Swiftcurrent Creek All that was undone was done when we were young

Jaclyn and Tala helped me put this one together so thank you, both of you <3 Referencing the cavern system described here

Left to her own devices for the moment, Reverie found herself wandering in search of plant life among the snow. She found very little, but eventually something did catch her eye: a bush, frosted over and lacking in leaves, a frail and sad thing except for perhaps a dozen bright berries which hung from its branches. How odd! She stood in front of it and tilted her head, first to one side and then to the other. There was nothing familiar about this plant.
And she knew better than to tempt fate. Her father had always been quite clear: if you're unsure, you should stay away from it. But... what if that was just another lie? Reverie was suddenly uncertain. It felt like giving up, somehow, to walk away from this new discovery for one of her father's rules. Already she had gone against so many of his teachings. Already she had turned heathen, danced in sin and with strangers, soiled any hopes of a pure marriage for herself, discarded her name and her heritage —
So what was a few berries, compared to all of that? She reached out and took two into her mouth, pulling them delicately from their branches in one motion. They were only berries. Icy and unexpectedly stiff as she bit into them, but sweet too. And... a hint of spice to them as well. Or was that a tingling feeling on her tongue? Panic welled in her chest with brutal immediacy. She'd made a mistake.
All she could think to do was hide, so that no one would find her like this. Whatever this was. Nothing was happening, not yet, nothing but her own panic driving her into a frenzied flight through the territory. She ran until she found a cave. She hardly registered any details beyond that. It was dark and hidden. That was all she needed. Just somewhere safe. Somewhere quiet.
And now she waited.

bellatrix's exploration takes deeper than the tour arric had given her, but there is a freedom to unearthing the secrets the creek was sequestering away.

secrets that didn't involve her stepping outside of it's borders. she didn't fear stepping outside of them ... simply did not feel the need to.

a familiar scent, mixed with a fruity essence, draws the commander's attention and her paws take the path without consciously deciding it, shrugging into the cavern system.

it reminds her of the redsands and red bedrock of the canyon.

once home of the saints. now home of mereo. once home of bellatrix herself: twice over.

reverie.

the golden girl comes into the commander's view and she lets out a low chuff as not to startle her, remembering too clearly their first meeting and how the blonde had fainted.

A chuff from the darkness; Reverie blinked and struggled to focus, feeling suddenly warm all over. It was... Bellatrix? Her voice was soft and full of wonder. Reverie was slightly disappointed to see that it was not Lestan, but she found it impossible to hold on to any negative feeling in this state. Had she ever felt so... light?
She did not know if it was the berries or Bellatrix. Was any of it truly real? Reverie stepped forward lightly, hesitantly. She sniffed delicately at the air around the other girl, wondering if she could get close enough to touch her, wondering if that would be okay. Something in Bellatrix's aura seemed to warn against it. Do not touch, in the way of fire and sharp edges; do not touch, or we will both burn. Reverie took in a slow and shaky breath, and thought that Bellatrix was far too beautiful to be contained in such darkness. She belonged in open sky, like lightning, like the brightest storm.

bellatrix —

reverie. a relieved sigh passes betwixt the commander's lips. she isn't sure what the fruity essence smell is, but it prickles at her. wrong, perhaps.

burnished golden gaze takes the blonde in as bellatrix watches her move nearer; greedily. worriedly.

bellatrix's ghosting steps forward are in answer to a silent secreted question only her bones can hear.

are you alright?

Was she alright? Reverie was uncertain. She blinked, contemplating the question. I... don't know, She said softly. Maybe Lestan would know — but he wasn't here! Why wasn't he here? Reverie could not understand; they were supposed to be together, she thought. Have you seen Lestan?
She glanced past Bellatrix, into the darkness, as if he might appear any moment. It only seemed logical that he would. Reverie realized her mouth felt dry, and her legs felt heavy, and she could only think that she hoped Lestan would be here soon.

lestan —

the name rings 'round the commander's mind, stealing away bellatrix's consideration of the blonde's 'i don't know' response.

has she heard that name before? she does not think so! but perhaps she has. in passing. perhaps she's even seen this lestan.

who? the commander asks, word heavy to accompany the unreasonable sprint to her heartbeat, the sandpaper dryness to her throat.

bellatrix's head tilts slightly to the side, watching the way reverie looks past her, trying not to feel the stone sinking in her belly. trying not to let her thoughts go to the worst case scenario.

what is that sweet, fruity smell? bellatrix asks suddenly, trying to deduce it. and perhaps trying to selfishly distract ( though if she was trying to distract herself or reverie she cannot say for sure! ).

But Reverie would not be distracted so easily! She blinked in pure surprise when Bellatrix questioned who she meant. How could she not know @Lestan? Lestan Mayfair - you haven't met him? Reverie could hardly comprehend this. Oh, you should. He's - beautiful. The most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, truly, and she could not understand why she ever would have left his side.
Where was he?
And kind, and... oh, I miss him... Reverie trailed off, lost in thought now. She did not notice Bellatrix's distress, nor her concern, nor her question. Lestan occupied her thoughts in full now, as he often did.

the blonde says the name like the commander is supposed to know it; as if it should ring bells of acknowledgement.

all it rings is the sound in her ears, the twist of her visceral and instinctual reactions: the stab of an spear thru her heart.

the shuttering of a festering crush like the shattering of glass. for it wasn't love. couldn't be!

love was weakness. hadn't she learned that when she'd watched her mother suffer through her father's sudden and unspoken abandonment? chase him to lands unknown ... only to be met with endless disappointment.

that does mean bellatrix wants to hear the blonde fawn over this lestan mayfair. the commander scoffs in the shadows. she is being petty, she knows. it was no one's fault but her own — to let beauty lure her in. distract her.

then you should go seek this mayfair man. bellatrix steps aside, wondering why despite the sourness bubbling in her throat she is choosing to be a masochist and stay.

