Noctisardor Bypass briyon

no posting order!

"i don't plan to leave again. this is our home now."
@Etienne and @Fiona given murmured goodbyes; she did not avoid @Anselm but didn't seek him out either, feeling that they had nothing more to say to one another.
her words were for @Dinah, as soon as she had set @Ava Amara down. @John had been informed of her sister's presence and that they would go back; she would not order him to come but thought his presence could be helpful. familiar.
she helped ava to sit up, then called out for the woman she had told the girls was their aunt @Druid.
@Glaukos too was requested, though with no marital relation to her sister, and with no connection to her outside of their potential, she did not yet suggest him as their relative.
hope lifted in her chest as she looked for druid to arrive.

She spent the morning sniffing around the cliffs in the northwestern corner of the bypass. Afterward, she loped through the forest at their feet, moseying in a southerly direction until she found herself at the creek. Druid considered settling down to fish but hooked a right and headed toward the pinewoods instead.

It was there, among the fragrant evergreens, that her stomach suddenly rolled. Druid halted in her tracks, mouth filling with saliva seconds before she brought up breakfast. Her stomach convulsed a few times before settling, the queasiness fading as quickly as it had come.

She buried the puddle and cropped at some dry grass to help with the sour taste of vomit in her mouth. Druid turned back in the direction of the lagoon to fetch a drink when someone called from the western border. Although the timing wasn’t ideal, her heart lifted at the sound of Heda’s voice.

Her sister was not alone. Druid’s two-toned eyes swept over the small gathering of wolves, lingering on the injured Ava first before shifting to the fiery redhead who must be Dinah. She hoped she didn’t smell too much like sick as she approached, a soft smile tugging at her lips and her tail waving in welcome.

Welcome home.

Heda had given them all the orders to move back to Noctisardor Bypass. That this would be their home. And yet John did not have to go, he chose to anyway, I mean, he’s stuck around this long.

As they came from the hollow and arrived back into the bypass, all along the journey, he stuck near Heda and Ava, always keeping in eye on Dinah. Heda rang for Druid, her sister, of whom John had known nothing about, but then again, he didn’t know hardly anything about Heda, and vice versa.

He stood confidently, but not too strict, as he and the group waited for Druid to arrive. When she did, he greeted her with a nod, as she welcomed the flock home.

He arrived on Druid's tail. Late, because he was doing a sweep of the surroundings, and because he wanted to find as many egress points as he could in case things went wrong. It was all tactical - not that Glaukos didn't trust these children, or Heda, but he was a soldier and it is what came naturally.

When Glaukos neared the group he counted how many mouths needed to be fed. He saw Heda, counted the children, and - his eyes lingered on the man with them, flickering from John to Heda, to Druid; uncertain but not nervous. He didn't look like much of a threat.

His steps came to a halt and he stood at-attention, surveying the area over their shoulders with the slightest raise of his head, but otherwise saying nothing.