Firefly Glen Heat Waves

@Ruenna

The canopy was thick here even so late in the cold season, a fact Coriander found himself grateful for when snow began to sprinkle from the sky. It came through here and there, but he was shielded from the worst of it. While that meant that very little light shone through to the forest floor, that was more than made up for by the fireflies hovering around like golden Christmas lights strung up among the trees. Coriander had never encountered them in such cold weather; it added a certain magic to the scene, turning a dull and lonely winter night into something he might spin a story from.
The feeling was amplified when Cori stepped into a small moonlit clearing, the leaves thinned enough to allow a dusting of snow to fall and gather in an uneven circle. He stopped before he entered the clearing fully, ears folding slightly as he looked up toward the sky. Snow dusted his face as he studied the stars in silence.

Ruenna drifted across the valley, snowy and silent, and she grew incrementally more chilled with every footfall away from the Ouroboros Spine. The fact of the matter was that the valley was warmer in temperature than the mountain, and so perhaps it was the lonesomeness in Ruenna's soul which was chilling her from the inside-out.

She crossed paths with another late-night wanderer. The moonlight dazzled the monochromes of his pelt, deepening the midnight hues and gleaming from the bright whites. Ruenna lurched by him with her limping gait, offering him a quick, "Lo' traveler." Noticing his gaze was upon the stars, she paused, adding, "It's a pretty night, isn't it?" Unless he spoke in return, she would continue on her way to... wherever it was she was going. She had no plan, at this point.

The approach of another wolf pulled Cori from his thoughts. He glanced over as a woman emerged from the dense foliage, pale and limping and very much alone. Coriander felt himself shift from his lone solemnity to the more social, animated version of himself that he wore like a mask. It wasn't voluntary, but he wouldn't have stopped it anyway. No one liked someone who was more rain cloud than wolf, after all.
A fine night for stories, He added with a lively grin, tail swaying merrily. And for friends, old and new. Name's Coriander. For the moment, he left it there, allowing the woman to decide how to move forward; a wolf with such a heavy limp would have more reason than others to be wary, and Cori wouldn't fault her wanting to move on quickly rather than stick around to chat.

The stranger returned her greeting in an easy manner, leaving room for more conversation at Ruenna's discretion. This surprised the ex-Sovereign from her inner, tumultuous thoughts. 

"Oh, um.. I suppose it is." She couldn't help but return his smile, with him grinning that way. "I'm Ruenna Redfern." Despite her smile, the Redfern looked a far more forlorn tonight than usual, but of course Coriander wouldn't know what was usual for her. 

"Speaking of old friends and stories... you wouldn't happen to know anything about the Moonglow wolves, would you? Where they've gone, or.. why?" Ruenna nodded over her shoulder toward the Ouroboros Spine, which she had been aghast to discover was empty and abandoned.

The friendly sort, then, which didn't disappoint Coriander at all. She was pretty when she smiled; pretty before that, too, but now that she seemed a little more cheerful Cori was realizing she'd looked sort of sad before. His first impression of Ruenna Redfern, gathered in a few fleeting moments: the sort of person whose demeanor seemed more natural when given a reason to talk and smile and engage. So far, he liked her.
Pleasure to meet you, Ruenna. Funny — you're a Redfern, I'm a Redleaf, He couldn't resist pointing that out, half-wondering if they could be related. They looked nothing alike, though, so he kept that part to himself. Can't say I know about any Moonglow wolves, though, sorry. I'm pretty new to the area, just hanging around for my sister. I'm an uncle now, got responsibilities. His eyes twinkled with pride and love as he finished — and a touch of humor, as there was certainly very little responsibility involved in unclehood compared to fatherhood. Or even compared to leadership, which Coriander definitely had the most experience with out of the three.
If you're missing friends or family, I can bring it up to her when I visit next. She lives not too far from here, probably knows the neighbors at least in passing, He offered, feeling guilty that he couldn't offer more. While he'd joked about it, unclehood did come with some responsibility in his case — at least to stick around for a time and be a presence in the kids' lives, however brief. And it would be brief, of that Coriander was certain; he'd developed a taste for freedom, one that seemed to lead him down the road of cowards at every turn.

