Firefly Glen I'm dying to see how this one ends

@Fire :D

She hadn't been to the small valley since she first arrived in the wilds, and the area looked quite different. The fall brought colder weather and so the fireflies that had once dotted the darkness with their twinkling lights were now nowhere to be seen. In the twilight of dusk, the thickly-canopied area look eerie, and Speedy was intrigued to see what the glen would look like painted by the darkness of night. The plumage of the trees hovered so closely together that she was sure no light from the moon or stars would be able to peak through once the silver light of dusk was gone. 

She made her way through the narrow vale, stopping occasionally to scan the treeline with her golden gaze. She soon found herself at a small rivulet and stopped to sniff the water, ensuring it was okay to drink. Satisfied, she lowered her head to the water and lapped at the liquid until her thirst was quenched. She lifted her head from the water and licked the excess drops from her lips, glancing around again. No matter how many times she searched the surroundings, she still remained alone, her least favorite thing to be. That was par for the course when you were without a pack, though, and with a small sigh, she began her slow trek through the glen once more.

i promise this can still be a spree, i just got carried away haha

She hadn't stepped foot in the Glen since she'd met here with Siarut.  Springtime yielded memories of fireflies and small-time romance, but the early autumn was too chilly for most insects and Ceara was no longer as receptive to flirtatious advances as she has been in the past.

The seasons had transformed the landscape before her into something unrecognizeable, and they had touched her in a similar way.  She was no longer the stupid, innocent girl that had been fooled by Sunny into thinking she was valuable, nor was she as kind as she had been when she had been inducted into the Redhawks.

She found a love deeper than the surface feelings for Siaurt when she looked at Raven.  She was no longer a stranger to the drunken sweetness of apples.  She'd come to know the touch of a lover, though she still retained her maidenhead.

She had aided and ended lives.

Coping was not the quite the proper word for how Ceara was managing herself.  She found that it was easier to deal with things when she was working herself to the bone in the daylight and getting drunk at night.  Someone would find out soon.  Or maybe she'd crave something harder.

She didn't want to think about it.  Moths flew from between the tall grasses as the firebrand parted a trail through the glen, alert but lost in thought. 

One more gaze in the distance produced another form walking towards her. Speedy stopped, her tail wagging behind her as she considered the best way to approach the stranger. You'd think she would be hesitant of anything that could be potentially dangerous after her accidental run in with a lynx, but she wasn't. She was the same outgoing Speedy that saw all strangers as an opportunity to make a new friend. So, she quickened her pace and moved forward until she was close enough to chuff and alert the female of her presence. 

Once closer, she grinned and said, Hey! You like creepy forests, too? Her question may be weird, but she asked it anyway, trying to breaking the ice and start their meeting off in a light place. She studied the molten girl in front of her with a friendly gaze as she waited for her response.

Shadow moves underneath shadow undetected.  Only the sound of Speedy's rapid footfalls betray her existence.  Ceara's ears swivel as her head turns sharply, gunmetal gaze trained in the stranger's direction.

A small brown form breaks from between the foliage.  She blinks, eyes skimming over the girl's form as she introduces herself.  Not particularly, she quips, but a loose smile hangs on her lips.  She is too tired (emotionally, physically) to offer much more.

Say, are you a Blackthorn?  Both girls shared the same family characteristic, but it was a fairly common marking.  She wouldn't be surprised either way.

Speedy chuckled a little. It's a fun place to be when you're bored, though, she offered with a raised eyebrow. That's why she had come in here in the first place. She had spent most of the day bored and by herself, so she looked for something to break the monotony. It was just a stroke of luck that another wolf happened to also be here.

She tilted her head in confusion at the question. What's a Blackthorn? she asked. She didn't think she had never heard of that before, even so, she searched her memory to try and find something that matched the word but came up blank.

She felt bad for being in such a dour mood.  This stranger reminded her of herself just a few months ago, affable and carefree.  Inviting.  Right now she felt nothing of the sort.  She was just tired.  I haven't been here in a while.  Pretty far from home, other haunts usually do it for me.

