Felltree Marsh ripple on water from a lonesome drip

Occurs between Sept 11th — Sept 17th (today). I have permission to PP @Ereshkigal through it, but if any edits are needed please tell me. It doesn't reference the BWP too much, this can also be changed.

It felt wrong to leave the forest so abruptly after Ereshkigal was introduced to it, mostly because Ibis wanted to find Okeanos and flaunt her new friend off in front of him but he had gone off on a trip, and that left the two girls with Mal in his stead. The abrupt manner of their conversation during those inital moments left a sour feeling within Ibis; she didn't want there to be any animosity between them, but she was feeling the effects of heightened emotions when it came to Mal and it wouldn't have been fair to Ereshkigal to be caught in the middle of that. So she proposed a day-trip to the ginger, and away they went together.

They spent a day moving north until they hit another forest; Ravensblood wasn't so unique, and reminded Ibis a lot of Neverwinter. There were many waterways creasing the forest floor though, and together the girls navigated their twists and turns until they were both exhausted and hungry. That night they slept in the shadows of foreign trees. Bundled up together as if they were sisters. In the morning Ibis slipped away to try and find some breakfast - and to try and impress her friend - but managed to lose herself upon the eastern ridgeway; after some hours of toiling and more than one panicked howl, the two were reunited along the edge of the fields.

It didn't feel like time was passing, but it was. What had originated as a day-long quest to clear Ibis' mind had become a girls-only road trip. Ereshkigal spoke infrequently of her life before the wilds, often with a voice like gossamer, filling Ibis' head with fancy thoughts and painting ethereal images of this entity called, The One. Ibis did not know what to do when faced with this concept except listen quietly. Her mothers had never been particularly religious; they were spiritual in their own way, accepting and loving, and had taught Ibis to be the same - but they never put a name to the forces at work. It felt as if Ereshkigal was built of the same mettle; she was sweet and affectionate. Ibis was pleased to have met her.

When the two of them encountered the ravine, Ibis didn't feel nearly as afraid as she expected. It was steep of course, and very dangerous for the two of them to navigate doubled-up on the animal paths; so they split up and took turns in the lead. For a while Ibis followed Ereshkigal wherever she roamed. She found herself growing comfortable with the lifestyle they shared but couldn't identify a small nagging sensation in the back of her mind; they crossed the ravine and rested on the fringe of the marsh, at which point Ibis pulled her attention away from Ereshkigal and focused on their route: it was heading towards Elysium.

Towards home.

The last time Ibis had wandered this way she'd been full of sorrow, so weighted by her loss and timidity that she'd turned around and gone back to Neverwinter, not once letting herself truly mourn the passing of her friend. She hadn't the stomach to confront her sadness, or to dredge up those same sorrows with her mothers. This felt like a second chance. She had Ereshkigal with her this time, and beyond wanting to face her mothers and check in on her siblings, she wanted her family to meet this wonderful girl. It felt right - no, it felt momentous, as if everything was in a state of flux and Ibis could remedy all their ills if she just made it home this one time.

She had not spoken much of Elysium to Ereshkigal save for a few half-remembered stories from childhood (and nothing of her parent's situation, deciding it was too complicated and odd to begin explaining). The girls spent a night beneath the stars thereafter; Dawnlark Plains stretched out beyond them to a scattered horizon, and it felt as if Ibis was alone in the whole of the universe - except for this lovely girl. As Ereshkigal drifted to sleep next to her, she couldn't help it - she stayed awake for an hour or so longer, watching, listening. Ibis' heart felt as if it might burst for all the affection she held for this young woman, and as she began to drift off to sleep for herself, she felt the earth shiver.