He noted their similar-sounding names, and Ruenna swung her tail in an effort to project good-humor. She thought that she might have heard the name Redleaf before, and his next statement confirmed this. 

"How nice," Ruenna commented, and for the first time there would be a flicker of warmth behind her smile. "I have been Auntie Rue for a few years now, and I can think of few things more rewarding." Her eyes twinkled, much like the stars above. 

Ah yes, her friends and family. Given that she had none of the later, she focused on the former. Where had Kukutux gone? "Yes, well.. all of Moonglow has gone. They are hunters by trade though... I suppose it is possible that they picked up to follow the herds." The caribou were known to migrate across the Sunspires around this time of year. Ruenna's gaze swung in the direction of the mountain chain. Given the extent of her disability, Ruenna imagined she would be unable to follow. The last thing she needed was to end up alone and stranded on a mountain, in the middle of winter. 

"Do your sister and her family reside with a pack here?" Ruenna asked, curious. She turned her gaze back to Coriander.

Auntie Rue. That was cute. Coriander wondered if Moonglow was the home of these apparent siblings and nieces/nephews, but he thought better of asking; definitely too much prying for a first meeting. The tidbits he received were interesting, though. He nodded along as Ruenna mulled over the possibilities, gaze following hers. Her conclusion seemed likely, but he knew if they were his loved ones he wouldn't be able to simply accept the most likely possibility and move on, so he would mention it to Maia anyway. A thought struck him, but he brushed it away quickly, rejecting the idea as soon as it materialized. He could not leave.
Yeah, Maia lives down that way, He tossed his muzzle over his shoulder briefly to point south, toward the fen. Past the lake — the big one, not the frozen one. A couple days' travel from here.
The thought came back, nagging. This time, guilt made it stick. Because what kind of asshole wouldn't offer? If you can't find your answers here, I could help you find them, He made the offer simply, not lightly but without too much weight to it, in case the search for Moonglow wasn't as serious an inquiry as he believed.

He mentioned Maia and his directions were to Brecheliant. "Ah yes, I like Maia very much. And her children are sweet," she added, fondly recalling the afternoon she spent shepherding them at the big hunt. 

"Their father Eljay used to reside with my pack, Redhawk Caldera. Or.. my former pack." Pain flickered across Ruenna's features. That was still a fresh wound. 

Eljay departed the pack ultimately because Towhee would not let him start his family in the Caldera. Now the Caldera was gone, because they'd had too few members to sustain themselves. Eljay's family likely would have bolstered their ranks and saved the pack, if only Towhee had allowed them to stay. How was that for irony? 

These were blunders that Ruenna had hoped to correct during her time as Sovereign, but her influence came too late unfortunately. 

Coriander made a very thoughtful offer, but Ruenna declined it with a shake of her head. "That's very kind of you Coriander, but I wouldn't even know for sure where to start looking for Moonglow. And I don't travel as well as I used to." Given how painful it was for her to move, her scouting days spent wandering and searching were over. If she was going to travel, she needed to know her destination, and she needed to be certain there would be food and a safe place to rest when she got there. She had to plan everything more carefully these days, and Moonglow's disappearance was definitely not part of the plan.

It was a lot of information to take in at once, but a few key points stuck with Coriander. One, that Ruenna knew Maia; two, that she had departed a pack and didn't seem happy about it; and three, that she was rather pragmatic about the reality of her abilities, which meant Coriander could be a little more open about his concern without offending too much. He was a little reluctant to just leave her out here, having learned all of this.
Well, since you know Maia and Eljay, I'll assume you know you'd be welcome at Brecheliant. But I get the feeling you're not headed that way, Surely she would have mentioned it by now, along with everything else she'd told him. Can I ask where you're headed, if not there or after Moonglow? I don't mean to pry — I just couldn't forgive myself if I left one of Maia's friends to fend for herself with nowhere to go at the beginning of winter. He didn't mention her obvious impairment, but he knew it would be implied, and he wasn't sorry for it; safety was always more important than anyone's insecurities.

She expected the invitation, once she learned the connection they both shared. Coriander had revealed a kind and caring nature, and so it was only fitting that he would wish to part from her knowing that she would be safe. 