She tossed her chin in the direction of her spine.  You got one of these bad boys.  They're a trademark of my family, each and every one of us have this stripe.  We're all over the damn place, I'm sure you'll run into more of us sometime.

Her interest was piqued like with all new wolves. Where's home? she asked. Maybe she had been there or met someone else from there. Speedy had met quite a few wolves in her time as a lone wolf, so it was entirely possible. 

She looked at the stripe down the new wolf's spine and then turned around to look at her own. That was interesting. I'm not from around here, so I don't think we're related, she answered, her curious gaze finding the female's face again while she continued to dwell on how strange It was that they had such a similar marking.

Now she cocked her head back in the general direction of the Plateau, although it was far away enough from here that the gesture was likely meaningless.  Back that'a way.  We're called the Redhawks.  But I'll let you in on a little secret.  It's like, two redhawks and the rest of us are Blackthorns.

She cracked something closer to a genuine smile.  I'm not from 'round here either, but if your last name isn't Blackthorn then I doubt we are.  Still wouldn't surprise me, though.  You're nice enough to be one of us.

She cleared her throat and took a look around.  So uh, where you from, anyway?  You stayin' 'round here?

Oh! She knew that pack. That was where the scout was from. She wagged her tail again and answered, I've heard of the Redhawks. I met someone else from there not too long ago named Tegan. He helped me out of a bind. It was a really stupid bind that she had brought on herself; another situation that could have been avoided had she been paying attention, but oh well. 

The compliment made her smile, but she said nothing about it. My last name isn't Blackthorn, but it would be a cool last name to have, she replied with a quick shrug. I'm from somewhere south of Teekon with deserts and winters that don't force you to join a pack, she answered, the last few words coming out with a hint of resentment. She hadn't actually meant to say it, but the issue had been on her mind a lot lately. She was being forced to end her wandering ways because she was ill-equipped to withstand the frigid winters the wilds promised, and well, it wasn't fair.

Tegan! she blurts, ears perking up.  That's my... she did the mental gymnastics required to figure out what they had decided on calling each other.  cousin?  Right?  Cousins?  Yeah, they were 'cousins'.  A Blackthorn's a Blackthorn's a Blackthorn.  Whatever.

Glad to hear he could help you.  He's a good dude.  She gave a short nod and cracked another grin.

Oh really?  I happen to know a bit about that.  I don't really have much fur, hah.  I grew up somewhere a lot like this, but I split after my brother left.  Ended up in a beautiful red canyon.  Things just weren't too, uh, stable there.  And I missed my brother, she admitted.

She wondered what he was up to now, and choked the thought down as she blinked away some tears.  That was close.  So you on your own then?

Speedy liked her even more now that she knew she was related to the cute scout. Yeah, he is, she agreed, blushing a little at the memory of the kiss she had planted on his cheek before they had parted ways. She hadn't seen him again so far, but she was glad to have met someone else from the part of the wilds. 

She listened as the other wolf told her a little about her past. The mention of canyons made her homesick, and the feeling was only made worse when the fire-colored female mentioned missing her brother. She understood that feeling well. I miss my family, too. We had similar canyons, and I spent a lot of time exploring them. she offered. She saw what she thought was a flash of sadness from the other wolf, but it was gone before Speedy could really be sure, and her next question pulled her attention from the moment. Yeah, I'm on my own. I've been here for a little bit. I stay around here and the grasslands to the east, she explained. 

She was struck with the sudden realization that she hadn't offered her name yet. I'm Speedy, by the way, she quickly added, a smile crossing her face once more.

She didn't know that Speedy had liked Tegan, but if she did she totally would've set homegirl up.  

I miss the canyon.  At least with all of the boys she had felt valued.  Raven loved her, but she still felt weird around Colt knowing he was with that beautiful golden girl that obviously thought so little of her.  Her toes shifted in the grass and she cast her gaze to the ground.  Maybe one day, I'll get out of here.  I'm tied down at the moment, which was a lie, but she really didn't have the heart to leave, but eventually I'd like to start my own thing.

