Overture Downs Feel quite clean in this new skin that we have grown.

You're No God by Laura Marling
@Breccan

Another day, another trip outside of the Hollow. They had become more frequent for Ibis since her trip around the valley; an itch in her feet, a need to see the world, tempered by so much. She was afraid to go too far even now, knowing that Sarah wasn't with her to protect her. So she only went a few hours out of the claim — to the rolling hills of the downs — where she could imagine the world unfurling before her. She roamed the hills until she felt confident enough by her position and solitude to take a break. From her perch on the top of some grassy hillside she could see across the valley, and it invigorated her.

Ibis sat there for a bit and watched the sky — the green around her was beautiful too, but overhead the sky was the dominant force, a vibrant mix of blues and greys and whites, and she could stare at it for hours, making shapes in her mind out of the heaviest of them. Today they seemed more gray than usual, but it had been overcast lately and occasionally spat rain (never for very long). Spring seemed so lively compared to the winter time — and as the humidity increased, it felt heavy, like a weight was pressing down from the clouds.

Without really thinking about it Ibis began to hum, and then quietly sing to herself and to the clouds.

Mom thinks that you're sad,
and that you're living alone.
And your friends think if you're sad, you should call them more -

But the truth is that you never needed someone
to comfort you,
Ohhh, you've never needed someone
to comfort yoouu,

As the last note drew on and faded to silence, she felt a little better.

Breccan, on the other hand, didn't often leave Lost Creek Hollow; however, in the time since his parents had been gone on their trip, he had spent more time outside of the borders than usual. There wasn't some hidden, dramatic reason for this -- he wasn't afraid of being abandoned, or anything like that -- but maybe it was simply that he was growing up. He would be a year old in less than a month, and perhaps he was beginning to outgrow the bounds of his home territory. Whatever the case, he wasn't really thinking about it; his paws just started to move, and he let them.

Today, he headed north after ensuring that his younger siblings were under the watchful eye of a competent babysitter. He only meant to go a short distance, to stretch his legs and maybe do a little tracking of the local herds (he was this close to officially becoming a hunter by trade!), and he was fairly focused on this task as he made his way beneath the heavy cloud cover. A glance upward told him that it would likely start raining again before too long, so he was already planning to turn back, but a sound drew him up short.

He stopped, one forepaw suspended in midair, and listened. What he had initially mistaken as the noise of some prey animal turned out to be singing. It wasn't very loud, but he could pinpoint the direction with only a little effort, and as he pivoted he looked up the slope of a nearby hill and spotted a petite grey figure. Ibis was someone he had met as a child, and he knew that she was back within their ranks, but somehow hadn't managed to lay eyes on her until now (he decided to blame it on his little brothers and sisters). He blinked up at her and, with a smile, spoke the first words that came to mind: "Keep singing."

The quiet croon slowly ebbed until she was quiet again, but it did not last. The stillness broke to the sound of a startling call from below her position — a voice she did not know. In the heat of the moment she felt absolutely mortified that someone had found her and overheard her; her heart thundered inside of her body and her breath hitched for just a moment as Ibis scoured the hillside for the origin of that voice. At first she overlooked the young man because he was so close in composition to the soil and appeared to fit in well with the earth, but then she saw his eyes. He was looking right at her — and had she the capability, she would've turned bright red.

Her singing wasn't a secret. Ibis was known to hum as she worked in her garden, and on more than one occasion Gannet had caught her singing too, but there was something different about being set beneath a spotlight so abruptly; the fact he was a stranger to her did him no favors, albeit there was something vaguely familiar about him. Ibis didn't want to stare for too long and looked away coyly.

It's rude to sneak up on a lady, you know. She commented in protest, and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Her attention drifted back to the sky and the rolling clouds, and she pretended to be fixated on them so that she didn't fall back in to staring at his face. And its not so nice to order them around, either. It was a pity — if he'd remained hidden and silent, maybe she'd have continued singing. Now she felt too self-concious.

