Lost Creek Hollow Call her Miss Mirage

Vaaaaague, I'm just so impatient

Exhaustion settled over him as he passed Riverclan's border; exhaustion and relief. It all felt like some blurred breathless dream now that he was away from it. Lestan and Erzulie, Akavir and Reverie, all that prickling tension at Swiftcurrent Creek. The distinct feeling of being some kind of villain in the eyes of those he had tried to help.
Kel still worried for the ones he'd left behind. More so now that he was away from them than when he'd been there. He told himself it was because he wasn't there to help, but knew that wasn't entirely true. Compassion fatigue set in far too easily for him these days, despite his drive to help. He was mildly horrified at himself to realize he'd fallen into old habits again: treating people like projects and personal challenges. Real people who needed help. He was remembering now why he had wanted to retire.
He just didn't know if he could. Now that he'd had another taste of it, Kel felt restless. Purposeless. He sighed, and realized that he'd been searching for @Faun's scent without intending it. But he couldn't find it. She wasn't here. His heart skipped a little and his stomach tightened, but rather than stand around and fret, he sent up a quick call for her. Then all that was left to him was to wait. It turned out that was the hardest part.

Faun was perpetually exhausted.

The boy proved quite the disgruntled young man. Unsure of himself, half trying to drive her away, half confused about what to do with himself. He snapped at her and apologized in the same breath, he tried to get up and looked mollified when she near rammed him back down after a series of back and forths with him that amounted in mudslinging on his part and a quietly radiating malcontent from her. Then, he’d apologize and start it all over again.

It was vicious, the cycle she found herself in. But, the more he fought her, the less he fought the demons in his mind. Despite how much she sometimes wanted to give him just a little smack, a gentle one, she wasn’t in the business of hurting people.

It didn’t mean she didn’t want to. She was patting herself on the back for not. But it simply wasn’t her job. Leave that to others, she told herself as the boy tore into her one more time, feeling it when her eye gave a few quick, tense twitches as his face fell and he apologized again.

Then, he was napping, and Faun considered doing so herself, but the familiar voice on the breeze made her head snap up.

Oh, dear, sweet Kelsier! Finally, someone who understood! Faun was immediately moving to her feet, checking Aquillius over one more time, before slipping out of the den with a carrying skin in her mouth. She did need more of her herbs anyways, it wasn’t like Riverclan was far.

She booked it away from Kvarsheim at full tilt.

It was only when Riverclan was in sight that she slowed, answering Kelsier’s howl with a few sharp, domestic barks, her tail bannering in a friendly manner, her eyes rosy. He had been away for long, but here he was!

He waited, and he thought about what he would say to Faun. So many words came to mind, but when he finally heard her sharp little barks like the chiming of bells, they all left him. At first he didn't know what to do; he was overwhelmed by the weight of it all, his absence and everything that had filled it. Then he took a breath, and thought of her. Faun.
Kel went to her.
Faun! His voice was soft but brimming with excitement as he called to her even with distance still between them. His pace picked up as he neared her rather than slow, despite his exhaustion. Kel had missed her more than he'd known. She reminded him of home, he realized all at once. Not The Evergarden, not that too-perfect place, but Willowspire. The difference between the pristine houses in the movies and those you actually live in; where the kitchen table is a shared space for mail and art projects and old jewelry you still haven't gone through, and tonight's dinner shoved somewhere to the side, forgotten, and it feels like home.
You've been away, He breathed as he came close enough to take in her scent. Their neighbors. Herbs. Makes two of us, I guess. Kel smiled a helpless and tired smile. I missed you. You and all your herbs. Could've used them a few times.

Faun had never truly expressed the parts of her that remained from her first life.

Because that’s what it was, in the end. A first life, nothing compared to the one she lived now. That first life was a naive girl who barely knew of the outside, much less about those around her. But she was happy, doe eyed, and, most importantly, very tactile.

Kelsier!

Faun tossed the skin to the side when Kelsier drew close to her, barely waiting any time before she was pulling him into a strong embrace, her tail wagging behind her. If it wagged any faster, perhaps it would have started a tornado. With her head thrown over his shoulder, Faun brought in her own seeking breath. Notes of their other neighbors.

It would appear you’ve been in my situation! Her voice was breathless in her happiness. Her fellow healer had been such a help when it came to her herb garden, and here they were! She wouldn’t drag him away from Riverclan so soon, but perhaps he could help her in the ferrying of herbs to and from Kvarsheim.

The woman took a step back, burning heat across her cheeks as she gave a shy little laugh.

Oh yes. Herbs have definitely come in handy for me recently. Her eyes went to her skin, and she pulled it towards her with a paw.

Oh please, tell me what you’ve been up to! I have only been as far as Kvarsheim, how is it elsewhere?

From anyone else, hearing his full name was an unwelcome experience; one he ignored when he could, and corrected when he could not. But Faun said it and hugged him, and he thought all over again that he felt very much at home with her. It soothed him to know that he had a true friend here, even with Crowfeather busy and withdrawn. Kel had never been able to cope without friends at his side.
He found it funny that they'd landed themselves in similar spots, but the humor of it was tempered by his own failure. Kel was solemn when he spoke. Found an injured man from Swiftcurrent Creek. Saved his life with what you taught me, He managed a quick smile at that, to show his gratitude. Went downhill from there, though. He was unwell after his fever passed. Talking about gods, golden deer, blood, all sorts. And it was kind of my job in Willowspire, see; to help people like that.
Got him home and found out his partner is as unwell as he is, and they have a kid, so I offered to stay and help. Think I forgot I wasn't at Willowspire though, He shifted anxiously on his paws, hating this recounting but wanting to be honest with Faun. It was worse than I thought. I should have backed off; I'm not qualified for what they need. Tried to get the partner started on medication, but the man I found, Lestan, sent me away.
He and the leader there seemed to think it was forced, Kel was frowning now. But she agreed. Said she's been hearing voices, wanted it to stop. Wouldn't be surprised if she was holding something back, though. Got more out of Lestan about her feelings than I got from her.
Even aside from that, it's tense at Swiftcurrent Creek. Some kind of conflict, I guess. Tried not to get too involved, Ironic, in a way, given how he'd overstepped. Kel took in a breath to steady himself. What happened with Kvarsheim?