"I know Brecheliant is an option, it's just..." Ruenna wasn't exactly sure how to explain it, but she didn't want to be anyone's charity case. She was all too aware of her physical limitations, but she also knew she had much to offer in terms of her wisdom and her connections. She wasn't looking for a place to sit back and retire; she wanted to be smack in the middle of the action, in a place that could use and value her skillset. 

"Brecheliant is a little too out-of-the-way. I'm an ambassador by trade, and I like to be in the middle of things," she admitted. There was also the fact that Reyes was in Brecheliant, and he was an ambassador's worst nightmare, causing chaos everywhere he stepped. Ruenna had the pleasure of witnessing his latest misstep at Akashingo's wedding celebration, and she knew she wanted to be far away from the whirlwind of discord that was Reyes.

Where was she headed now? Good question.

"Perhaps Akashingo..." she allowed, expression thoughtful. It was not the sort of place for a practical, family-friendly woman like herself, but then maybe that was why her influence would be most useful there. Germanicus had once indicated that she might be valued as an advisor to Queen Satsu. She did still need to confirm whether Germanicus was interested in her proposal from their last conversation, although she was not overly optimistic about his agreement.

An ambassador; that was intriguing, and made sense. Coriander nodded along once again, understanding the need to keep busy with the role you've built up for yourself. He'd felt that way once, and likely would again at some point. But right now he wasn't as interested in her motivations as where those motivations would lead her. Akashingo? Cori prompted, hoping for some kind of explanation. Whether Ruenna liked it or not, he was planting himself firmly in her business now — because he meant what he'd said, and likely would miss more than a few nights of sleep if he parted from her without knowing that Maia wouldn't be losing another friend. His sister had lost too much in the last year. She didn't deserve another loss, just as Ruenna didn't deserve to be left alone to face an uncertain winter.

"Yes, they're a newer pack. They've claimed the mesa on the southern end of the flatlands." Ruenna swung her gaze to face that direction. "They recently threw a wedding reception for their leaders, and it was unlike anything I've ever seen." Ruenna shook her head in wonder.  

Her expression darkened as she landed on an unsettling thought. "I don't think Brecheliant made the best impression at that event." If Akashingo had bad blood with Brecheliant, and she aligned herself with them, would she be setting herself up to one day be at odds with Teya, Maia, and Eljay?

Well, it wasn't exactly a glowing review, but the place sounded interesting at the very least. It sounded like a decent option. Well, until Ruenna mentioned something about Maia's pack making a bad impression. Coriander frowned. Can't imagine how that happened, He commented, a little concerned. Was it just cultural differences, or was there conflict? This time he wasn't prying for Ruenna's sake; the last thing Maia needed in her life was interpack conflict.

"Can't imagine how that happened."

The statement seemed entirely genuine, and so Rue had to assume that Coriander hadn't stopped in at Brecheliant in a while. Ruenna took a breath, raising an eyebrow in a wait-till-you-hear-it expression. "I take it you haven't met Reyes, then. Teya's new boyfriend..?" The man was a wild card, and that was putting it nicely. 

She let the breath out. "Akashingo's culture is really out there, but Reyes definitely acted out of hand. It all escalated pretty badly." Ruenna didn't like to recall the memory of the Akashingoans publicly beating their guest, just to assuage Ramesses's anger. Even if that guest was Reyes. Ruenna sometimes shared advice that was poorly received by leaders. Would something similar happen with her, if he didn't like the sound of what she had to say..? 

Ruenna frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe Akashingo isn't the best place for me," she reasoned, voicing her doubts. If Germanicus turned down her offer to help found Mereo, she was running out of places to go.  

She sighed. "Maybe Duskfire Glacier?" She was just thinking aloud now. Melaine-- or Lane as she now called herself-- had come by the Caldera recently, and she had spoken of her home on a great northern glacier. Honestly though, a glacier sounded like a terrible place to spend the winter, in her opinion.