Who knew.  She didn't think herself leadership material, but as much as she loved being around family, it wasn't doing it for her.  At least not right now.  She hoped it would pass.

Anyway.  If you need somewhere to hole up for the winter, I don't know if we'd be too hospitable.  We've had a lot of people take advantage of us lately.  But it's worth a shot.  If you're interested.  I'm Ceara.

Speedy nodded at her reminiscent statement. She missed her canyon, too. But she had left for a reason and she would stick to that goal. She only felt so homesick now because she had been lonely today and was put out about having to do something she didn't want to do. 

She was intrigued by the female's next comment. Really? What kind of thing? Speedy never really thought much about the future, too caught up in the day to day of living her life on her own. It was different to hear someone talk about distant plans. 

Ceara. That's a pretty name, she said with a smile. She thought about the offer for a second before saying, And thank you. I haven't quite decided to settle for the winter yet, but I really appreciate it. In truth, she was putting it off to the very last second. She had been offered a place in a few different packs, so she knew when she was ready, all she had to do as choose, but until then, she would continue her wanderings. 

So, what can we do to have fun tonight, she asked, raising an eyebrow. She was enjoying this wolf's company and wanted a change from the place the rest of her day had been lost to.

She chuckled.  I don't know, like a pack.  I work my ass off back home.  I think I probably make a better packmate than a leader, but..  She rolled her shoulders in a shrug.  You never know.  It was nothing about Raven and Quixote; they did an excellent job leading.  Towhee deserved her position and Niamh worked nearly as hard as Ceara did.  She just wanted something different right now.  Maybe that would change when winter set in.

Oh, she said, blushing.  Um, thank you.  She blinked as her ears flattened and then raised again.  She was slower to warm to girls (Raven had really been the only exception thus far) but did that mean Speedy was like, into her?  Uh, I don't.. have you ever been boozy?  I don't know if there are any apples 'round here.  You have to be careful not to have too many or it's not pretty.  But if you were thinking something a little more E for Everyone, you're out of luck unless you've got some ideas.  If this girl was wanting to have that kind of fun, she'd have to say so herself.

leading a pack seems like more work than I'm willing to put into anything right now, Speedy answered with shake of her head. But if that's what you want to do, then go for it, she added encouragingly. Speedy was a firm believer in doing what she wanted when she wanted; it was sort of a naive life motto, but that was Speedy.

She gave a bow of her head when Ceara thanked her for her comment, and she grinned at the way her words made blush spread across the other wolf's cheeks. Cute, She thought. When her answer to Speedy's question was to ask if she had ever been 'boozy,' her face turned pensive. I don't think I have, but it sounds fun. Let's do it! No peer pressure needed here, she was always up to try anything, and this sounded especially fun.

She is reminded of Bruges, what little she remembers of the night (probably, that thread hasn't finished yet).  Only this time she supposes she's the one who is introducing another to something new.  

She sniffs around before she finds a lone apple tree.  It is still early in the season and there are not many that have fallen and are overripe.  There isn't enough to get them smash-hammered, but there is enough to get them both loosened up.  She grabs one of the fruits and takes a bite before batting one over to the other girl.

Watch out.  They don't taste anything like meat.

She followed Ceara until they came to an apple tree, and stopped just as her apple rolled to a stop in front of her. Speedy looked over at the other wolf and saw that she had taken a bite from hers and nodded at the warning the didn't taste like meat. She couldn't remember actually ever eating an apple or really any fruit for that matter, so she was a little afraid of what it would taste like. She lowered her head and gave the red fruit a couple sniffs and let the sweet smelll settle in her nose. It was an interesting smell; one that she wasn't sure would entice her to eat the fruit on a normal occasion, but she reached down and took a large bite anyway. She crunched the mushy material around in her mouth. It was...interesting. Not bad or anything, just different. She swallowed her first bite and looked back at Ceara. Not bad, she said with a shrug before going back for more.

