Firefly Glen I've heard since I was younger that oil and water don't mix

Dhalia noticed how Meerkat pointed her questions largely at the sterling youth -- soon-to-be-known as Liliana -- and so she let the girl speak first. The name Neverwinter she tucked away -- a curiosity, for another time.

The nerves seemed to spark from Liliana like some kind of black-market firecracker, and Dhalia encouraged her with an easy smile, right about the same time Liliana shared one with her. She was clearly quite new to this, and while Dhalia couldn't really empathize (since her parents had more or less forced her to be a scout since birth by their very way of life), she'd met enough pack-born wolves through her parent's nomadic travels that she could at least understand.

And Osiris did a marvellous job of handling her; he only continued to impress. And Meerkat seemed just the kind of sunny company she reckoned would be a thrill to hang around. If Liliana joined them, well, she seemed brave despite her nerves. The Ostrega imagined she'd find good company in her, too. Dhalia dipped her head to Osiris' vibrant embrace into the little family he'd had the mind to knit together here.

"Thanks, the both you. Makes me pleased to hear," she said, "and yeah," tossing a smile to Meerkat now, "if you'd have me, I'd love to be part of this. I'm Dhalia," she considered adding 'Ostrega', but withheld her surname in the end, 'cause where was the fun in making a name for yourself if your name was already made? "I've never quite run with a pack before, not long term anyway. My parents were travelling healers so we moved around a lot. They taught us all they knew of herbs and medicine," using the plural, forgetting in speech that Jasper wasn't with her this time around, "but I'd say I'm as much a scout as I am a healer."