Neverwinter Forest vi. not too cold,

this place was no stranger to her. 

aiwë stood before what remained of the ulaq -- of the place where she'd borne her twins into this world. 

the spirits did not come for her. perhaps on account of the fact that the grief still lived within her. there were no ghosts here. only a litany of memories that returned, half-formed behind the wall of stone in her own mind. 

the doe could do little more than stare, wracked numb with all of it. evergreen gaze locked up on the threshold of the mélamar. 

the chill in the air went unnoticed. even the rain that hid the tears coursing along her thin features was little more than a muted background noise. 

wilwarin had been here, the thought came to her wildly. wide emeralds darted to the surrounding trees, scanning for a flash of white even as she jerked violently. it was as if her body had forgotten for a moment. 

her children were gone. 

or more accurately, it was she that had gone. again. 

she squeezed her eyes shut against the thought, fighting the hot rush of emotion that drove her to do something reckless. 

scream. collapse. beat her head bloody against the sturdy pines until it cracked like an egg and it all came spilling back out to her. 

a deep breath and she managed to do none of those things. 

"bear it anyways," she reminded herself, the rasp of her whisper lost beneath the symphony of rainfall against the needles. 

aiwë allowed herself one last glimpse of the den before turning west. she'd lain one child to rest here. that daughter's siblings still lived. 

the four-year turned away from the tomb of what would have been. she turned her sights west once more -- intent on finding @Saviguk (who'd given her this moment of privacy) and leaving this cursed place behind her. 

Heph's return to Neverwinter forest was more out of exploration than anything else, the last time she had been here she had met with a white wolf with a face that reminded her of sunset and had been looking for a village. But her pace this time was not in search of anything in particular. She was simply allowing her paws to take her across the territory, but as she neared the western reaches of the forest, Moonglow she knew, she came across a wolf. Perhaps she might have let it lie, but if this stranger was headed for the mother pack of her own she found her curiosity piqued and she was loathe to depart along her own way.

Her steps took her a short distance more, not intrusive but close enough to be seen. She called out with her voice if only to announce her presence, but her voice was high and teasing, light and almost laughing. "You'll make the ladies of Moonglow jealous walking towards their borders with a face like yours." Something about the wolf was familiar, scars dotted a place on her pelt in the shape of a bear. Bear-marked, it tickled at something in Heph's memory but she could not place it.

lótë almost didn't notice the woman -- a fact she scolded herself for. she'd not have been so lucky if her new company was less amenable as the she-wolf approaching now. she gave a small shake of her head to dispel such thoughts and even allowed her lips to quirk. it was somewhat bashful and the light chuckle she forced was strained. 

still, she put on a good show of covering her previous mood. 

"ah, no," she chimed in good faith. "not when you're running about with the pelt of a stormy night." it was quite true, her coloring reminded the four-year of an inky sea of night sky in which silken, moonlit clouds drifted. 

"i am hoping their reaction is happier than that," her laugh was nervous now as she said it. 

"i am aiwë. lótë, either is fine." the dove turned the focus back to their conversation, realizing she should probably introduce herself to this ally of moonglow -- or so she presumed the woman to be. 

"it is good to meet with you...?" she trailed off then, in anticipation of the other answering with her own name. 

Heph murmured in response, "well the night holds the stars." She was unsure why this stranger might expect any sort of particular reaction, either happiness or sorrow or anger, from Moonglow and felt she was somewhat behind on a part of the conversation. But her attention quickly shifted she recognized that name. "Lótë, Lótë..." Her voice rolled the name around trying to place it.

She replied more out of habit than anything else to the question of her name "Heph, of Moontide." Perhaps this wolf would know of Moontide perhaps not, but she did not qualify the statement. Moontide owed its founding to Moonglow but she felt her connection to Moontide more strongly, perhaps because she had never been a part of Moonglow herself like some of their other members.

Her voice was hesitant but held an excitement to it that did not lend itself to softness. She was unsure if she was remembering correctly or even the likelihood of it all but she was curious. "Do you know a wolf named Callyope? White pelt and splashes of sunrise on her face?" She described the other wolf as best she could but it had been some time, details like her scent and the color of her eyes escaped her, perhaps the general would do.

"heph," she murmured, almost an afterthought to her previous statement. she smiled again, hoping to convey that she truly was glad to meet the amiable woman. "ah," she breathed following heph's introduction. "i have met sandulf of riverclan once before -- he mentioned his brother, rodyn, had founded a pack of that name. i am kin of his through samani -- but i have never met rodyn." 

realizing she was rambling, caught up in feelings of familial fondness, lótë gave a small shake of her head again. "i do. callyope was daughter of my hearth, i am second wife to her father." 