Something in Bellatrix's tone startled her. Reverie immediately reacted to the shift in atmosphere, eyes warming with sudden tears. I - She almost apologized, but stopped when she realized that she didn't know why she was apologizing. All she wanted was to find Lestan, especially now. This didn't feel right. It didn't feel safe.
But he was safe. She just didn't know where he was. Will you help me find him? Her voice wavered and then broke as she added: Please? Reverie did not think she could bear to be alone even for a moment, and she was feeling more confused with each passing second. She was beginning to wonder where they were. This dark place did not look familiar.

guilt spears her, gutting her from the inside out.

but bellatrix is a proud woman, too proud to apologize for her reaction despite that she knows it is not reverie's fault nor fair to take her ugly feelings out on the blonde.

but she is not so quick to recover from the proverbial slap to her face as she chose to take it.

the cavern 'round them feels too small, too pressing. suddenly, all bellatrix wants is to be gone from it.

the blonde asks for the commander's help ... and it grinds against the chainmail and stone she furiously attempts to wrap 'round her heart. gods how she wants to say no!

a soft snort, a flick of her tail against her haunches; shoulders tensing with decision. i will help you. and then she planned to get as far away from reverie and her mayfair man as she could.

Reverie did not know what she had done to inspire such hostility, but it only served to intensify her desire to find Lestan. He would never speak to her like this! Still, she burst into grateful tears when Bellatrix agreed. She was convinced she would never find him on her own. Thank you, She said softly, and started hesitantly toward the exit, toward daylight. Where had she seen Lestan last...?
I - I don't remember where I saw him last... Reverie murmured, finding it difficult to remember anything just then. One part berries, two parts panic; she was beginning to calm, beginning to remember herself, but only just. She felt inexplicably cold. Surely nothing would warm her but Lestan's arms! Reverie suddenly felt as if her desperate quest had stretched a hundred thousand years, as if she'd been searching for Lestan for so long that she might crumble to dust before she found him. No, she reminded herself hazily, it's only been... an hour? More? Forever! An eternity! She couldn't bear it any longer! A pouting half-whine slipped from her, and she was not even a little ashamed.

bellatrix is aware that how she is suddenly treating the blonde — for her own assumptions! — is wildly unfair.

but she needs time.

time to recover from letting her guard down so wholly, so quickly as if it was coated in oil slick and had fallen from betwixt her sure fingers that had once grasped it.

stay close to me, rev. the commander winces as she uses a nickname for the blonde. it was a small slip of affection, a shortening of endearment that she bit into her tongue, but could not take back.

she lifts her chin, steels her shoulders and trudges forth.

come. bellatrix commands, making to begin leading the way back out of the tunnels she had taken to get to the cavern.

Rev. Arric had called her that. She hadn't paid much attention then, but now she had to fight the urge to correct Bellatrix. She didn't like it. She knew some wolves went by nicknames, but they had always made a point to mention it. As far as she knew, it wasn't typical to just — spontaneously give a nickname. No one went around calling Arric something like 'Ric' or shortening Bellatrix to 'Trix', or Lestan to 'Stan', or —
The point was that Reverie did not want her name shortened by anyone. But she didn't dare say it. Bellatrix was going to help her find Lestan. That was all that mattered right now, wasn't it? Stay close, Bellatrix had said, so Reverie did exactly that. Their fur brushed just slightly as she stepped closer, determined to stay by her side. She tried to focus on thoughts of Lestan. She didn't know what she would do when she found him.

the commander falls to silence as she feels the blonde move nearer and takes the lead.

she lets it drag for a while longer, but knows she cannot keep it up. she doesn't have the faintest idea where to find lestan ... and she didn't want her attitude to come between whatever blossoming friendship reverie and her had.

where did you last see your mayfair man? bellatrix asks after a small inhale, still petty enough not to call him by his name.

Reverie tried to remember the last place she had seen Lestan, not even registering Bellatrix's refusal to use his name. All she could think about was how pretty his eyes were. She willed herself to focus. If she didn't, who knew how long it would be before she saw him again?
Um... maybe by the creek? Which didn't narrow it down much at all, really. Where that tree is, the one that goes across the creek. Reverie clarified after a moment, a little uncertain. Was that truly where she'd last seen Lestan? She wasn't sure.

okay. bellatrix replies in a considering murmur, wracking her brain to remember that part of the creek. did she recall a part of the creek where a tree had fallen across?

had she paid attention? her focus has been, admittedly, upon the borders. learning the territory inside was secondary priority.

we'll try to find it.

Fade and we can have an updated one soon? <3

Reverie fell quiet then, impatient to find Lestan. When she found him, she decided, she would tell him exactly how beautiful she thought he was. She would tell him exactly how much she loved him. So it was these thoughts she held to as Bellatrix helped her in her search. That was all she could do under the effects of whatever she had eaten. At least she was calm, if nothing else.