He hadn't meant to startle her, but startle her he had; she seemed to have been lost in her own world, and visibly jumped at the sound of Breccan's voice. His ears turned back slightly in apology, then pivoted to face her seconds later as she admonished him. The corner of his lips twitched almost imperceptibly as she called herself a lady, but otherwise he carefully schooled his expression into solemnity.

"Sorry -- I didn't mean to scare you. Or order you around. I just liked your singing," he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. If she wanted nothing to do with him, he would move along and try to do some tracking before the clouds burst open, but he decided to make an effort to be friendly first. "You're from the hollow, right?" he asked, canting his head to one side as he gazed up the slope at her.

He promptly apologized, and just as she began to feel more at-ease she heard his compliment of her singing, which made her nervous all over again. Or, maybe not nervous - that wasn't entirely right. Surprised, maybe. Embarrassed, certainly. Charmed to some degree too.

You're from the Hollow, right? He asked.
Um, yes, my dad is one of the leaders. She explained; it wasn't her intent to hide behind her father's position or to flaunt her affiliation, although it could've been taken that way.

Ibis glanced at him a few times; each time fleeting, trying to be polite as she spoke to him (because that's what her moms taught her to do), but finding it difficult to look at him for very long. She didn't want to stare but the composition of his coat was appealing to her, and the appealing look of his face. To be frank: he was cute, and she didn't know what to do about it.

Are you? Ibis blurted after a second and realized even as she spoke that it was a stupid question. Of course he was! How else would he have recognized her as part of the pack if he wasn't also? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

His guess had been correct, and as she clarified her lineage, it all clicked into place in Breccan's head. She was the daughter of a leader, and obviously she wasn't one of his sisters, so that meant she was Terance's daughter. She had said it without any haughtiness, simply stating a fact, and he mirrored her tone when he replied.

"Me too," he said, his tail giving a thoughtful wave behind him. "I'm Breccan, Rannoch's son," he added, in hopes that she would offer her name (since he still couldn't recall it). It occurred to him as he spoke that he was no longer Rannoch's only son; he had two younger brothers now who could claim the title. Luckily, Breccan didn't mind sharing the role with them.

He noticed the way that she was stealing glances at him instead of looking at him head-on, and it made him feel a little self-conscious, but he tried not to let it show. This interaction was off to kind of an awkward start; hopefully he could smooth things over.

As he stated he was Rannoch's son, a new understanding dawned on Ibis. She looked at him steadily now as if to compare what she saw to what she recalled of her uncle, and saw some similarities. She should've caught on to the resemblance sooner. Oh! I know Rannoch, he's my uncle -- well, not really, but we've always called him that. So that would mean, I guess that makes you my cousin-but-not-really. A small smile drifted across her features as she said this. It felt like her family was constantly growing.

With this new connection made, Ibis felt a little more at-ease so she sank back against the grass; but then a moment later she glanced to Breccan and motioned with a tilt of her snout for him to climb up and join her. There was plenty of room. I'm sorry for being so rude before, I'm just not used to people hearing me sing. I don't do it very often... Its sort-of embarrassing. As if that hadn't been obvious. 

While they had been talking the sky had begun to clear, though. There were no stars out yet because the blue haze of sky blocked their view, but the moon was soon visible, a stark white against endless blue. Ibis watched this for a few moments until the drifting clouds obscured it again, and sighed as if her mind was heavy with thoughts - maybe it was, or maybe she was just feeling down in the dumps for no reason.

All of a sudden, the awkwardness dissipated. It seemed that Breccan had said the magic words; the girl was familiar with his father — even thinking of him as an uncle of sorts — and therefore seemed to relax in Breccan’s presence. He supposed that made Terance his sort-of-uncle too, although he had never really thought of him that way — but the pack was all one big family.

As she gestured for him to join her at the crest of the hill, he obliged. He climbed up alongside her and dropped to his haunches. She apologized for her defensive behavior earlier, and he shrugged to show it was no big deal. That’s okay. I shouldn’t have surprised you, he said, shouldering some of the blame himself.

But you shouldn’t be embarrassed. You’re a good singer, he continued earnestly, glancing over at her even as the clouds slowly cleared overhead. And then, just in case the compliment made her uncomfortable again, he grinned and added, You wouldn’t want to hear me sing. I’d probably sound like a dying moose!

