Hushed Willows Which way are you goin', which side will you be on?

AW, but hoping to keep this fast-paced :)

He did his best to track the fiery guardian along the mountainside, but lost her trail before he could catch up with her. Knowing Orlaith- if she didn't want to be found, then it would be no small task trying to track her down. He would argue that she was as swift as she was stubborn- and it's important to note, then, that he found that she was probably one of the most stubborn creatures he had ever met. So he abandoned most of his hopes of trying to track her down- and instead, roved through the area searching for some clue as to why she'd sounded so miserable when she'd howled. 

He wasn't surprised then to catch the scent markings of a pack's borders, a mingling of scents both foreign and familiar. He raised his head and gazed into the hanging, swaying branches of the willow trees and smiled despite himself. This would be a place for his former packmates to settle- even under the gloomy grey mid-afternoon skies, it was beautiful. He tilted his head back, then, and lifted his lilting voice to announce his arrival, and hopefully call forth a friend from his past.

The queen was still saddened by the loss of a friend, a confidant - her right-hand woman — but life moved on. There was no time nor place for her self-pity and mourning. There was only here and now - a threat of drowning on the horizon and the smell of danger spilling from the mountains. Dante at her side, whom she wished to ask for his heart - her family, her court, growing with each passing day.

The song of a not-so stranger rang through the air - soaked to the bone, the queen turned her head. Now why did that voice sound familiar? Her curiosity piqued and spirits slightly higher, she made her way to the border. Upon spotting the coat, the handsome face... Rafferty? She asked, unsure - the two had never spent significant time together, she hadn't been there long to begin with after all, but she'd jump off a cliff if she ever forgot a name when it was attached to a face and her past. What was he doing here, so soon after his Orlaith's outburst and abandonment?

In his days of living in the Faerie Court, there had been what he'd thought was a ridiculous percentage of good-looking wolves, and the few who didn't belong to that category belonged in the group of wolves who were even more ridiculously good-looking. Still- he'd given very little time to very few wolves in particular, so that his roaming gaze could enjoy as much of the visual splendour as he could, and parse through them to make a small list of favourites. 

He'd been surprised to find Lumiya among one of the ones who'd disappeared, though he supposed it might've made some sense. She hadn't been born amongst them, so perhaps the Queen had ousted her simply because she'd been born as an outsider. Wolves disappeared every so often, after new batches of puppies were born, so he tried not to get attached or take notice. He'd probably given Lumiya's departure a moment or two for thought- before he'd moved on to other things. Regardless of how much he'd noticed her then- he recognized her now...But could not recall her name. 

It wasn't unusual, though, for his name to be known, so he took her recognition in stride. "I know you're thinking," He said, with a smile. "Now why would the Queen ever choose to oust someone like Rafferty?!" He said, with a wink.

When the other queen had approached her with the problem of there being too many of them, Lumi had decided for herself to leave the court. Though the queen would most certainly have insisted on her departure, Lumi's willingness to go made for a smooth transition and she was sure she'd eased the queen's mind somewhat. She hadn't brought up wanting to start her own court based on all she'd learned there, mostly because it had been a distant idea that hadn't formed fully then - it was for that reason the two courts were no sister packs. Lumiya assumed that now, the entire court would know of Seelie Court because they'd advertised the place not too long ago.

She smiled brightly as the older man joked - she believed he was distantly related to Orlaith, but could be mistaken. Still, they resembled each other; confident, charming and with a taste for dramatics and jokes.

Indeed -as your greatness is unmatched. She played along. Please, do tell what made you come this way. She urged then, a little more serious. She was curious indeed, always had been.

"Unmatched, yes," He said, reveling in that acknowledgement. He would have loved to go on about all of his talents and assets, but she instead wanted to know why he'd come all that way, and it caused him to pause. There was a story there, but he wasn't entirely sure he should divulge all of it. He was partially ashamed, of course, of how his depature had been received, and how it had played out, so he simply cleared his throat, hoping she might allow him to keep a small shred of his dignity in tact.

"Well, I'm not a member of the Faerie Court anymore," He said, though his tone was somewhat stiff as he still had yet to decide how to handle that situation. "Has Orlaith come by yet? You remember her, right?" He asked.

He somewhat dodged the question, making her believe his departure had not been because of himself. She decided it was not her place (yet) to try and dig the true cause out of him, respecting his boundaries. It was only fair to him.

She hadn't expected him to bring up Orlaith, and she felt a sting in her heart. She was good at hiding how much this topic hurt her, wanting to avoid another breakdown over what was certainly not her fault... So Dante believed. I do - she was here for a while, as a member of my own court, but decided to go off and explore the world some more not too long ago. She answered truthfully, but not telling the complete story. She wasn't one to lie, but dancing around the truth and telling only as much as the other needed to know she wasn't against - especially not when the issue was rather personal.

