Whitefish River You said, " breathe and steady your feet."

@Magdalena <3

It was sufficient to say that Liri had not returned to the Flatlands since the Plateau's demise. 

How could she, when every inch of the terrain reminded her of home - of Kavik. 

She had wandered from the Vale briefly, if only because the need to return was too insistent to ignore any longer. The healer needed closure and even if she couldn't return to the home of her former pack directly, the Flatlands themselves were close enough to act as a substitute. 

It seemed she had only just left the shelter of the Vale's stone arms when she arrived at the foot of the mountains - blinking in surprise to find herself at her intended destination seemingly instantaneously. Memories had flickered through her mind in a nostalgia-inducing slideshow throughout the trek; as a pale paw breached the familiar screen of withered grass the fae felt a bittersweet ache flood her veins. How it hurt to be in the lands she once considered her own, now an outcast - a ghost of happier times past. 

Her wandering feet led her to Whitefish of their own accord, dark gaze falling on a familiar pool of still water in one of the river's wide bends. On these banks, the disgraced wife had once discussed the mysteries of plant structure with Elixir - an Alpha in her prime then, with a loving mate and spring to look forward to. 

She found herself settling upon her scarred haunches near the bank, gaze flitting over her reflection to the pale shapes of fish darting through the dark water. 

Her mind began to wander along garden paths, thoughts finding their way back to the source of Liri's trip idly as if they had all the time in the world. 

The fae had believed in coming here, she might feel some sort of restoration, might find some hint as to why it had all fallen to shit.

Yet, curled upon the banks like a forgotten relic, she could feel nothing at all. 

Love had lingered in her heart for the dark Tonrar, drawing up fantasies of Kavik returning to her with the sudden realization that he couldn't do it, he just couldn't bear to be without her. The healer had pined for well over a moon, hopes of her dark knight returning valiantly growing dimmer as time passed. 

And as those weeks gave way to the first month and it bled into the second, that love festered and part of Liri grew to know hate. 

How was it fair for the spirits to lead her back to Teekon, deceive her into thinking she had returned home, or to give her what seemed like true love only for them to yank it out from underneath her feet once she truly found happiness?

How was it fair that Kavik had found peace when all he had given her was broken promises and heartache? 

But as Liri sat upon the threshold of their previous kingdom, eyes transfixed absently on the running water, a revelation dawned. 

He wasn't worth it. 

The startling discovery felt like a heavy weight as it fell upon her shoulders, her mahogany optics grew wide with surprise as her heart stilled. 

"He isn't, " she agreed softly in the tones of a conspiratory whispering. 

He'd been disloyal even before Alessia, had turned his back on her very existense after a mere two months, he had even left her for dead despite the continued efforts of Ruenna. Why did he deserve her love, especially now?

Liri felt adrenaline rush through her as the familiar hopeful thought came again with a resounding clarity - she would survive.

She would become something stronger, braver, better.