If she could've blushed, she would have. It was one thing to be singing before someone she trusted - like Okeanos or Gannet - but to be caught by someone she didn't know felt wrong, and to be complimented made her heart lodge itself in her throat. Her belly fluttered indecisively. It felt good to have someone notice her skill though; Ibis didn't have many of them, and the fastest way to her heart was by complimenting her, apparently. Thank you. She shyly intoned, her gaze dropping from the moon to look out upon the sunny hillside.

As he compared himself to the sound of a dying moose she smirked and let out a small girlish giggle. Although Ibis had no idea what a moose sounded like - or what it was - she quickly countered his argument: Everyone says they can't sing, but that's not true. Its like any skill - it takes time and effort. She was enthusiastic about this even though, earlier, she hadn't really believed such a thing about herself. She always compared herself to others and found herself lacking; it was easier to preach a good message than to practice it. 

Offhandedly she offered, I could teach you.

She had a good point; just like any other skill, singing was something you had to practice. Breccan hadn't been born as a great hunter, but it had taken patience and dedication to improve. Similarly, if he wanted to become a singer, he could simply apply himself and at least get better with more exposure. It wasn't really something he wanted to do, but when she offered to teach him, he felt like he couldn't turn her down.

"Sure," he said with a wave of his tail behind him, "show me the basics." He sat up a little straighter, showing her that he was ready to be her student -- even if she hadn't meant she was willing to teach him right then. No time like the present, right?

What she had meant as an off-hand gesture if good will was taken differently, and while most people would shun the idea of learning to sing this boy agreed. The surprise registered on Ibis' face before she could stop herself from reacting; as was her way, Ibis could never control her impulses. Her shock turned in to a smile and she hid her nerves pretty well behind it.

Okay, um - She tried to think of something easy. With the puppies she had gotten them to practice howling and it had been fun, but loud and rudimentary. A part of her was up to the challenge of showing this boy something and impressing him. She took a breath and sang a middle note, letting it climb a bit, then stopped - very simple. 

Singing... if there's words to the song, its like talking, but with more emphasis. Without words you just... sorta, feel it. It wasn't a very good introduction. She watches him carefully and adds, You try. You don't have to hold any notes, just um -- I want to hear what you've got.

It would have been easy for her to turn him down; clearly, she was caught off guard by his request. But after only a moment of hesitation, she inhaled and then released her breath in a tremulous note. The sound was clear as crystal, ringing like a bell in the descending darkness, and while she had just talked about how it took practice to learn to sing, she made it sound so easy.

He couldn't help but smile as she ended the note crisply and then went on to describe singing with and without words. But when he realized that she was turning the spotlight on him, his expression faded slightly. Oh. He had asked for a lesson -- so now he had to actually give it a go. Slowly, it began to dawn on him just how embarrassing this could be.

"Ah, okay," he said, shuffling his paws a bit to procrastinate. Once he felt that he was situated properly -- which, in reality, meant he was sitting the exact same way he had been sitting two seconds before -- he cleared his throat and opened his mouth. Of course, he couldn't just "feel it" yet -- so he tried to hit the same note that Ibis had. And, well -- it didn't sound nearly as good as it had coming out of her mouth. It was a little flat, to say the least, although maybe it wasn't as horrible as it could have been.

She didn't know what to expect. Maybe he was a diamond in the rough and could match her pitch and quality right off the bat; more than likely he'd never tried to sing for any reason beyond howling at the border, if that.

When he did try, his voice was indeed flat. Ibis sort-of expected a whining quality to his voice, or something inconsistent, but aside from being the wrong sound it was surprisingly the opposite. He managed to hold the note for a few seconds before tapering off - a very good start.

See! If you practice you'll figure out what sounds right, what feels right. I um... I tried to mimic songbirds when I started, and they are definitely experts. If he really wanted to try and sing like her then maybe that could work for him too. 

Deep down Ibis knew he was just trying to appease her, so she didn't press the lesson beyond what she thought he'd be comfortable with. A small smile spread on her face and impeded any further tutoring. So, um... Besides spooking girls, what do you like to do for fun?

