Seaside Moors taking all i want from you again.

@Phex

Liffey was weary as she headed back home. The detailed map of the land she kept in her mind told her she was close--only another handful of hours and she'd be curling up beside her kids and her mate to get a good night's sleep after the couple of days she'd spent away. But the hour was late, and she was tired to her bones.

The Blackthorn stood upon one of many hills that were scattered across the moor, considering her options. If she settled down for the night now and made the rest of the trip in the morning, she would still be home ahead of when she'd told the pack she would return. Not well ahead, but ahead enough that her kids would be pleased. Plus, the sound of the grasses bowing to the wind and the distant rumble of the ocean was quite the lullaby. Circumstances like these were rather hard to resist...

Smiling to herself, Liffey made her decision and turned her gaze to the sky to get her bearings from the stars. She would find a sheltered place to rest for the night, then it was on home in the morning.

The woman needed a break. She hadn't left the borders in a long time and, as a scout, it troubled her deeply to be missing the outside world.
She needed to think alone, too.

Shadewood Keep. A place designed to be safe and to harbor Family and friends was not that anymore. It was a prison. She would not settle for her children to grow up under the rule of Cry and to have his lax decisions put them all at risk; not talking about Higoro. Another wolf could do the same but rampage through the Keep. Cry didn't even show up to the fight hat had brought even the most defenseless -- herself -- to see. Was he expecting that bear to do everything? Certainly not...it had wandered as far as she was concerned.

A figure upon a hill, looking skyward, made her stop. And smile. It had been long since she'd looked up and traced the images perfectly positioned upon the darkness.
Phex chuffed, trotting towards the stranger with a grin and softly waving tail. Always friendly.
"Nighttime walker too, hm?" She commented when she neared with a soft trickle of laughter. 

Liffey hadn't taken more than a few steps before she heard the footsteps that told of someone's approach. She turned to find the stranger on the landscape, took note of the friendliness in her posture and expression, and fixed something similar upon herself. "Nighttime, daytime, all the time," she answered with a gentle smile, "It's just a little too hard to sit still sometimes."

"I'm Liffey," she added after a moment.

She was glad her enthusiasm was received with the same energy. Great! Perhaps she could be taught by the kindly woman of something else in the stars.
"I feel the same, being tied down with my kids and all." She smiled, her mind wandering to her beautiful, tragic family. 

"I'm Phex," she replied, tilting her eyes skyward to see what they beheld. Glittering jewels looked down upon them, pointing the way to where they wanted to go. Phex could tell North and that was it really. She wasn't very skilled, but she was learning, for sure. 

The woman spoke of her children, which immediately drew Liffey's attention. She was a mother herself twice over, but she had long felt oddly competitive and even resentful of other mothers. That had been when she'd been part of a pack where the children of those mothers had competed against her own for resources and opportunities.

Being with the Frosthawks now, Raven's litter technically competed with her own. But the situation had taught her that it didn't have to be like it had been. The shared experience of motherhood could inspire kindship and bring wolves closer. That epiphany was one of the many reasons why moving back to be with her family had been one of the best decisions Liffey had ever made for herself.

So, when Phex spoke of her own children, Liffey felt intrigued instead of scornful. "How many do you have? Children, that is?" she asked.

She smiled. It wasn't often she got to talk about something so close to her heart.
"Two. A boy, Valour, and girl, Bronwen, both with resemblances to their Father and myself alike." They are perfect.
Perhaps she'd meet them one day be it sooner or later and recognize them. 
"My girl has a spot in her eye so bright, it rivals the North's Mother." She chuckled softly, looking to the north star the shone high above the lands, remembering back to that first night where her mate shown her it's beauty. Not that she knew it's real name, but hopefully Liffey would understand it's a star.

"What about your own?" She inquired, interested as she had been about her own.

A smile danced across Liffey's face as Phex spoke of her children. It was clear that the women adored them, just as a mother ought. Liffey felt that some adoration and pride for every one of her own children, young and old, near and far. The comment about the North star was not lost on her. She glanced skyward herself for a brief moment, her eyes locking on the bright light for a second before dropping away again.

"I have eight," Liffey said, pleased when it was her turn to be the gushing mother, "My first litter was last year--three girls and a boy. My youngest are nearing half a year. I have altogether five daughters and three sons." Her heart gave a soft pang as she thought of them, specifically of the three who had left the nest. As always, she wondered where they were now and if they were well, Breccan in particular. Not that a mother plays favorites (she does though).

Phex smiled, nodding happily. Eight was quite a number. The young woman was glad she'd only had two for her first litter; likely because of her age. She noted how proud the Mother was and realised she'd not spoken to the others of the Keep. Only Minori. Not Gwen; where had Velvet gone?
Her heart sunk, a frown twinging her lips. The Keep was falling, wasn't it? For her at least.

She'd come out here, feeling the weight lift from her, and to be at one with her hidden stars again. 
"I'm happy for you. You must be very proud of them. Did you take the same mate?" She wasn't well versed that it could be a difficult topic; she was too nieve to the pain it could cause even when her own was slowly dying.

Without realizing it, Liffey's eyes had shifted skyward as she finished speaking of her children. She swept her gaze across the heavens until they had grazed each one of the constellations she and Rannoch had chosen for their children, lingering on Breccan's stag a bit longer than the others. She missed her son desperately. The flood of emotion sobered her somewhat as she brought her gaze back to Phex, though she mustered a smile still at the woman's words.

"Yes, my mate Rannoch and I have been together since we were yearlings," Liffey said, even though I'm totally blanking on how old they actually were when they made things official, "He's a good man, and I always knew he'd be a good father. He and I lead a pack South of here now, yet he still has all the time in the world for his children, in spite of how busy he is." Liffey was proud of her kids yes, but she was also incredibly proud to call Rannoch hers.

Phex thought the pair to be very lucky, to have ta pack to call theirs and all.
She supposed she was lucky in a way that she was even allowed children.
But Liffey was living a life Phex wished she had. A mate that she could rely on, a pack, children.
Sadness caped over her, weighing on her shoulders as she glanced to the sky's eye.
Laroche's star.

"So not too long then." She grinned, implementing that Liffey looked youthful. 
She realised she didn't really want to talk about her troubles too much. She was here to escape and now they were coming at her thick, stopping her airways like thick tar.
"I might visit one day," she grinned. Indeed she would like to see what life she had and give her own young the chance to meet others. "I think I better be getting back now, though." Phex smiled as if disappointed. She needed to breathe. 
With a few more parting words, she took her leave.

Lmk if this is ok to end here, if not I can edit and we can continue.

Liffey could sense some melancholy falling over Phex as she spoke. She wasn't certain what caused it, but she could read between the lines well enough to come up with some idea. She had come from a world of happy families and long-lasting marriages, but she had seen others who were not so fortunate. She couldn't imagine giving her heart to someone only to have it abused and broken, as she was concluding (possibly erroneously) had happened to Phex.

Liffey returned the smile as the other woman spoke again, eventually excusing herself. "You and your family would be welcome," she replied honestly, "Just look for the Frostfurs." She considered mentioned the Redhawks and Blackthorns as well, but decided it wouldn't be necessary. If she came South, she'd run into either them or their extended family, and they could all point her in the right direction. 

She watched for a moment as Phex left, then turned her gaze skyward to once again get her bearings. She turned then herself and trotted off along the hills, intent upon finding a nice place to rest for the night. Then, onto her family in the morning.

ofc!