Hushed Willows When I was a kid, I couldn't afford a soul

For @Valiant <3

The fae had just walked her rounds and cleaned her coat at the waterfall. Even Loinnir had taken a dip on her request, as he had begun to smell after a short hunting trip the duo had gone on. His feathers were a pristine white again, reminding her of the winter they'd survived, already in the willows' grasp. Her own coat was nearly always taken care of, even though dirt was hard to spot because of its intriguing patterns. She was now enjoying an evening stroll near the Firefly Stream, the sound of crickets a soothing melody that would make her tired enough to head to bed soon.

Valiant had not spent much time with the other wolves of the willows. Mainly he'd thrown his lot in with them so that he could continue to lay claim to his childhood home. Part of him still insisted on feeling a little bitter toward them, but that was quickly being replaced by utter bewilderment.

But it was worth it, he thought, if it would mean he could still be welcome in his homeland. Even if it meant nights by the waterside were sometimes interrupted by his strange new packmates.

"Hello," he ventured when he saw one of them making her way down the waterway he was lounging in. Silt and pebbles swirled as he got to his feet, and his coat dripped brown and grey at his belly, while his head and neck remained dry and white.

Assuming Lumi knows of "a Valiant" joining their ranks per this unfinished thread <3

She could almost not believe the place she'd wandered upon all those moons ago. It was perfect, and apparently so thought many others. Nearly countless wolves had come by, claiming it to be the place they were born in - grew up in. The lands were fertile and food was plentiful, the only place that could be equal in value was perhaps the vale of the Empire.

Good evening. She greeted in return, before even realizing to whom she was talking. He looked not like one of their faeries, though Eilonwy had spoken of a Valiant she'd recruited not too long ago. I don't believe we've formally met before. She stated with her trademark smile, the warmest thing in summers such as these.

Wow, okay. This girl seemed friendly.

"I'm Valiant Morningside," he told her, beginning to stiffen up a fraction even though the girl was being perfectly nice. He understood that this place was called the Seelie Court, which made him a little bit uncomfortable. Seelie or Unseelie, he didn't think it was right to mess around with those things. Look where it'd gotten him with Alejandro — sort of. He could only assume that the girl was being so nice and chipper for nefarious, soul-stealing reasons.

Or he was being really silly. "What's your name?" he asked her, making an effort to relax.

Valiant huh? so her suspicions had been right after all; this was the man Eilonwy had spoke of not too long ago. The fae dipped her head in greeting. Morningside - what a peculiar sounding last name. She wondered if it was spread through the realm, or if Valiant was the only one of his kind, for now. She knew her own could be found in every corner of the Wilderness, but she didn't belong with them. She belonged right here.

I'm Lumiya. She practically sung, looking then to the scenery. The stream was beautiful, she found. I believe you've met one of our faes - Eilonwy, right? She spoke of you. She shared rather casually.

Lumiya. Valiant wondered if he was supposed to also say her name as if it was a chorus, and resolved to never say it at all, if he could help it. All the same, "Pleased to meet you," he replied, giving a hopeful wag of his tail. Maybe this wouldn't —

Oh dear. More talk of faes. It wasn't hard to believe, however, that the girl he'd freed from the mud was one of the fair folk. And this one was equally as strange, so Valiant wasn't sure what to think about that.

"Right," he said after a beat, a bit uncomfortably, but a bit flattered as well, since the pretty girl had spoken of him at all. "I did meet her. This place — I was born here, and that's why I wanted to be part of the pack. But I'm not one of the fair folk. Is that okay?"

Likewise. The fae responded, taking a seat near the stream. The pebbles that lined the banks were not comfortable to sit on with her petite figure, but it would have to do. She looked at Valiant invitingly, but if he refused to sit with her she wouldn't hold it against him. She just wanted to enjoy this for a moment.

Everyone with a good heart is welcome. She answered, looking not at him but instead at a single firefly that had come out to play. We allow guests, if you're more comfortable in such a position - though who knows, you might grow to like our ways. She knew she had. The way of the fae felt mystical and magical, yet not outlandishly so. It was the perfect balance between reality and fantasy.

Those words struck Valiant rather hard — did he have a good heart? He'd thought some terrible things lately, about his father and his life and about Alejandro. But what was good to the fae might be different than what was good to his family.

"Alright," he agreed, even though being labeled a guest in his own home rankled him. He supposed he shouldn't have left if he cared so much — or perhaps, like Aunt Easy said, "If wolves were meant to stay in one place, they'd have roots like trees instead of four perfectly good legs."

This made him feel a bit better, and he sat down beside Lumiya with some of his hackles smoothed over. "Thank you, miss," he added, feeling truly grateful, in that moment. "I'd like to be part of your pack — but is it alright if I check back in with my family? I want them to know I'll be settling down over here again, so that they know where to send any news."

The fae, of course, didn't know Valiant all that well. From what she could tell, he was a pretty laid-back young man, nothing wrong with him. She didn't know his demons nor his deeds and misdeeds, but she got the impression that he was good. She hoped she was right about it all.

He relaxed in her presence then, telling then of his family and his desire to visit them before officially settling down. Perhaps if he had known the fae better, he wouldn't even have posed it as a question; of course he was allowed, it wasn't her place to give permission for that. Her faeries and, in this case, guests were free to come and go whenever they pleased. The court was supposed to be a retreat - a safe haven - not a prison where they all had to do as she said.

Of course that's alright. She said. You're not obligated to stay here and never leave - the court is a haven, not a prison, after all.

These faeries seemed... nice. Valiant wagged his tail and shot Lumiya a shy smile, wondering if maybe this was where he was supposed to be after all. Maybe the things he was feeling were okay, for faeries. And maybe Alejandro was a faerie after all.

He was too shy to ask his new benefactor, and also too shy to ask if she was single, incidentally. Instead he stood and gave an awkward bow, saying, "I was gonna go hunting. I'll leave in a couple days, but... See you around?"

He seemed rather pleased with her answer and it made her feel all the better for it. She was a bit shy herself, so conversation ceased after that pretty easily. She never minded the silence though, especially not on warm evenings near the stream, though granted this was her first time sharing it with someone else.

She heard him shuffle and then stand next to her, offering her an awkward bow that she couldn't help but smile at. She nodded herself, offering a short yet sweet; I hope so.