Grouse Thicket And winter came...

@Rannoch and @Liffey 

After a half-hearted attempt at hunting the resident birds the place was named after Wraen gave up. She was both hungry and indifferent to the empty feeling in her stomach, her body demanded that she does something to solve the situation, but her mind was still in the moping mode. She was deeply unhappy and even the hope that a farewell from Maia had not been of a "forever" kind, could not persuade to change something about the situation.

Eventually she grew tired of battling her way through the thicket, choosing to take the nearest path that led out of it and ended up in a little clearing, from where she had a good look at Heron Lake Plateau on one side and the distant forest, where the Redhawks now resided, on the other. There she sat, lost in her miserable thoughts and looked absently in the distance.

Liffey hadn't really had a chance to speak to Wraen after they'd run into each other. Not to spoilers anything, but once the hunt had finished, she'd excused herself rather quickly. She still wasn't sure what that awkwardness had been between them, but ever since, she'd been evaluating and re-evaluating what had happened between them at Sunspire. Had she done something wrong? Had she said something cruel and not known it? Her memory had yielded her nothing that would explain the strangeness of their reunion, and so she had eventually decided to just push it from her mind. Dwelling on it only upset her, so it was best to just move on.

Of course, life had a funny way of saying lol nice try! for no sooner had she made that determination than did their paths cross again. Liffey had actually been seeking her mate, hoping to surprise him with some alone time away from the territory. She'd followed his scent trail to the thicket, assuming he'd likely come this way to hunt. But instead of finding Rannoch, she found Wraen.

Liffey considered leaving without saying a word. Wraen hadn't seen her yet, so there was still time. But, if she were being honest with herself, her old friend's coldness had bothered her and no amount of pretending would change that truth. So, the alpha changed her path and moved into the clearing to join her with a small smile and a quiet, "Hey."

Their meeting after a year-long hiatus had been awkward and Wraen had felt bad about it afterwards. They had had some good times, hadn't they? Even if they had not lasted and life had got in the way, she felt ashamed for being distant and cold towards Liffey. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that their friendship had lasted as long as they had had common interests in mind. Such as leading a pack together, taking care of children. Once that had ended, there was nothing really to talk about.

Not to mention that the fate had a bad sense of humor and timing, when their paths crossed again. Wraen was in a mood that she was least likely to want to rekindle old friendship. On the other hand - Liffey was a neighbour now and they needed some status quo, right? With a sigh she herded her misery behind a fence, to revisit it later and turned to greet the Blackthorn woman with a warmer expression. "Hi," she said. "Did not expect to meet you here."

Well, she didn't immediately run for it, so that was a good sign. Liffey smiled and gave a little shrug. "I was actually tracking Rannoch," she explained, "I think he's out here hunting somewhere. Though I could be wrong as I might really have zero skill at tracking." Either could be true. She had an excellent knack for geography and navigation, but she somehow couldn't bridge those skills over to hunting and tracking. Good thing she had some redeeming qualities.

"How are you?" she asked, figuring that was as good a place as any to start this mending bridged conversation, if that's what it was. She still wasn't entirely sure, but she supposed she'd find out if she hung in there.

Well, Liffey did not have a boot shoved in her mouth - much to Wraen's relief she picked up the conversation quickly and easily, all she had to do was listen, nod and "aahaa" at the right moments. So, Rannoch was here as well - were they visiting again or had moved here permanently? She racked her memory (though "rake" is a nice alternative, I think) of, whether Finley or Colt had mentioned anything about the Redhawks. Other than that they had moved and that Towhee had split off with a group of friends. But nothing came to mind. 

"All, well, thank you for asking," Wraen replied, having nothing peculiarly interesting to entertain the Blackthorn girl with. "Have you come for a visit again?" she asked. "How are things at the hollow? How is Terance doing?" it had been few months since she had last heard about her brother, though visiting him herself never occurred to her.

Rannoch had been within earshot when Liffey and Wraen's conversation and begun; he recognized both voices almost immediately. He redirected himself hastily, moving towards the others with a newfound purpose. But as quickly as Rannoch had moved, he had been careless to assess the potential hazards in his path. 

One of Rannoch's forepaws whacked against an extracted root, sending a sharp pain shooting through his foot. He stopped abruptly, his ears flattening and muzzle wrinkling as he let out a sharp yelp. For now, Rannoch's advance was delayed. 

Note: Sorry for the delay!

Liffey smiled as Wraen answered the question with something simple. She wondered how her friend might have answered the question had their relationship not gotten off track. Would it still have been Well, thanks? Or would she have elaborated? Would she have revealed more of herself and of her life?

It didn't matter much. They were where they were. "Actually, Rannoch and I--" she began, only to stop abruptly when she heard a sharp yelp somewhere near by. She tensed instantly and spun, frowning out into the thicket. "...Rannoch?" she called, acting on a hunch. It had sounded a little like his voice, though it was harder to tell when she was more used to his "i love you" than his high pitched cry.

Liffey did not get to the point, because a loud yelp interrupted the conversation and made both of them look in the direction the sound had come from. Wraen tensed a bit and there was a shadow of worry, when her companion's voice, calling her mate, did not sound so sure either. Though considerably near her home, she was not that confident on being surprised by a burly thug in the darkness. 

"Let's go and check out?" she offered, getting to her feet, thinking that - perhaps - there was only one yelper and that in the presence of two wolves it would reconsider any bad ideas it may have had.

