Hushed Willows well, it's literally not that

Now this. . .this was better. It was serene and quiet, cool and shady. The weather had turned abruptly since Lily had left the Sanctuary, temperatures dipping lower and lower, but even the coming of winter did not spoil this place. The willows, changing from green to gold, gave the forest a whispering atmosphere that was more peaceful than creepy.

Lily padded through the narrow trails, eyes narrowed to slits in her bliss. It was much less foreboding than the bleeding forest, that was for sure. And even though she had headed inland, away from the coast, the woods was close enough that she still tasted salt on the breeze. Salt--breeze--like Seabreeze. The blackbird grinned at the coincidence.

Yes, this seemed right. And though she wasn't exactly sure how far she was from Broken Boulder, it couldn't be a long journey, right? She was on the way, perhaps halfway home. With haste, it would only take a week or two to get here again, even with an army of pups.

There was excitement fluttering in her stomach as she explored, genuine, unbridled hope in her eyes for the first time in a long, long while.

The collection of willows was something Rose had only seen in passing once, but their aesthetic beauty in fall had drawn her in for a closer inspection today. The shroud of golden leaves that hung above her danced in the wind that trickled between branches and, like a young child, the russet kru found herself in awe of the simple artistry.

The place reminded her fondly of the glade she had been born in, if only because of the vibrant colors that dug up old memories. Rose was so involved in her own past that she barely took notice to what was happening in the present, which included not noticing the raven girl that stood out like a sore thumb in the distance.

Unlike Lily, who might have blended better at night, the fiery girl was well-camouflaged in the golden-orange autumn environment, and it wasn't until she'd almost tripped right over the stranger that she noticed her at all. Embarrassed, Lily stepped back, wagging her tail and flashing the other a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that," she said softly. "Should have been paying better attention."

She cocked her head in interest, taking in her scent. The sea--and something more specific, perhaps the same note she had caught on Helix's pelt. Another Drageda wolf? "Can you tell me anything about this forest?" Lily asked, trying to keep herself on topic, lest she ramble. "I'm Lily, by the way."

Most of the world remained tuned out to Rose, at least until she was almost run over the inky girl she hadn't noticed until now. "It's ok" she said while moving a few steps back, taking in the other girls details while having a question and introduction tossed her way.

"Don't really know much about it" she began while looking up to glance at the leaves overhead. "Just thought it was pretty." Truly it was a lovely place and she regretted not having explored this way before now. "Ah, I'm Rose" she introduces with a swish of her tail, noting the similarities in their names.

Lily nodded, taking a step back and looking up. "Ah, yeah, it's quite nice," she mused, a gross understatement. It was too bad that she didn't know anything else; would be a shame to learn that the forest had a dark history after she recommended it to Seabreeze and company. "I'm Lily, from Bracken Sanctuary," she introduced herself.

Her nostrils flared once more, and she decided to be candid rather than cagey. "Are you from Drageda? I met one of their wolves the other day." It was good to know. Perhaps Drageda could become an ally of theirs, especially if they settled near the sea.