Redhawk Caldera pokeweed

three fish lay on the frozen bank.
teya tried for a fourth, ankle-deep in the frigid lake.
her season had passed with no male event; for this she was grateful, wondering if she would feel regret as the days went on. but she did not think so.
teya dove; she surfaced with another flopping body and struck it hard on the hard-packed snow.

Bridget hadn’t meant to run into Teya at the river, though she was hardly surprised to. Fishing, of course! Since her friend’s season had run, the medic had taken the past two days to search for mint in a few of her old sourcing grounds. She’d come up empty in all of them, and was frustrated to find that even her old patch in the fen was gone. Bridget thought it was a hardy enough herb to survive a few snows, but maybe the freezes had been too much. She’d check the Bramble woods tomorrow; right now she wanted a nap. As far as she knew, this spring wouldn’t bring any children to the caldera anyway. Perhaps she wouldn’t need it!

Bridget wasn’t sure how she felt about this. Mainly like it wasn’t a fact for her to feel any way about, one way or another.

Her self control had kept her restrained these past days, knowing she had no intention to even try and fill the hole Bronco left. It was beyond her rights or capability, even if she’d wanted to… and she didn’t. She didn’t want to be an escape, or a replacement, no matter how tempting. As she watched Teya deftly catch the fish and slam it to the bank, Bridget felt the echoing tendrils of the same desire she’d fought all week. It was easier to ignore now.

She’d been out late, but sleep could wait. Nice catch! she called out cheerfully, approaching the water. Do you ever wonder if they spread the word about us? Because if they do, they have to have a pretty cool name for you. She nodded towards the fish, smiling. Fish legends weren’t something she’d ever considered.

her head came up sharply, cheeks flushing at bridget's praise. "oh?" she said, her grin entirely for the cardinal. 
like the other woman, teya had no intention of fitting her into a space previously occupied by a man. any man. or ibis, for that matter. she told herself that time simply was not on their side. that it had been unkind to anything they began. and that teya had never committed to bridget.
men were easier. her tangle of feelings for the pretty healer was anything but.
"what name?" she asked brightly despite all her bleaker thoughts. the fish were jumping, the day was clear, and she was in good company.
what more could be desired?

Putting me on the spot, asking me to speak for all fishkind! Bridget teased back playfully. One of the pack storytellers would be better for this sort of thing, but hey, she could give an attempt! I’m thinking some kind of ‘phantom of the river’ since all they see is a shadow before one of them’s snapped up. She paused thoughtfully, considering the name. Eh, definitely could be better! But for her purposes she was satisfied.

It’s too bad fishing isn’t flashier. If you got the chance to show off to them a little you might get a name like ‘golden lightning’. She tilted her head, then looked at the river with amusement. If fish even know what lightning is. Weird thought.

Bridget sat on the bank right near the water’s edge, nearby, but not close enough to interfere if Teya continued fishing. It was really good to see her friend smile again, and even better to feel like she actually meant the smile. She didn’t feel much like getting wet right this moment but she would hang out so long as she was welcome. It really was a beautiful day.

bridget's jubilation inspired that in teya, and she looked off toward the surface of the lake with greater gaiety. "i like phantom of the river. call me that," she chuckled, turning toward bridget.
her tone was a bit warmer; she found herself flushing at the first hint of something like flirtation surfacing, and pushed it steadily away.
the cardinal deserved more than another rebound from her stupid, fickle soul.
"sometimes lightning strike over water. i wonder if only few fish see it, though. others not believe." a wry look tugged at her face. "sometimes i think about fishing in ocean. i should — should see sapphique."
she'd spent so many years mired in herself she had missed out on any sort of relationship with sorana. but — she could try.

There, that smile. That was the one she couldn’t get enough of.

Bridget laughed. Fish conspiracies!! I love it! Maybe they’d consider lightning some kind of weird, make believe bird. Or maybe they had no idea that birds existed either. Who really knew what a fish knew?

She’d tuck the “phantom of the river” away for future use, but it was easy to tell that the conversation had taken a turn towards contemplation again. Bridget tried to recall what she knew of Sapphique; not much, except that they were…. What was the word she wanted? Formidable.

I can’t imagine fishing with the waves. I wonder if there’s a trick to it. Bridget hadn’t gotten the chance to learn during her own time on the coast. Recovering, she’d mainly avoided the water. Sapphique… that’s Reyes’ family, right? She didn’t ask for more of an answer than that, but she was definitely curious. What made her want to return there?

"you have to go out, deeper," teya murmured. "water is faster. more open. burns eyes. this is all what i hear," she mused, growing still and thoughtful once more. "sapphique, yes. his mothers."
had sorana made it?
had she —
did she thrive?
teya looked down at stressing paws, forcing them to cease their fidget. "maybe sea fish have different dreams than lake fish, right?"