So maybe Maia wasn't quite the judge of character that Coriander had thought — or maybe circumstance had just saddled her with one of those friends whose bad to good decision making ratio was just close enough to even to stay endeared to certain loved ones while simultaneously alienating everyone else. Regardless, it sounded like a terrible situation to be in. He grimaced as Ruenna continued, clearly surprised and unhappy with the news.
Ah, no, I haven't met Teya or Reyes yet, He explained. But maybe that's a good thing, if they're troublemakers. It sounds like you have plenty of options, but y'know, you don't sound thrilled about Akashingo or this Duskfire Glacier. Why not hold out until a better option presents itself? I have no plans, aside from staying within a few days' travel of Brecheliant. I could keep you company until you make a decision, if you'd like. Everyone deserves a comfortable home.

"Oh, really? Teya leads Brecheliant alongside Eljay." 

For a second time, Coriander offered to accompany her, and so this time Ruenna listened a little harder. If the previous offer had just been out of politeness, it was unlikely he would have offered again once he was turned down. Coriander seemed determined to accompany her, for no stated reason other than concern for her, a woman he'd just met. 

Had she been younger, Ruenna would have been nervous about receiving help from a stranger, particularly when there were no readily apparent motivations. She'd relaxed her guard over time though, having found that few people out there really meant harm to an old lady with a limp. 

She was an insightful woman, and she guessed that Coriander himself might also be searching for his place in the world. He obviously could join Brecheliant anytime he wanted, but he preferred to stay unattached. He was holding out for something better-- just as he had advised Ruenna to do-- and he was looking for company in this endeavor. 

"Alright, Coriander. If you're up for joining me, I would love the company. I have a loose end to wrap up in the Redsand Canyon, so that will be our destination." She tilted her head when she finished speaking.

Agreement felt like victory in ways Coriander wasn't certain how to process. This felt like the right thing to do, and though he knew how dangerous it was to chase that feeling, Cori couldn't seem to help himself. Traveling with a friend of his sister's for a few weeks at most (he assumed, given her apparent popularity among other packs) was likely one of the most benign ways to slip up, at least. It would be over quickly, and he would return to his self-imposed exile. To being alone.
To Redsand Canyon, then, Coriander agreed with an easy smile. Is your business there something you'd prefer to keep private? Best get that out of the way now, to avoid any awkwardness later. And they'd need to find somewhere for the night, wouldn't they? Maybe Cori would end up spinning that story after all, if they were going to be here for awhile.

"Oh, um..." The answer was maybe a little more personal than Ruenna had really intended on getting with an acquaintance, but didn't Coriander deserve to know, if he meant to make the journey with her? 

"There is a man there named Germanicus, and he intends to raise a military outpost. I.. um.. offered myself as a wife to him, but he told me he needed to think about it before he answered." Ruenna shifted her gaze away in an attempt to conceal her mortification.  "I mean to ask him for his answer." Ruenna expected that if a man had to be asked twice, that was probably an answer in and of itself. She was not hopeful about the likelihood of him coming around.

Coriander had been prepared for a number of answers, yet the one he received managed to be nothing like any of those he'd been ready for. It was unorthodox, and seemed odd for someone like Ruenna; surely she would have no trouble finding a more enthusiastic suitor? One she didn't have to chase after, but who instead pursued her? Coriander would have thought so, but it wasn't any of his business, so he didn't think much more of it.
Ah, then our journey may end at Redsand Canyon, More a statement than a question, but perhaps a bit of both. Regardless, they would likely need shelter for the night, and Cori didn't want to linger long on a subject that obviously made Ruenna uncomfortable to speak of. There's an old bear den not too far south, I passed by it earlier — didn't smell any bears, or anything else recent. Sound okay for tonight?

Thankfully, he didn't make any comment on Ruenna's situation, other than to estimate the time that they would part ways. "That is what I'm hoping," Ruenna responded quietly, gaze still drifting. "I'm really not suited to life on the road, not anymore." 

The fact of the matter was, she wasn't exactly the catch of the season from the point of view of an eligible bachelor. Who would want to marry or have children with a woman who couldn't hunt for herself? A woman who wouldn't be able to keep up with her own pups, once they reached a certain age?

He mentioned a good location to bed down for the night, and Ruenna finally found herself able to meet his gaze. "Sounds perfect. Lead on." She offered him a faint smile.