Stone Circle You're very tall, you're very handsome.

She smells like Marten, Hono, Julien, and Okeanos after visiting with them, if that matters any. Popping by to say hello! Maybe @Laurel can pop in? :0

A small hike was all it took to bridge the path between the glade of foxes and the familiar sight of Easthollow's borders; she did not cross them, although she wanted to very much, almost forgetting her sense of propriety. Ibis had also forgotten that her friend @Ira had moved away — if she'd ever been aware of the move, JB isn't really sure right now so lets just go with it — and so Ibis was hunting for signs of her friend, wondering how the puppy gathering had gone (if it had happened). She was invested in playing catch-up, and in seeing a friendly face after dealing with loss after loss. But as she perused the fringe of the forest where the glade transitioned to mountain and then to plains, Ibis could find no trace of Ira's scent. When she finally halts her search she is away from the trees, standing in full view of the invisible perimeter; she thinks she can spy the distant spires that make up the stone circle, and as much as she wants to visit them she knows not to go too much further.

Laurel hadn't been herself since Indra had died. Everything was different now. The world had always been hard and cold, but now the protective bubble around her that kept her from falling apart had dissipated, and her face was forced to watch the harshness that was too much to bear. Looking at her children she just thought of what Indra had said about them and wondered if there was a truth in that. It made her feel conflicted. It made her not want to see them anymore.

It screamed at her to run, run, RUN. Because running was all she had ever known to cope with the pain.

At first Laurel thought it was Marten she ran into, but she was surprised to find it was just some yearling that she didn't know, waiting seemingly beyond the border. Upon coming closer Laurel realised there was no scent of Valette there. She must have just met up with Marten then, perhaps, rather than being part of the pack. Tired eyes look at the stranger, and she wavers for a moment before deciding to continue her path along the borders' edge, sinking back into her thoughts.

She waited there along the edge of the territory, aware of the border and mindful of it. She thought of calling out with her voice - perhaps a song - but opted not to, as she enjoyed the peaceful calm around her. Still, Ibis was eager to reunite with her few friends among the wolves of Easthollow; she wondered what sort of things they had been up to, if Korei Julia had found any new and beautiful flowers since their last meeting, or if Ira had fought any particularly powerful creatures. She had forgotten that the warrior woman had moved on to Kaistleoki and was too invigorated by the thought of seeing friendly faces to think things through.

And then she saw a figure. They were dark, not so dark as to be a shadow though, and warm, although they appeared to take notice of her and turn around. Before they could get far Ibis slipped a little bit closer to the borders (perhaps even across them in her zeal) and called to the wolf: Hello! Excuse me! Hi! It felt like the stranger did not want to be there, that perhaps they would have rather retreated to the core of the territory rather than deal with an enthusiastic girl, which made Ibis a little bit worried. Still, she waved her tail like a truce banner and said, Sorry, I don't mean to disturb your duties -- I was looking for Korei Julia, or Ira, have you seen them?

Hieronymous stuck to his deal for making it up to the Easthollow wolves for his previous trespassing. He had grown to like these individuals despite having only stayed for a couple of months and interacting with a few of them at this time. It was hard to approach anyone knowing that you were only here out of duty rather than being welcomed with open arms after seeking them out - it felt like a weight being carried on his shoulders. An outcast despite how friendly they have been.

Perhaps he was simply being too hard on himself. 

Never the less, he made his routine around the borders. He grew stronger since the first day here and his encounter with Steph, and now was fully prepared to deal with anyone at the borders. As always, he hoped they were friendly and not here to cause trouble - speaking of which.

Teal eyes landed on the two at the borders now. The one seemed uncomfortable, a packmate who was walking away from the stranger who was still calling out for them. It didn't sound malicious, but it was certainly something he felt the need to come and help out with. 

Trotting forward with light paws, the painted man held his tail high and waved it like a banner - not out of pride or dominance, but rather something more akin to a puppy a little too excited. Hello! he sang out, bouncing forward, giving the packmate the ability to either stand by him or slink away, whatever she wished to do. My name is Hieronymous, how can I help you? Did I hear you right, Korei Julia and Ira? I heard of the later around, but she doesn't live here.

Laurel's ear pricked towards the stranger as they started to enthusiastically call her. Sigh. It was too late to completely ignore the stranger now, so Laurel started making her way towards the borders. There wasn't a pleasant look on her face, because she just couldn't muster that right then. She just stared at the other as she asked about Korei Julia -- someone that Laurel had never heard of -- and Ira -- who Laurel vaguely remembered had left. Truth of the matter was, after what'd happened and the birth of her children, Laurel had not socialised much within the pack but stuck mostly to herself and her family.