Liffey frowned into the brush, pondering whether or not it really had been Rannoch. After a few moments, she decided it likely hadn't been, and shook her head when Wraen suggested they go check it out (mostly because Rannoch is PPC now and I have no other way to deal with this :D). "I don't think it was him," she said, shrugging as she turned back to Wraen and let the matter slip. 

"As I was saying, Rannoch and I actually left the Hollow. We wanted to be closer to family, so we joined my cousin Raven and her mate Quixote's pack," she explained, "Terance is doing well, though. I'm not sure how much you know of it, but he has a new mate and they had a litter together before we left, so you're an aunt again."

And so the proud father of many and leader of Frosthawks was left to suffer in the bushes all on his own. Serves you well, in fact, for sneaking up and wishing to overhear, what the two ladies were talking about. Wraen on the other hand accepted Liffey's explanation readily, because - first, she had not met the guy for a year now. Second - if anyone knew her husband 100% well, it was his mate. No other questions left here to cover.

Liffey did not know this, but she was being smart about delivering the news in the most neutral way possible. With her next question Wraen might shift that balance though. "Wow. How long have you been here?" (it's obviously not this particular question) she tried to figure out, what major news she might have missed. "And didn't Terance want to come with you? He was always such a friend to Rannoch and all," she asked.

"Only a few weeks," Liffey answered, considering when it was she and her family had arrived at the Plateau. It didn't feel as though it had been all that long, so she likely underestimated how much time had truly passed. But they were wolves--how accurate could their concept of time truly be?

Wraen's next question gave her pause. Their parting with Terance had not been pleasant, for reasons Liffey didn't feel particularly inclined to bring up as she didn't want to inspire any bad blood between the siblings. She considered herself and Rannoch to be perfectly without guilt for the decision they had made--after all, they would never had held a grudge against Terance for choosing his own family over them. Liffey was certain anyone on the outside of the situation would side with them, but Wraen was Terance's sister and she simply didn't want to make an issue of it.

"Not this time," Liffey answered, smiling a little sadly, "He has his own family now to devote himself to, just as we do. I think it's worked out the way it was meant to, though." Which was true. Liffey was clearly not meant to live in a pack with Treason, thus it was best that this opportunity had risen with her own family to part ways. If only Terance had allowed it to be as amicable a parting as it could have been.

Wraen had not met or spoken to her brother for a year now, though for wolves life flows quicker and it felt like a lifetime ago. He crossed her mind now and then, but she did not miss him, nor did she feel a need to travel all the way to Lost Creek Hollow and see, how he was doing. They had grown apart and aside from parents and siblings, did not really have anything in common. Not anymore. 

With this in the background, she had no reason to doubt that Liffey's words were true and that there might be an important bit that her former packmate had intentionally left out. Would her opinion of Liffnoch change than and she would take Terance's side right away, her narrator cannot tell. Perhaps, she would simply take a neutral position, reasoning that this was not her conflict to take part in. 

"How old are your kids now?" she asked, recalling that Rannoch had had "business" in spring, when she had last met him, and understanding that Liffey was referring to her youngest family members not the ones, that had grown up already and fled the nest.

Wraen was good enough not to question the situation further, which Liffey was grateful for. She didn't particularly want to dwell on the unpleasantness that existed between herself and Terance. She wanted to let it be in the past and to move on, as she hoped he was. 

When Wraen asked about her kids, Liffey wasn't certain which she was referring to. But she also wasn't sure if Wraen knew she'd had a second litter, so she decided to cover all of her bases. "My eldest are just over a year and our youngest are almost six months now," Liffey answered, surprising herself even as she said it. Was it possible her pups were that old already? Three more months and they'd be entering the adult ranks... Time flew by so quickly.

"They do grow up very quickly," Wraen made the most common and lame comment about children worldwide. But it is true. One moment they are little, wriggling babies that know nothing but eating, sleeping and pooping. The next thing you know they are banging doors and telling you that you do not understand anything! Then they go off to university and - wait - what's that? Suddenly you are a grandparent.

"How did the oldest turn out - I remember them as feisty toddlers," her memory of Liffey's children was very vague - Breccan had been a pleasant boy. His sisters and brother - not as social.

Liffey nodded in agreement to Wraen's comment. It would never stop surprising her just how quickly they grew. She did wonder a bit at Wraen's knowing tone. Did she have children now? Liffey wasn't pretty certain she didn't, so she let the question sit still upon her tongue as she snapped a few puzzle pieces together in her mind. Likely Wraen was thinking of Liffey's new siblings, or perhaps Eljay's pair. In any event, she was certain the Copse had no shortage of pups to provide that insight to any observant party.

The question about her eldest children made Liffey's smile tighten. There was sorrow in that answer, but she did her best to keep it behind the scenes. [b]"Deshyr is doing well. Breccan and Remi both left us to pursue their own futures. We were reunited with Wisteria for a short time after we moved here, but she is gone again without a trace,"[/] Liffey replied, her ears falling as her expression turned wistful.

I'm pulling Liff from the game. Think we can fade soon?

I will fade it out for you. Thanks and good luck!

Wraen wondered, if her mother also had been sad to see her go with the prospect of never seeing her again. Now she would never have a chance to ask, but in the way Liffey spoke about her oldest children, made her think. So much work went into planning them and bringing them in the world and then they were with you only for such brief time. Hardly fair, but that was the nature's way. 

"I am sure that they are all doing as well as they can. You raised them well, of that I have no doubt," she told her former packmate and fellow leader tenderly. "Do tell me more about your new pack," she urged then and they continued their pleasant conversation for the next half an hour. They parted on more cordial terms than they had met and at least on Wraen's behalf, she was looking forward to meeting Liffey and her mate some time again.