"but callyope was a babe last i saw her," the four-year admitted ruefully, "and samani was still a young cub."

"had you been a member of moonglow or did you help to found moontide?" aiwë question lightly, head cocking in curiosity. she knew only what sandulf had told her of his brother's pack. 

Heph smiled, she had not seen Callyope but she supposed that Lote would meet her sooner than Heph if she was returned. But she was glad that the other she-wolf's search would not have been in vain. And she was glad to finally meet this Lote, who seemed to live up to her brief description. Her voice was warm as she spoke. "I met her in this forest awhile ago, I think she was looking for you." Her gaze turned a bit excited, it seemed as if Lote had heard of Moontide after all and had met a brother that she did not know that Rodyn had. For a brief moment, a playful glimmer appeared in her eyes and she wondered if she should go to this Riverclan and see if through that acquaintance she could find some material to tease her friend.

But turning her thoughts back to the conversation she answered openly. "I helped found Moontide, Rodyn is a friend and I met Samani and him traveling to the sea." In time she felt that she had become good friends with Samani as well, but as the passage of time went she had known Rodyn longer. She was glad to have run into someone so amiable, but her thoughts caught up to her and she even if Samani was visiting Moonglow and Moonspear and her family there were other wolves previously of Moonglow in Moontide as well. "If you'd like to visit Moontide's borders are open to those of Moonglow and Moonspear, and I suppose Rhaegal and Vaire's village if they form their own as well." Her lips twitched, what had Rhaegal said? Chasing the married life. She was not so sure they would settle down, but then again he had seemed determined and perhaps they would have found the bay in Vaire's dreams by now. Perhaps she could go looking sooner rather than later. Hunting with Rhaegal had been fruitful and fun, like the other wolves who had married into Moonglow that she had met he seemed honorable in his conduct and not tried to cheat her out of any shared spoils.

@Vairë (reference)

a smile graced her features but it was thin and bordering on forlorn. how long had they searched? if this place had struck the core of her so, how could it have been for the family she'd lost? 

"i would like that very much," the dove admitted, grinning as her tail swayed against her hocks. 

before she could delve too deeply into the warmth of being welcomed to another village's borders, heph's next words struck her through the heart. 

"vairë?" the word was choked as it escaped, the grin fading as her features splintered into something like grief. she had not worried for the sake of her children's well-being -- she had always known, even when she couldn't remember exact names and places and details and the shape of how her body had curled around the fawn -- that they were in good hands. kukutux had a gift of mothering. moonglow would have kept them safe and loved while she was lost. 

but that did not mean she did not mourn for what could have been. what should have been. 

what was her eldest daughter like? what kind of woman had she grown into? whom had captured the story-weaver's heart? what village would she bring to life? 

none of these answers were in her grasp and none belonged to her. they belonged to kukutux, rightfully. 

still. 

still, lótë felt a keening, a yearning, build in her chest.

"is..is she well? happy?" the words were softer, strained with emotion.  

Heph found herself glad of meeting a wolf who seemed friendly and as she seemed to know some of the wolves that Heph herself had met it only reinforced her good impression. But she could not help but notice the stilted way that Vaire's name came out of her mouth and she was not sure what to say. She had not properly met Vaire before, and knew of her mostly through Rodyn, Samani, and Rhaegal. While nothing she had heard would seem indicate that she was a particularly unhappy individual she could not really say from her own knowledge what the wolf was like. "Ahh. I'm sorry I...I'm not sure." Her voice was tentative but honest.

Still, she knew a little bit which hopefully would not leave Lote completely empty-handed in what Heph might have gleaned. "I might have seen her once, but I've mostly heard about her through her husband, Rhaegal." He had seemed gentlemanly, he had a way of speaking that sounded like the sea he smelled of, and had seemed both willing to follow his wife in her pursuits as well as able-bodied and strong enough to breathe life into her desires - he was handsome as well which she felt was not a bad trait in a mate. Overall he had left a good impression on Heph, though they had only come across each other sparingly.

And when he had described his bride-price journey  he had seemed to genuinely feel it was an honor to be chosen by a she-wolf of Moonglow, a daughter of the pack. So she described a bit of his sid of the story as well - what he had related to her anyways. "Evidentially she chose him to complete her bride price, they recently wed, and together they've been searching for a coast that she dreamt of to settle and start a place of their own." While she did not know where that was she hoped that it was nearby enough Moontide that the packs would have each other's strength to draw upon for hunts. Besides neighbors with whom friendship was more assured, and in part through bonds of blood as well, were at less risk for clashing irrevocably.

 

lótë blinked heavily, turning her face away just so -- trying to maintain some degree of composure and keep heph from seeing the sorrow that gripped her. 

