Hushed Willows honey, I'm still free

This is a mess but I tried LOL why is writing hard. (Timeline wise, should've happened prior to the Drageda conflict, oops I suck).

Things happened swiftly where the cliffs were concerned. She did not linger long among the strangers. Soon enough, Tux was escorting her away from his pack and around the Tangle where she had been discovered. She could've used more rest but did not want to disappoint her new friend, who seemed to have an endless supply of energy; he brought her as far as he could before prompting her for directions, which left little Ibis feeling kind of useless. Her offering of, I don't see any sad trees, wasn't exactly a boon to their efforts.

Together, Ibis and @Tux moved through the area until she thought she saw something familiar - and she rushed to meet that sensation without consulting her knight in swarthy armor, only to stop short and plunk her rear down upon the snow as she pouted. Nothing was familiar, not really. But overhead, swaying along the ridge where she couldn't quite look because she was so tiny, there were the tendrils of the mighty bowed willows, whispering as the wind played through their tresses.

It wasn't as if she had forgotten about Ibis, per se. She'd been on the lookout for the girl--well, kind of--ever since she'd left. But with everything going on, it was easy for one isolated problem to fade into the background. Maybe she'd feel differently if it was her kid.

Still. . .she felt bad. And the appearance of the pair at their border was a boon she didn't know she needed.

Ibis! Lily cried out, racing down toward the two with steps so fast they threatened to trip her up. She came to a sliding stop, snow flying, and pulled the girl into her embrace without question. Oh, thank god you're home, she breathed, relief palpable in her voice.

She turned her face to the young man, taking in his scent. Her brow furrowed, then relaxed as she worked it out. Drageda? she asked, more asking for confirmation than anything. She remembered that salt-laced aroma from her brief encounter with the woman on the coast. Thank you for bringing her back to us.

Just gonna close this.

As soon as she saw Lily, the girl bolted from beside Tux and burrowed against her. Her tail was wagging frantically as she plastered herself to the woman, making happy little noises while she thanked the boy and sent him on his way; Ibis didn't want him to go so soon, but she was overwhelmed with being reunited with someone familiar and didn't think to say goodbye until it was too late - and by then, the two of them were busy hustling through the willows to find Ibis' mother, who was probably a mess of worries.