She nods.  Not bad at all.  Ceara grabs another and eats around the core, watching Speedy as she devours the fruits like nobody's business.  These ones won't do much, but when they're fermented they'll mess you up if you eat too many.  Gotta watch out, chick.  She brushed close and bumped her hip against the brown girls and looked back over her shoulder with a wink.  Let me know when you feel it.  You'll know.

She crunched the fruit in her mouth once more as she considered what the fruit might taste like fermented. It sounded pretty unappealing, but depending how this went, she may have to try it anyway just for the experience. She grinned at the playful contact from the other wolf and tilted her head a little at her last remark. How would she know if she had never felt it before? She took Ceara's word for it though since she seemed to know what she was talking about. 

She was searching the ground for another apple, thinking eating some more might make it kick in faster when she began to feel all warm and tingly. She turned to look at her new friend, giggling a little, and asked, I feel all warm--is that normal? She had no clue how this was supposed to go, but so far, it seemed like it was going to be a fun night.

The effects were just beginning to settle in on Ceara, too.  Sure is, she said with a giggle of her own, sweeping in close to the other girl.  Careful, now.  You don't wanna eat too many the first time.

She took Ceara's word for it, and decided not to finish the apple she had already bitten into. It was a good thing, too, because the affects hit her not long after than, and it was just enough to make her feel really good. She walked over to the wolf she considered her new friend, occasionally misstepping in her altered state. When she reached the flame-colored female, she plopped down in front of her, not even trying to be graceful. I think we should be friends, she stated. It was not something she would have normally said out loud, although she had been thinking it, but she was feeling a little uninhibited at the moment. She gave the other wolf a smile then and moved her gaze to the sky but looked back down, disappointed, when she realized she could really see the stars through the trees.

She liked the way that being drunk made people open up to her, how it made her feel like she was on top of the world again.  She laughed and dumped herself on the ground next to the other girl and rolled onto her back, touching her nose to Speedy's shoulder.

She missed the way the woman's face fell.  Me too.  This was a bit of a hike for her to take regularly, but.. she'd done it for Siarut.  I'm a scout, she says, even though she's kind of not really, so maybe I'll run into you again..

Damn wolves and like, not having instant text or messenger pigeons!

She smiled. Got lots of scouts over there, don't you? she asked teasingly. She rolled on her back, too, mimicking her new friend. I'm usually around here somewhere, she started before pausing. She wouldn't be around anywhere after too long, so she should probably stop telling others that. Well, I guess not for much longer since it's almost stupid winter, she amended.

As much as she hated the thought of giving up her wandering, she supposed she wouldn't hate most aspects of pack life. In fact, she knew she would enjoy being in a pack; she was just incredibly stubborn and hated that the decision ultimately being made for her. She would eventually get over it for the most part, and she could always venture back out come spring. She wasn't planning to have pups or anything, so she figured she would be free to roam again once the weather was warmer should she want to. After a few seconds, she turned to look at Ceara and added, However it happens, I hope we meet again, too.

You don't sound too happy about that, she said, halfheartedly teasing Speedy.  Truthfully, Ceara wasn't happy about the coming winter either.  Only a few weeks from now, they'd see their first snow.  Ceara didn't quite have the pelt for the winters the Teekons had, and she knew that soon enough she'd be forced to build a den.. and she hated dirt dens.

Let me know where you end up.  She'd found a good friend in Speedy, and she really needed more people like her to hang around.

She shook her head a little. I've been enjoying wandering around and meeting people. I'm not really ready to settle yet, and so I'm a little irritated that winter in making that decision for me, Speedy explained. She never did well with being forced to do something she didn't want to do, but she liked being alive and that meant finding a pack for at least the winter. 

Speedy smiled when Ceara asked that she let her know where she ended up. I will, she replied, reaching over and and attempting to give her ear a few affectionate licks. She normally tried really hard to withhold affection from wolves she didn't know very well because she never knew if they were okay with it, but she felt comfortable and uninhibited, and she kind of forgot.