Emberwood go away somewhere all bright and new

Lily was still getting used to her new status as mother-to-be; she could hardly wrap her mind around it. How on earth was she going to handle this? She had the best friends and caretakers in the world, and Khali was amazing beyond words, but. . .god. The road ahead of her seemed more than daunting.

To clear her mind, she left the willows for a while, intending only to go to the neighboring ridge but traveling further, abstracted. She was glad she did, for when she entered the wood, she saw a figure that reminded her of something--someone--long ago, though the other was slightly obscured by trees and brush. Lily came closer, head canted in question, tail wagging behind her.

"I'm a dog - a border collie. We're herding dogs."

Poppy? she called out, drawing the name from the depths of her memory. Surely this must be the young woman; it was close to where they had met, and no one else looked quite like this.