She was encouraging and offered advice and suggestions in response to his attempt, which he appreciated. He had half-expected her to just laugh at him, but she seemed to take her role as instructor seriously, although it appeared the lesson would be short-lived. Her next comment was not related to singing, but to his other habits.

Breccan grinned. "Well, now you'll probably find me practicing my singing in my spare time," he quipped; he was mostly joking, but that didn't mean he wouldn't give it a try again sometime. Even if it was just something he did to pass the time, without having any ambition to improve, he would think about her whenever anything sounding slightly musical passed his lips. "I'm working on becoming a hunter, and I spend time with my little siblings. Deshyr and I are actually babysitting them now, while my parents are away on a trip. Obviously it's not my turn to watch them right this second," he continued, finding that words came to him easily now that they had broken the ice and were becoming more acquainted with each other.

"What about you?" he asked in the next breath, angling a thoughtful glance in her direction.

Her tail shimmied when he said he'd practice in his spare time; the world could use more singing, she thought. Songs and stories and good-natured fun! Ibis was so gosh darn sheltered it was pathetic - not that she'd know.

Breccan explained that he was an aspiring hunter, which Ibis found enthralling; she wasn't surprised that the son of the mighty Rannoch would have the same aspirations. Ibis tried not to be obvious as she looked him over, sizing him up, and deeming him a worthwhile knight — but she wasn't as subtle as she thought, and looking at him made her cheeks feel flush again. And I spend time with my little siblings. Oh! The kids!

I've met them! They're a lot of fun, I like Aengus especially. Such a cutie! Ibis complimented when there was a gap of quiet between them - and was surprised when he asked after her interests. I um, I don't do anything that interesting, really. I mostly collect plants, and study them, which sounded so nerdy when she said it, ffff. I'm one of the pack scouts though! My dad sent me on a messenger task and I've visited all the local packs in the valley. Take that, Boring Ibis! Meet your better version, Adventurer Ibis!

Indeed, she wasn't all that subtle when her gaze roved over him -- Breccan noticed, and warmth rose in his cheeks, likely matching the blush beneath her own fur. He shifted slightly and cleared his throat, looking away momentarily for lack of a better response. He was essentially a teenager, and knew next to nothing about flirting, but there was something in the way she eyed him that made him feel simultaneously uncomfortable and excited.

She moved the conversation along, though, in the next breath, and Breccan relaxed again. His brows rose to express his pleasant surprise when she mentioned that she was acquainted with his younger brothers and sisters, specifically Aengus. "Yeah, he's pretty cool," he agreed, tail thumping the ground twice. She then spoke of plants and scouting, her voice reflecting her excitement about the latter topic.

"That sounds really neat! I've kind of thought about scouting, but I think my mom wants me to be a guardian or a warrior," he admitted, rolling his shoulders contemplatively. "Tell me about your adventures," he prompted.

Ibis always responded well to positive reinforcement, and this was no different. He praised her; it felt very good to be called cool for a change, and while he stroked her fragile little ego she wondered what sort of person they'd all grow up to be. Rannoch was big, strong, and confidant - he had been an Alpha, and seemed to be raising his kids to follow in his footsteps. Did that mean Aengus would become a warrior? Some kind of wrecking ball? She wondered what it would be like to have been raised in the same vein: by Terance instead of Seabreeze; this brought her quick thoughts back to the topic of Ibis, but before she could get properly introspective Breccan was asking her for more information about her own adventures. The limelight was back on her — and she was a bit perplexed, seeing as her so-called adventures would pale in comparison to any warrior's own; or so she thought, imagining Breccan as this mighty knight in rusty armor.

Um, hm, okay, well, she flipped and flopped mentally on where to start, and decided the beginning was probably best. I was born on a mountain, but when we were really little, mom and my brother and I, we moved to the valley. I don't remember that much about it. We settled in a willow tree forest west of here. That wasn't much of an adventure, and certainly not what he'd been asking for. Ibis smiled shyly as she realized this and sputtered on, I wanted to find my dad and so I left, but I got lost. I went so far north by accident that another pack found me. They were um -- I can't remember the name of the territory, but it had something to do with dragons, maybe that'd impress him? They brought me home, but that as my first taste of the outside and when I was bigger I thought, maybe, I'd go find my dad. So I went looking for him in the valley and found the Hollow. I've visited all of the packs in this valley - there's Easthollow, and Swiftcurrent, and Elysium -- uh, that's my mom's.

