Swiftcurrent Creek i used to be nice, soft and tender

Aw ty! I'm writing more lately because of NaNoWriMo, but don't feel pressured to match. :)

It had not been immediately apparent that the woman was older (nor in fact a woman) until they spoke, their voice at first sounding light but quickly becoming a bit weathered, either from disuse or age. It was a nice voice either way, sort of what Ibis imagined a grandmother might sound like. The way the stranger spoke of the riverside, it was as if she had lived her many generations ago — had Ibis stumbled upon a ghost, then?

There was a pack here more recently too, Ibis explained, which hopefully helped the woman a little bit too. Maybe she knew of the next iteration, or someone who lived among them. I came through here a season ago to acquaint myself on behalf of the pack I ran with, but... It seems like they've all gone. As she mentions this she looks away from the rushing water, to the haphazardly piled remnants of trees and the carved chunks of stone that litter the green.

Nothing here now but ruin. Well, a messy territory and a couple of wayward women trying to make sense of it. With this thought in mind Ibis looked to the pale woman again, noticing finally the marks upon her body - most of which were hidden in the silver-white tufts of her coat, and did not comment upon them despite her curiosity. It wasn't proper, Ibis thought. None of her business - although who would harm someone like this? The wounds looked old and perhaps they were from when the woman was much younger; they did not appear to bother them much, either way.

Are you looking for somewhere to live? She boldly asks, having never broached the subject in such a manner before and thus, not knowing what to expect. So far everyone she's encountered has been in need of a haven, but they've sought her out, and it was odd to be on the other side with something to offer. Maybe Ibis was wrong in her assumption though - perhaps this ghost was merely passing through and like her friend Bhediya, was looking for something she had left behind.