Hushed Willows tonight, i'm gonna have myself a real good time [YULE]

The song seemed to do the trick, guiding the late arrivals in to the festivities. Rue could have sworn that she saw Soltero arrive, the full moon reflecting in the pale fur around his jaw and down his chest. But her mind could have easily been playing tricks on her, convincing her she saw what she had been most wishing to see. Thinking back to the afternoon she met Soltero made her heart hum with delight; a feeling that was almost foreign to the girl who had suffered so much difficulty lately alongside the rest of her pack. It made Rue wonder if the encounter had even been real at all, or if it was simply some daydream Rue had concocted in order to escape the mounting strain of trying to lead a weakening pack. 

Although she had lost sight of Soltero (or the Soltero lookalike?) in the crowd, it was not long before she heard her nickname rumbled in his distinctive baritone. Rue met the man's gaze with a smile that was quite a bit less restrained than the one he might have recalled from their first meeting. The festive feeling in the air had certainly gotten to Rue, but seeing the Swiftwater man again was what really had her spirits soaring. "Hi, Soltero!" she chirped, returning his greeting with an enthusiastic tail-wag. She also smiled at the man who trailed Soltero, presumably a packmate. "I'm Ruenna," she introduced herself to the darker pelted man. "From Blacktail Deer Plateau," she added. 

Rue's merrily-sparkling gaze quickly slid met Soltero's once more before she turned back toward the larger group. "That's our alpha there, Kavik," she said, gesturing with her muzzle. "Aaand there's Issun, a mercenary... and.." Rue's gaze scanned the crowd, but she couldn't spot Minori. That was odd, but it wasn't going to bring Rue down. The arrival of Terance and Treason also wouldn't bring Rue down, despite the fact that their supposed-allies had been less than sociable at their last meeting... Treason most particularly.

Rue shrugged, eyes returing to the Swiftcurrent Creek pair. "I guess that's it," she finished with a small chuckle. Lily was inviting them to contribute, and normally Rue might have taken the cue to search her memory for something to share. And perhaps she might later. At the moment though, her attention was focused on the Swiftcurrent wolves.