It was a lot of talking and she felt like she was getting pedantic; Ibis was mostly tired of her own voice, and as she concluded her little history lesson she realized that the sky had changed. It was moody and grey, but also the light had dimmed somewhat. How long had they been sitting here chatting?

She obliged him by providing him with her backstory, and he listened intently. There were places where their tales intersected -- they had both been born on the Sunspire, and had even lived together briefly as children (although he didn't really remember that) -- but then her life had taken a series of different turns that led her away from her father's pack and then eventually back to it. Along the way, she had done quite a bit of exploring, both intentionally and unintentionally, and the mention of dragons caused Breccan's ears to perk with curiosity. She concluded by sharing that she had visited each of the neighboring packs, which was impressive to the young Frostfur.

"Wow. So you've done a lot of stuff and been a bunch of places," he mused. He wasn't jealous, exactly, but he found himself thinking of the freedom she had. Of course, it had come with strife -- it sounded like her relationships with her mother and father were somewhat strained -- but she seemed to have control over what she did and where she went. He would return to this thought over the next few weeks, when his own parents unexpectedly uprooted their family; for now, though, he was simply enjoying Ibis's company under the darkening sky.

"So where else do you plan to go exploring?" he asked, basing his question on the fact that she had already covered the territories surrounding Lost Creek Hollow.

It didn't feel like she'd done anything with her life so far, having been too small for a lot of it. The little adventures Ibis had taken had always seemed too big for her. But the way that Breccan spoke to her about it, commending her and praising her, was welcome. Ibis didn't know what else to say to him - she wanted to impress him more, gather that praise and bask in it, but she couldn't think straight. The boy had a nice voice and the more he used it, the more she wanted to listen to it.

So where else do you plan to go exploring? He asked — maybe jealous of her adventures, although if Ibis had really gotten in to the details of her travels the truth would've easily come out. She was no great world traveller or adventurer, she was just accident prone and unable to distinguish directions properly (at least in the beginning). Those were things she chose not to share, as they'd tarnish whatever image the conversation had built; she wondered if that counted as a lie, then, but decided not to dwell on it because she'd much prefer the conversation continue.

Well, my brother wants to go find one of our childhood friends. Sort-of like a... A half-brother, or an adoptive one. I was never very close with this person, but Okeanos is worried for him and wants to reconnect. We'll be going wherever the road takes us.

It wasn't the first time she'd spoken of the upcoming departure but it was the first time Ibis had really stopped to think about the plan, and to wonder about the world outside of the Hollow. Besides the nearest packs between here and Elysium, neither herself or Okeanos had any familiarity with the world. How big was it? How much ground would they have to cover before they found Mali? What if they got lost - what if Mali was gone? What if they faced a great danger that even her big brother couldn't handle? That made her think of something else: Do you want to come with us? She smirked at the thought, and watched Breccan, wondering if the idea appealed to him. The more the merrier, right?

In response to his question, Ibis shared that she and her brother didn't really have any certain destinations in mind -- rather, they were looking for someone, and would simply allow their search to guide them. It sounded exciting and daunting at the same time. Before Breccan could comment on it, though, she made a proposal that he hadn't expected.

"Do you want to come with us?" He blinked. It was an enticing offer, but was it something he could actually consider? He didn't think so, and especially not now, with his parents gone on their trip. He and Deshyr were responsible for looking after Aengus, Sionnach, Eshe and Tiarnach, and even once Rannoch and Liffey returned, he wasn't sure that taking off on an adventure with Ibis would be approved. (Little did he know that he would soon change his tune and set off on his own anyway.)

"No, I don't think I can," he replied, and glanced in the direction of the hollow as he spoke. He shrugged his shoulders ruefully. "But I hope you find who you're looking for, and if you end up back around here sometime, you should let me know," he added with a smile. "When do you leave?"