He noticed something akin to regret in the Faerie Queen's diluted gaze, but he'd come to understand moments later that she likely felt disappointed that Orlaith had not chosen to settle in the glen with the others. In an effort to cheer Lumiya up, he chuckled softly and tossed his muzzle with a somewhat arrogant flick. "Orlaith doesn't want to explore the world; she wants to conquer it," He mused with a silken smile. She was devoted to her own ambition, something that he admired but like Lumiya, it caused him some regret. This was the most likely place he'd thought Orlaith might've settled- but he'd missed her. 

"Well," He breathed, then, not entirely satisfied with the fact that he'd not accomplished his goal of finding Orlaith and settling down in a pack so that he could continue to torment her for the rest of her life, "I don't suppose you're looking for another addition to your pack then, in her stead, hmm?" He asked. "Every pack needs to have a knight; and if Orlaith's left then you'll find no better replacement," He said.

His words made her let out a gentle chuckle. Yeah, not even she could tame the fire inside of Orlaith, though she'd tried. Perhaps it was indeed for the better that she was gone, doing her own thing. Some butterflies were just not meant to be put in a cage, she supposed.

She smiled fully then, as he displayed interest in joining their cause in Orlaith's stead. How very noble of you to offer. She complimented in the same playful manner, but turning more serious soon after. We'd be honored to have you. She announced truthfully. Even if he wasn't as good as he claimed to be, it would still be no reason for Lumiya to turn him away. The more the merrier, she believed.

Within a moment of being accepted, Rafferty shook a few wayward water droplets from his thick, pale ruff and strode toward Lumiya, reaching out to pass his nose along her cheekbone in an endearing though slightly bold move in an expression of gratitude...And because he liked to keep himself in the favour of powerful women. "Well then. Be a dear and show your newest recruit around then, hmm?" He begged, toying with her tolerance a bit, though he cast a wink in her direction so she knew his boldness was merely playful, and not intended as a slight against her authority. He'd already begun to walk through the willowy glen, comfortable with claiming this territory as his new homeland. 

"Who else has joined you, from the old Court?" He asked. He'd noticed the number of wolves at the Court had diminished, and while he wouldn't admit it, he hadn't really noticed that anyone terribly relevant to his attention had gone missing. Then again- there were very few who stood out in his mind, and even Orlaith had been gone for some time before he'd noticed her absence. "I'd be interested to know- before I offer myself up for betrothal," He said with a light and airy laugh.

He stepped closer, a bit like how Donovan had done - but this time there was no intimidation or belittling her. Rafferty was family, someone she could probably trust as he was of fae. She accepted the closeness, albeit a bit awkwardly having only gotten physical with a man twice in her short life - and he went on to request she show him around. She knew just what to show him to convince him of this forest's magic (the waterfall, the cave, the sacred willow they'd found etc.).

Before she could begin talking excessively about the place however, he went on to ask about the other members. The fae queen smiled. Well, there's Fionn and Deidra - though they've been pretty close lately. There's also Bridget and Aoibh if you like a challenge. She chuckled. She waved her tail, amused, not having the opportunity to gossip all that frequently. Though a few more women have joined us recently.

She listed a few names, though in truth, Rafferty kept very few close to his heart- and that list was a constantly changing thing given his fickle he was, and how often he estranged himself from others because of his roaming eye. "Bridget..." He said, his memory snagging on that particular name as though it had once been on his roster. "A fair blonde, with green eyes?" He asked, searching to see if those particular traits matched up with the name he thought he remembered. The question was fairly casual in nature, given the fact that the memory lacked clarity and conviction. 

"But what of the Faerie Queen herself?" He asked, turning his beachglass gaze to her then, a cheshire grin stealing its way across his features. "Has she any favoured drones waiting for her?" He asked daringly.

Her eyes wandered to the top of the willows surrounding them, then she slowly shook her head. I believe they're violet. She answered as she recalled the older lady, shrugging soon after. It was but a small detail, she was just blessed with a great memory - she had to make up for all she physically lacked. Bridget's eyes went beautifully with the shine of her blonde coat, a warm and rosy colour in summer, though Lumiya wasn't jealous. Purple eyes ran in her family, and she was glad she didn't bear them. Besides, her wildflower gaze was quite unique and she thought it added some colour to her greyscale pattern.

She looked up from her long lashes then, eyeing Rafferty with a little smirk. Was he making a move on her, or was he always this flirty? No matter, she found it unnecessary to make him clarify his intentions - they probably weren't sinister anyway. I have been... getting close to a certain faerie. She answered truthfully. Though we aren't very official. I know not how to ask.