Teya didn’t expand on it. Bridget thought about asking outright, then immediately thought better of it. Her attempts to pry rarely went well when it was Teya who was involved. The last thing she wanted was to make any lingering tension between them worse.

Maybe. The reply was thoughtful, but Bridget’s mind wasn’t occupied by fish. If you wanted to make the trip, I bet Brontë or Ponyboy would be interested. I wouldn’t mind tagging along too, but it might be a nice opportunity, if they did want to see it. There was no reason Bridget could see for her to need to keep the old family and the new entirely separate. Brecheliant would be fine if the trip was something she needed, though the medic privately hoped she wouldn’t choose to go entirely on her own.

the thought to take her kids along hadn't occurred to teya. since sorana, since the early dispersal of boris, who had never quite stayed, the woman has rather assumed her children wished little to do with her, and found it understandable. it was a large part of why she had sought no other this year. motherhood must be past for the raven.
"maybe you, me, kids?" she asked with a little hope, picturing a departure in the startling sunlight of summer, a trip to the raven cliffs heavy on her mind.

I’d like that. If they wouldn’t mind. Bridget replied warmly, hoping the intention came across. She wouldn’t be upset if the answer was no. Her main role so far had been in supporting Teya through everything that had happened, but she hadn’t done much to introduce herself to Brontë or Ponyboy. It felt intrusive, and she wasn’t owed the relationship she’d had with Sorana. She would just welcome it if it came.

How were they when you visited? She was curious. It was hard to imagine a wolf she couldn’t get along with, but Reyes had been… something. The tension had likely been mostly jealousy, but she was certainly intrigued to meet the ones he’d come from.

"they were kind. welcoming." it was more than vague, and she knew it; she cast bridget an apologetic look. "good thing it was unremarkable." all that had happened — the raven would definitely welcome some boring, warm memories.
silence passed peacefully between she and the cardinal. "sometimes i want to go see place of ravens. do you remember?" she murmured, considering the black wings of those fierce birds, and the feral men who had inhabited it.

True. The right kind of excitement’s hard to come by, seems. Bridget replied, her chuckle turning into a laugh when she remembered the mountain place. That had been ages ago, but it still stood out in her mind.

Oh shit, that place!? I wonder if they’re still hanging around. They liked you a little better, not that I blame them. I’d make a better impression this time, I bet. She didn’t at all regret coming in a little hot in Teya’s defense, and she remembered them being, well… kind of dicks? She could definitely handle that energy, though, if she wasn’t worried about a friend when she was dealing with it.

I know the Court isn’t there anymore, but I haven’t been through the mountains much since all this. She gestured at her hip, then thought a moment longer. Yeah, aside from the occasional Moonspear visit, she hadn’t wandered all that far at all. And the trip back from the coast had kept them mainly skirting the mountains. Damn, some travel really would be nice.

it almost occurred to teya to say that just they should go, but she didn't want to be forward. plus, bridget seemed open to hanging out with bronte and ponyboy. and besides, she also did not want to be the source of a great many mixed signals.
so it was settled. they could go soon, provided nothing drastic happened. it felt nice to have a plan either way, and also to feel no anxiousness in which the trip could be implemented.
"they only not know what to do with you," she joked, unable to keep from casting bridget a wan smirk which hearkened back to those days. "make a longer trip then, see more things."

You’ll have to show me how it’s done then. Bridget replied easily, affection warm in her tone. It was good to look back, but there were things she knew neither of them would trade about the current moment. Teya didn’t only have her kids; she’d built something here. It might be cracked and imperfectly set, but Bridget couldn’t help reflecting on how much her friend had grown since then. She didn’t feel all that different herself.

That was wrong, though, wasn’t it? Even she’d had her share of trials to grow through

I can’t wait. There was an opportunity to say more but Bridget let it pass, knowing this was right. She would not make their friendship about expectation when this here, even if it never changed, would always be enough.

In the meantime, I was going to stop by and say a quick hello to Eljay, if you wanted to come? She had interrupted here, and didn’t want to keep Teya indefinitely if she’d been enjoying the moment alone.

there was always opportunity, and teya never took it. she had made peace with keeping bridget as a very close companion, never stepping across the boundary she felt had become permanent after her second marriage.
in the end, it had been she who laid it, she who enforced it, but these actions were taken for the sake of bridget. which, if teya stood and thought about it, was rather infantilizing.
another drop in a mellowing creek.
"yes. i go with you," the raven murmured, falling into step alongside the healer with a little more warmth to her face.