It made her a little sad that her new friend couldn't join them, but Ibis understood even before he began to elucidate on the topic. There were too many things going on within the Hollow right now; many of which were happening without the youngster's being involved or consulted, and soon Breccan would be going on an adventure - he just didn't know it yet. Ibis took some comfort in the idea that the Hollow would be unchanged while she hunted across the Wilds for Mali; there were babies here that needed to be guarded and played with, and Breccan would surely do a good job at both of those things. Little did she know that the pack would soon be splintering.

When do you leave? He asked, smiling, and Ibis smiled back.

When my brother says we can go. He came to visit with our dad, and I think he wants to meet our new siblings. Once that's all done I suppose we'll say our farewells and be off, The idea of leaving the Hollow for a great adventure hadn't quite sunken in for Ibis yet, but she was excited. Saying it aloud helped, it filled her with a distant buzzing energy. I'm not sure if I want to find him or not, she added whimsically - but then realized how that sounded and giggled, correcting herself: I mean, I do want to find our friend, but if we don't — I just wanna see as much as I can.

It sounded like there wasn't a strict timeline for Ibis' departure, but that it was imminent. Once she and her brother had gotten their affairs in order, they would be ready to set off. Breccan felt a pang of something he couldn't quite identify -- envy, maybe, coupled with regret that this new friend he had made would be leaving sooner than later. But he swallowed it for now, and forced himself to be present as she continued to talk about her plans.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll get to do a lot of exploring either way," he said. And while he wanted to stay and talk with her more, it was getting darker and darker and he was starting to feel like he should head back to the hollow. He didn't want Deshyr to be upset with him for leaving her with their little siblings into the wee hours. He sighed. "I should probably get back," he said. "But if I don't see you before you leave, I hope you and your brother have an awesome adventure."

His well wishes were spoken earnestly as he gathered his feet and stood, preparing to go home.

It felt like she'd found someone that fully understood her, even after this brief encounter. It helped that he was cute and close to her age - not that Ibis was wise enough to entertain any thoughts of romance or anything - but it was just good that she didn't have to second-guess her words, that there wasn't some kind of apprehension overshadowing her every action. She felt free here, in the moment. Content with this boy at her side. Still, the conversation couldn't last forever; it was getting too dark and he had duties to fulfill. All that Ibis had to be responsible for at the moment was herself, and she was happy to stick around for a bit and watch the stars.

Thank you, she responded with a smile to his well-wishing, her tail swaying softly. Maybe.. Maybe when we come back, if we come back this way one day, I can hear you sing again. Promise you'll practice?

Little did either of them know, but soon the Hollow would be cleaved in half and Breccan would be off on his own adventure.

Before he left, she had an apparent request for him. He paused and listened as she spoke, halted by her tentative statement about possibly coming back, and then his face broke into a broad grin at the conclusion of her words. She wanted to hear him sing again if they met up in the future, and even asked him to promise that he would practice.

"Ha! Are you sure you want to hear that racket again?" he laughed, but he had already made up his mind that he would do as she asked. He had no reason not to, and although he wasn't a good singer and likely wouldn't improve much even if he did practice, he felt a strange urge to give her his word of honor. "I'll practice, though -- so that means you have to come back this way at some point, so I can show off my skills," he bargained cheekily.

With that, he stepped forward to briefly touch his snout to her cheek -- not necessarily intending to flirt, but simply as a gesture of goodwill -- and then turned in the direction of the hollow.

She hoped it wasn't a stretch to request what she did - but then he responded, laughing and referring to his initial attempt as racket which wasn't wrong exactly, but not how she'd have characterized it. She opened her mouth to contest his opinion but then he agreed to practice, which made her smile again, and she nodded with that grin on her face - of course she'd come back!

Mid-nod he was suddenly closer again, and booping her cheek with his cold nose, sending her belly a-flutter. Her eyes widened with brief surprise, but Breccan was already turning away and likely wouldn't notice the way she went quiet and flustered; then he was striding away, and Ibis was left with that fluttery feeling and the hope that one day their paths would cross again.