Cricket Creek Bog Unless I say so, ain't your Barbie, no

Please let @Erzulie post first! They're close to Firebirds but far enough for Erzulie's comfort in returning Alyx! Ebony, lmk if you mind the howl powerplay, I kinda ran with it when you mentioned she'd howl from neutral ground! @Niamh @Phox @Towhee

Alyx couldn’t wait to be home, much as she'd miss her new friend(s) in Rusalka. She needed a good bath and a nap. The river was much calmer now, but crossing it was still an ordeal that wasn’t helped much by her squealing and hesitating half a dozen times. She had to follow Erzulie’s lead through Golden Glade and the marsh beyond, and that brought on a whole new bout of whining. She did her very best to avoid the mud, but despite her best efforts, she was filthy when the Rusalka Beta halted.

This isn’t Firebirds, she almost said, searching the woman’s golden face with a pair of curious eyes. Before she could mention it, Erzulie had her head back and was howling. Alyx noted there was something a bit lilting and exotic about Erzulie’s howl compared to the howls of her family, but she would never guess that Valravn’s fierce leader and secondary mom (or was it third?) was anything but a full-blooded wolf herself.

Alyx fidgeted. She wanted nothing more than to run and leap through the sunny copse, where the trees grew thin and high enough that the whole forest was a natural spotlight, but she also wanted to be mature and impressive so maybe she'd get to spend time with the soft-eyed Val again someday. So instead, she quietly said, thank you for taking me home, miss Val’s mum.

"erzulie, chère," the harlot hummed. if allowed, she would step forward and attempt to clean the worst of the mud from the pup's withers, the air of a mother licking her thumb to erase a smudge from a dirty little face. she had chosen this place for its proximity to the place niamh had indicated.
but there was still a great young tree of leeriness sewn into her chest. the firebirds had treated caiaphas badly. niamh herself had followed. erzulie shook away the thought, though her two-toned gaze flicked over the foliage, assuring herself an escape.
"your mot'er will have been missin' you," she remarked, straightening. "when de waters clear away, perhaps you might come for a visit. a true one, dis time."
her tones remained affable, but the harlot tensed within herself, a burgeoning portion of her in preparation for a conflict.

YASSSSS

Niamh had been napping when the cry came from beyond their marked borders. Distant and foreign to her ears, but recognizable nonetheless, and the message it carried rallied her from her slumber with such  suddenness that Niamh nearly jumped out of her own skin. Her hackles prickled and stiffened like quills as an instinctive reaction to the voice but recent memory served her better- and with a joyous cry, she abandoned the small spot where she'd been sprawling, snoring, and bolted toward the bog. Like a crazed creature she yowled out a quick reply- not bothering to pause long enough to match the finesse of Erzulie's refined timbre- to assure the Rusalkan that she was on her way. 

It didn't take her long to realize she should have paced herself better, but she did not want to waste a moment lest her former foe change her mind and wander off with her daughter in tow. Potentially, this all could have been a set up- and it was possible that Raleska had told Erzulie that Niamh was missing a child, allowing Erzulie to formulate the perfect plot to lure her in and finish her off, if she'd been that set on revenge...But Niamh couldn't allow her mild paranoia to stand between her and getting her daughter back. 

Not a thought was given to how Rasalas' mother might have felt, had she known that another wolf had more or less abducted her son. But that was simply how Niamh operated- without a thought given to how others might have felt. And here she was, wearing those same shoes, but so willfully ignorant of the blistering they caused her heels. 

She was out of breath by the time she spotted them in the bog but nonetheless put on another burst of speed to close the gap and was heaving with exhaustion, whining piteously with every exhale as she sped toward her daughter. Despite being muddy- and the effects that inevitably had on her immaculate spirit- she looked healthy and well. She swept toward her daughter, heedless of her proximity to the wolf who at another point in time might have used that closeness to tear her pelt to shreds. She was oblivious, as well, how Erzulie might've perceived her, sprinting with such furious need to get closer to them- but any mother should have recognized, from a distance, that her features bore no hostility, only relief. She felt dizzy from the exertion it had taken her to sprint the distance from the Copse to the bog, but the energy she felt in reuniting with her child set her senses aflame as she reached out to embrace her daughter once more.

*swings in*

The call that was sent out for both Niamh and Phox was not one he recognized, but when he caught a flash of golden fur racing toward the bog, Phox chased after Niamh. I don't know if he knows where Alyx has been, but hey! Let's keep it vague because I'm out of the loop.

When he caught sight of Alyx, it was almost hard to believe it was her. Part of him had always wondered if that corpse he and Towhee had re-buried was her, even if he was never willing to admit that to anybody. Seeing her alive and a couple of weeks older made him feel like he'd missed more time than he had. But here she was, and he was hot on Niamh's heels, coming in to give Alyx his own heap of love and affection.

Thank you for taking me home, miss Erzulie, Alyx repeated, fidgeting while she tried to think of something else to say. She wanted to come across as grown up, graceful and eloquent as any well-bred lady, but conversing with anyone but relatives wasn't her strong suit. She stayed awkwardly silent even as Erzulie cleaned mud from her fur, sending static zinging up her spine and into the back of her head.

Man, she wished her mom was as nice and loving as this lady. Not that Niamh wasn't loving in her own way, but, well... Niamh was Niamh. She wasn't exactly the sweet, matronly type, and Alyx wasn't exactly a warrior.