"thank you," she rasped, ignoring the way her voice cracked and hoping her company would as well. 

not all of the intensity belonged to sadness. there was a great and fierce swell of pride and relief within her as well. a duality that lended a small curve to her lips as she drew in another deep breath and settled herself. 

"she is my daughter," lótë murmured by way of explanation, leaving it at that. she didn't wish to be rude and impose her new friend with her grief over a lost past.

"i would be honored to come and visit moontide, soon," she circled back to their previous conversation, smiling though it was a bit subdued. "i am a hunter and naturalist, perhaps i could help with a hunt or a project of sorts." she was not entirely sure what occupation heph found interest in, though she hoped they might have a common one in this. "i could teach you about painting as i once did samani, even."

Heph gave a quiet nod to the thanks. She was glad that it appeared to be news that the other wolf was, in a way, glad to hear even if it was painful. Lote said she was Vaire's mother but she was unsure of the circumstances of her absence and separation. "I wish you a good reunion when it comes." She offered. Though it may take time as Vaire's exact whereabouts were not known by all she felt that with connections to Moonglow as well as the other packs springing up it was likely they would meet again.

Smiling at the mention of Moontide her own voice was warm if a bit sheepish. She was not sure if Lote was more familiar with the wildlife of the coast than she was but her own run-in with the apparently poisonous fish came to mind. It had not been one of her finer moments, but in all fairness she had not been aware of that the fish was dangerous. "I would look forward to it. I am still learning to hunt on the coast, and of the wildlife there." But her mind turned to the other word.

She had not heard of painting before, well she had heard of wolves staining their coats with berries their coats but that did not seem to be the kind of thing that required teaching. "What is painting?" Her voice was curious, but open. If Samani had also learned then she was eager to know what it was, but nothing immediately sprang to mind at the word itself.

she dipped her head gratefully but spoke no more of vairë. it was not the time. 

"i am no expert," the pale agouti admitted, lips twisting ruefully. "but my people had kin that lived on islands to the west. we visited every summer to help with the fishing."

she had not thought of her cousins in sometime. they were much alike to the forest dwellers yet lankier and darker. her mind went to isïe, iaghe, aicaíniro. she imagined them married, with children at their hearth and smiled -- a small, secret thing shared only with herself.

heph's question dragged her back to the present, giving a small shake of her head to rid herself of the sentimental distraction. "painting is...ah. hmmm. I guess it is best described as making color." the four-year laughed, somewhat awkwardly. "my people made paint to decorate their homes. they use different markings and symbols to tell stories."

Heph laughed along with Lote, hers bright and untroubled. Her den in Moontide was still sparsely decorated, though sparsely slept in as well she knew. Perhaps having something above it made by her would make it seem more like home - Moontide did feel that way to her, or at the very least the feeling was growing, but having a place that was hers to return to was rather foreign. "That sounds fun and I'd be honored to learn." Her smile turned wide and joking though, not tolerating seriousness for over-long. "Although in fair warning the stories my family used to tell were usually at the expense of some poor soul who'd fumbled a hunt." That had all ended long ago, she wondered if it was an atmosphere that her pack could ever regain - surely they had faced hardship in the past and made through. But when she had left it felt like she would never experience such a thing again, at the very least not with those somber faces all portioning out the kills.

lótë laughed with heph -- a light, airy tendril of something warm curling into her chest. it found a home there, amidst the darkness. 

it had been far too long since she had a friend to speak with, laugh with.

"we have a few fables of the sort," she chortled softly as memories of her father's amusing tales and the jest-filled songs of her people swam through her mind hazily. "kukutux has many more stories than i. i am sure samani has heard them. perhaps you might hear one from her that you would like to paint. either way, i much look forward to teaching you."

Heph smiled at the laughter in the air, while she knew she herself was prone to laughter on her own sharing it with friends and company was always better, at least in her opinion. At the mention of Samani and Kukutux she tilted her head curiously, but intrigued. While she might have been able to guess it had not occurred to her to really ask the other wolves for their stories. But having settled in Moontide she thought she would like to hear some of them. "I'll have to ply her for some then, perhaps offer some of mine in trade." Her voice was light, but warm at the thought and prospect. "I look forward to it." And she would, once she had stories that might be worth setting and allowing to be seen and heard for longer in painting.

This feels like a good place to leave off? I'd love to thread again in present day if you'd like :D

I've been very absent recently, apologies for that, but I would love a current thread.

"i would like to hear some myself, when we meet again," the dove murmured, the curve of her lips near graceful. "it was lovely to meet you." at current, the need to reunite with saviguk was pressing. she could not allow time to slip away from her on this trek. even so, she was eager to hear heph's stories. 

the mother gave a dip of her head, pleasantries and goodbyes expressed between the two women before they reluctantly -- yet hopefully -- parted ways.