Blackfeather Woods & i've been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool for a while now

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was there an appropriate way to display the rush of pure incomprehensible emotion to overcome her at the sight of the scarred nona? likely no, and if yes then the woman did a poor job of it yet there was a sincerity to the shine of her gaze and the tentative smile to blossom slowly across previously dulled features. she speaks; 'alive' and a bemused laugh escapes the ghost at the absurdness of it all, somehow here she stood "it would appear somehow i am" another laugh, almost akin to a giggle. after all this time the first thing she would say would be a confirmation of her living status, despite her appearance she was in fact- no ghost.

yet nerve bordering hysterics fade as maegi repeats the statement; her own initial joy seeming too to wear off. positive emotions had quite the habit of doing that didn't they? swishing her tail uncertainly, the pallid warrior blinks somberly at the confusion of her companion. so much she wishes to speak yet it all seems to clog up her throat in a rushed want to word vomit all over the earth and in turn renders her speechless.

'what happened?' 

this time it is tundra who swallows, fighting the drying sensation with a quick swipe of her tongue over dark lips. in reality she should be overjoyed to be able to ensure maegi that not only is she not dead, she hadn't betrayed her. essentially tundra was utterly innocent but then...why does her heart seem to fall to the very pads of her paws at what she must say? it is as if she can live in denial of the past months even existing in this very moment if she simply does not speak...she is still decima of these woods and she could just step back into their shadowed depths...

then from said shadows bursts none other than rowan and although it is a startled noise to firstly slip from her jaws, especially at the contact as she staggers slightly- it is overcome by a shocking wave of affection for the boy. it is so foreign for her to be embraced that there is a moment where she simply tenses awkwardly before slowly willing muscles to relax so that she in turn leans into his hug and nuzzles him back with a smile. "i missed you" she whispered hoarsely before glancing back towards the queen "all of you" a side look is spared for bertók now too before focusing back with a steadying inhale.

"i...well this is going to sound funny but i can't actually remember a lot of what im trying to explain but um it'll make sense if i just.." a frustrated huff as she shuffles her paws "look i was caught in a landslide on some mountain, i woke bleeding from my head with rocks scattered all about me and...i had no clue where i was and couldn't remember that past entire day so had no clue why i was there and where i'd come from. i presume i'd simply been wandering and had for some stupid reason, gone further....i ended up in foreign lands though and it seems i must've travelled in the complete wrong direction, i wandered along the coast and through lands of snow before finally finding myself amongst those mountains" she gestures vaguely to the distant mountains "of course not realising what mountains they were. all i cared about was finding blackfeather but after those months i was weak and close to succumbing to the elements when i was found by a kind woman named andraste, she let me join her forming pack and regain my strength. as much as my heart yearns to return here...i must in turn for her kindness help her pack get through their first winter, it would be sinful if i didn't" a heavy exhale, eyes downcast.

if she could just close her eyes she'd still be leading alongside maegi, maybe rowan would officially be her apprentice..life could be good. yet it would appear she would never be finished paying for past crimes as she glances slowly back up to her friend, because yes it was with a stronger confidence now that she at least could refer to maegi as a friend.