up to them. I don't really have any plans, just. . .whatever happens, happens. But—

She gave Tundra a curious stare, sizing her up, though not maliciously. You're free to stay, if you feel drawn to the woods, she added. I wouldn't mind having you here at all, so long as you don't bring us any trouble or turn out to be crazy. A wry smile painted her muzzle at this last quip, though the words were serious.

her question seemed to evoke thought in the other as her bi-eyes grew distant for a number of silent moments before her attention would return to tundra and she'd speak. the words started off with strong certainty but it seemed to falter throughout until she cut off and observed tundra with a new kind of intensity. she'd arch a brow but made no comment and instead waited curiously for what more was sure to come. meanwhile she was glad that the girl seemed determined to hold onto her home but was surprised to find that she wanted the place secured in the paws of someone who knew it and cared about it. a particularly strange want considering that she had not intended on joining another pack and the presence of a new one here would leave her unable to stroll in and out as leisurely as she would have liked.

maegi speaks again and tundra abandons her thoughts for the present, well the words seemed promising in the sense that if she was offering tundra the oppurtunity to stay it must mean she planned on making some sort of official claim on the area. her head dips gratefully, corners of her mouth tilting upwards and almost mirroring the other pale fae's expression at the last comment. "don't worry i've had my fair share of crazy i certainly wouldn't want to impose it on anyone else" her dark eyes would grow more serious as she thought harder on what had been offered to her. there was an urge to say yes there and then but she'd never been an impulsive wolf and old habits died hard so for reasons she couldn't give, she supressed the urge to agree right off the bat. "well i extremely appreciate the offer and i hope you don't mind me saying i'll think about it. i'll more than likely be sticking around the general area so i'll keep an eye on the woods and most likely make a return once i've had time to think over a few things" 

with that the ex soldier would stretch out her limbs and straighten. "i suppose i ought to be heading but it was certainly a pleasure to meet you maegi and i'd be glad to see the woods in the paws of someone who cares about it again" her words were completely sincere and although she wouldn't say she trusted the other she got good vibes off of her and could possibly see herself trusting her in the future should she prove to stay true to what she appeared to be. with a dip of farewell she would turn and move nimbly from the area- drifting like a phantom through the trees.

you can go ahead and archive it with a post if you'd like c: would love an up to date thread between them sometime soon!

Good. They were on the same wavelength. She nodded at Tundra's answer, finding it fair enough for now. She was glad the woman would think about it, at least. Whatever had drawn her back to the woods meant that the place was special to her, and Maegi would rather have a hundred Tundras here than one bloodthirsty, power-hungry Melonii any day.

Let me know, she murmured. Peryite be with you.

She watched her leave, then did a slow turn, looking at the roses. Wondering just where Meldresi's bones lie, and if the Night Mother could hear her, even lost in the Void.

Your daughter was wrong. You would be proud of me.