Silver Creek -- i was fuckin' around while you were saving the world

since the first time she'd met the girl steeped in smoke, she'd put on weight.  mind you it was very little as her anxious mind caused her nervous stomach to revolt against any bit of food she forced down... but it was enough to be a marked difference.

the more she healed the more she lingered on the borders, directly defying mato's orders though from the way it smelled, both delight and mato had traveled alone outside the borders.  she swears to god if she gets reprimanded for this and nobody else....

finally, she gathers the courage to move past the king elk and into the silver creek where they'd first met, tiptoeing between pack-land and foriegn-land with a dangerously casual air.

and she lifted her snout to call the girl who first brought her back down to earth (though now that she was more sane she'd have to go seek out gracious once more).  @Zada.

Zada had been wandering, hunting, waiting-- part of her wondered if Brienne would come to her again at all. She would not have been surprised if there was no second meeting-- life was strange that way, carrying one in on the breeze and carrying them out just as swiftly. But she had a feeling (or maybe it was just a little too much hope, mistaken for premonition) the girl would be back.

When she heard the call, she froze in her tracks, ears twitching as she pinpointed the source of the sound. It was her, the ghostly nymph with summer-ocean eyes, and Zada felt her heart quicken a bit. Her impatience lent quickness to her stride, and before long she was within distance to call to Brienne, melodic and drawn-out.

Brienne. She greeted the girl warmly as she approached, sitting down and curling her tail neatly around her paws. Part of her wanted to say more, to confess how she had worried, but now that the other was less emotionally shattered slightly healthier the ridiculousness of the situation was sinking in.
Somehow, it made her no less willing to throw herself into it.

she pauses a beat, one. two. shifting her weight uncomfortably as the moments drag on yet soon enough a long, warbling call falls on her ears.

her own swivel forward as her tail beats against her hocks in anticipation, swirling snow around her feet as she paces, waiting for the mottled woman to reveal herself.

although brienne was unaware of zada's feelings towards her (so fast!) — too blinded by her current heartbreak — she was still eager to see the girl who'd lifted her spirits.

her own name rings through the air and she turns on a dime to see zada, body wagging as she comes forward to lay at zada's feet.

hello, she says as she smiles wide and genuine for possibly the first time since her return.

but she didn't know where to go from here.  they hardly knew each other — what was there to say?  her heart drops back in her stomach.

For a moment Zada was clouded by uncertainty, but then the girl smiled and she felt warmed by it, the worry melting away. She moved to press her nose briefly, gently, against the girl's ear.
You look better, little one. The tip of her tail flicked slightly as she continued. Perhaps you would walk with me? These lands are beautiful in winter.
Zada was truly, helplessly, an innate wanderer-- her long, lithely muscled legs and calloused pads attested to this, her eagerness to always be on the move. She never reached her destination; she didn't have one. But she did hope that Brienne would walk with her-- wherever they were going.

the small gesture of intimacy causes a heat to return to brienne's cheeks that she crushes down without remorse, choking the butterflies that swelled in her throat.  no.  no.  no.

you cannot fall hard and fast with her, you cannot fall hard and fast ever again.  you cannot fall at all.

yes, thank you.  she cleared her throat and fixed her gaze ahead, moving slow but yes, walking with her. sure.  anywhere in mind?

I know of a quiet place. Zada rumbled in response, taking up the lead but never straying too far ahead.
She led Brienne through the forest, to a place where the trees lingered in the shadow of the mountain and everything seemed so still. Ice crystals hung from the bare branches of hunched, twisted trees dusted with a fine layer of fluffy snow. Tucked between boulders near the mountain's flank, Zada knew there was an abandoned den. It had been dusty and unappealing when she first discovered it, cluttered with bones and other long-decayed remnants of dead animals, but it was shelter so she had cleared it out and made it her own for a time.
It was not where she stayed now, but on occasion it was a nice place to visit.
She looked up at the dazzling snow-laden mountain, at the trees that slept through the cold, and sighed softly. It was beautiful.
After a moment of silent pause, time taken to soak in the calm, icy beauty, she gestured to the entrance of the old den and led Brienne to it. It was small, barely large enough for two adult wolves, but surprisingly a bit warmer than the frosty outside. Concealed as it was, the mouth of the den provided full view of the scenery.
Zada turned her gaze to the other girl, silently hoping she would be pleased.

quiet sounded good.  anything other than the bustle of tindome sounded good.  

shrouded in the wake of a mountain was a place where time stood still, and it almost felt holy in a way she couldn't describe.  like she didn't want to disturb it, but was going to anyway because zada was leading the way and she might as well.

lucky for them both, brienne had always been a small wolf, and tucking herself in she took a moment to breathe in the silence that the scene offered.  occasionally, the weight of ice would crack a branch from its resident tree, but other than that everything was stark, silent.

this is wonderful, she breathed, enamored by the wonderland.  she hadn't experienced winter since her amnesia, and in general did not care for its bitter cold.  but this was worth it.

Zada smiled at her companion's reaction, pleased. She took a moment to admire Brienne's beauty; the way her ocean eyes widened and sparkled, the relaxing of her soft features that were too often drawn into a pained expression. Even the way her fur rippled subtly as she moved was enchanting, each new angle revealing another tone to her silky, sandy pelt.
She wanted to press against her, curl around her-- but they hardly knew each other, so Zada settled for touching her nose to the girl's ear and then lowering her head to the ground beside her.
It is beautiful. Zada murmured her agreement after a few beats of silence. I have seen many places to match it, and I expect to see many more before I pass. Perhaps... one day I will find a place to match even your beauty.