Speaking of Niamh... Alyx's head lifted bolt upright when first her golden mother, then her dark-furred father appeared. Mom! she cried, lurching toward them, dad! God, she'd missed them. Even if she'd had a decent time with Rusalka, mostly getting to know Val, she loved her family dearly and was happy to see them again. When Niamh reached her, Alyx crashed into her mother's embrace, whining softly and wriggling. When Phox arrived, she angled her muzzle toward him and aimed to lick the side of his muzzle.

"of course," erzulie murmured, touched by alyx and her mannerly nature. in the next moment, however, the glinting rush of gold swelled her with trepidation. this intensified to see niamh followed closely by a shadowed man. 
but erzulie held her footing as alyx dashed to meet the pair. a smile worked itself to her mouth unbidden; she was satisfied to stand in quiet nearby. thoughts mingled, strengthening into images of each moment she had welcomed back a child of her own at the borders of rusalka. and their names, rising in a mantra within her mind. vision blurred; erzulie turned her face aside to gaze unseeing at the damp foliage.

As sharp and harsh as she might have been on normal occasions. she showed the depth of her true, soft and maternal side as she embraced her daughter again. It was like trying to hug a greased-up caterpillar, as Alyx wriggled and squirmed in excitement, but Niamh held her close and continued to whine, whistle and cover her daughter in loving nuzzles and licks whenever she could get her muzzle close enough. And when she pulled away and moved toward Phox, Niamh let her go- albeit a litle bit stiffly, but she softened when she saw just how relieved Phox was, and how happy Alyx was to see him again. He'd never intended to lose Alyx- and it hadn't been his fault exclusively. She began to take the first steps back toward forgiveness, and leaned in to give her mate's shoulder a kind, and almost apologetic kiss as he fawned over their daughter. 

Erzulie was so silent and calm that she went unnoticed for several moments, but eventually, Niamh did turn her gaze to the pirate, and found herself more willing to forgive yet. She smiled. "Erzulie, this is my mate Phox; Phox, this is Erzulie, of Rusalka," She said. To even be able to give an introduction from the Firebirds to Rusalka was something she'd thought might be impossible without growls, snarls and a brawl. It was actually a relief, getting to speak with such friendliness to someone who'd once been an attack-on-sight target."We can't thank you enough, for keeping our Princess safe," She said, reaching over to smoothe the sof fur on the top of Alyx's head. "Will you be heading back toward the Coast now?" She asked.

Niamh seemed a bit more tender now, and Phox breathed a sigh of relief. Losing Alyx had put a definite strain on their relationship, but it was nothing they couldn't come back from. Phox had always been sure of that (probably). Now that Alyx was home, they could begin to mend things more properly. Their family was whole again, and they were better for it.

Thank you so much, Erzulie, Phox echoed. If there's anything we can do, now or in the future, you let us know. He smiled, then looked back to Alyx. She was so big now. He'd seen Quetzal this whole time, and they were twins, but it was becoming easier and easier to differentiate them by sight alone. Nothing about them was crazy different, but each had a way of holding themselves, and there were ever-so-slight variations in their build. A tuft out of place, that sort of thing.

godddddd i am so sorry for holding this up, please kick me next time <3

"i shall," erzulie smiled, sensing the friendly dismissal in niamh's words even if it did not truly exist. on edge she was, too far from rusalka and not for the first time did she fiercely desire the presence of her wife. phox, alyx, niamh; their faces shining in turn with kindness and relief. 
"t'ank you," she said softly, then returned her two-toned gaze to niamh. a knowing look, that the seawolves and the firebirds should now pass into a place of peace. "i hope to see you again. an' alyx, if you be neah again, come and play wid de children."
a dip of her muzzle; if there was nothing else to be said, the harlot would turn, sides swelling with a pleased sigh to be passing off through the foliage in the direction of the moors and her own daughters.

Once they all got the warm, happy wiggles out of their system, Alyx turned shining eyes back to Erzulie. She was a little sad that the Rusalka woman was leaving so soon, she’d hoped they might invite her to dinner, but she had her own family to attend to, and a pack besides.

Thank you, miss Erzulie! she called out. I promise I will! She didn’t care too much for the silent pup that looked a little like Quetzal and her, and Solaire was a little serious for her tastes, but she would absolutely need to visit Valravn again. Maybe she could meet some of the others, too. There’d been other pup-scents there she hadn’t been able to put a face to.

Giving both her parents a hearty nudge, she giggled and skipped off toward the Copse, eager to reunite with Towma and Rosie and, yes, even mud-butt Quetzal.

WC: 151 Last post from me <3

It still made Niamh feel terribly conflicted knowing that her daughter affectionately referred to the sea-wolf as 'Miss Erzulie,' as though she was as genteel and harmless as a pussy cat. It appeared, then, that Erzulie was in possession of some maternal instincts- otherwise, Niamh wouldn't have expected for her to care for a stranger's child. She always could have held Alyx as a hostage if she had seen fit to do so- though it would seem the uneasy truct they had bargained for would hold on a bit longer.

Alyx flounced off back toward the Copse, and Niamh wasn't keen on letting her out of her sight. So, with a soft sigh, she bowed her head once more to Erzulie in gratitude and respect, before she trotted off after her daughter, and this time, she would make absolutely certain that no child of hers got lost on their way home.

Phox watched the exchange between Niamh and Erzulie, unaware of the long-ago history between them. He was just thankful that Alyx was back, and she seemed to have had a decent time with Rusalka. Like Niamh, he did not want to let Alyx out of his sight anytime soon. With a dip of his head, he moved in stride with his mate. The relief of having everybody together again brought a solid sense of warmth and calm to his bones.