I -- But before she could properly respond, another approached with seemingly boundless amounts of enthusiasm and cheer. Who knew where they pulled it out from. This guy continued his cheer by introducing himself and mentioning that Ira didn't live here anymore. Excuse you! Laurel snapped at Hieronymous as she approached them, her body language suddenly dominant; tail flagged high, hackles pricked and head erect. She asked me. We were having a conversation over here. Alright so they weren't really having a conversation at all, but it didn't matter. Laurel needed something to kick, and this pack mate was right here in front of her. Her body language showed the danger in her mood, and it warned silently: show the respect I demand here. Laurel knew nothing about this man or his station in the pack, but right now, she didn't care very much about it either.

There was a momentary pause within which Ibis felt a flare of doubt, thinking she might have been too pushy - and then feeling very embarrassed for her insistence, especially when the woman finally turned to address her. She was very mighty, Ibis thought; she looked a bit older than herself, with a lovely coat of warm tones that reminded her very much of Okeanos, but then - she saw a flash of something sad in her eyes, something Ibis could recognize as loss or something desperately close to it, and her heart swelled. It was a very brief affair — as another body arrived, this one much more on Ibis' own level.

They were boisterous by comparison to the woman; their coat was more decorative too, with many patterns bleeding in to others, so that at first Ibis was perplexed by what she was looking at. She couldn't immediately tell the stranger's proportions as she had never seen such a speckled and varied coat before (save for Mali, perhaps!) and so it took a double-take before Ibis fully identified the wolf. They were speaking of Ira - reminding Ibis that her friend had moved. Right! How could she have forgotten?

And then Korei -- but that was cut short as the woman spoke up, cutting through the conversation abruptly in a tone that made Ibis uncertain. Ibis' mouth opened, but she wasn't sure of her words in that moment, nor if she should defend the so-called conversation that the woman seemed resistant to, or defend the speckled stranger for being more forthright -- so she looked between them and then shrank back from both, feeling evermore like a child between two bickering adults. A flash from the past.

I -- I'm their friend Ibis. She offered meekly, speaking of both her friends although it seemed as if Korei was, in fact, absent.

You didn't seem quite interested, but, if you insist. The woman's snapping wasn't all too welcomed. Behind the spotted eye, Hiero was a little annoyed with her random outburst and decision to show dominance in what was nothing but a friendly gesture. He did not flinch or back away and instead kept his ground. Should her teeth graze his skin, the fact that he simply could not feel anything anyway would help in remaining calm and still.

Despite his annoyance, he still tugged at his lips for a smile, only the brightness in his eyes to fade while he addressed the "family" member with a lesser brighter tone than before. 

I bid you a good day to you both. Turning back to the stranger at the border, he gave the young lady a nod before trotting off back into the borders of Easthollow. Leaving the shrew to her own devices and deciding not to partake in anything further with this. He wasn't here to climb the ranks of gain respect anyway. He was here to pay back a debt and be on his way in good terms with the majority of the pack members, especially their leaders.

Laurel didn't like this guy. Maybe even moreso because he didn't seem all too intimidated, where he should be. Because he didn't choose -- fight or back off -- but instead just remained, a choice that someone of his station couldn't afford. Because he looked pretty, a unique pattern where hers was dull and drivel and ugly. There were a myriad of reasons to hate him, and if there was one thing that Laurel was uniquely talented in, it was hatred.

Especially these days.

You should know your place, Laurel warned the pretty man and she bared her teeth, completely ignoring the stranger she said to have been in a conversation with before. It seemed he decided to bow out, but not while showing any sort of appropriate submission. Laurel wished she could follow him and push his face to the dirt and destroy him. But in the end, all these violent images simply flashed in the back of her head, and then they turned around on her, and she saw the horrible things that he would do to her -- and she flinched and simply watched him leave.

Ira left us, Laurel said, though that was the only information she knew. But I didn't know her very well. Tired eyes looked upon the stranger, knowing there was nothing she could do to help. I'd heard of someone named Korei Julia, but I've never seen her around. Must've left. They all leave, in the end. The last words were spoken with a hollow tone, her expression cold and weary. She just didn't know how to hold on anymore, especially in the dire circumstances of the lands around her.

It felt as if the lands were crumbling along with her sanity.

The dappled man said a few short things to the woman, then turned to leave. Ibis wasn't sure how to take the entire exchange. It was sort of like standing in the periphery while someone gets rear-ended; the man's comments egging on the woman, the woman glaring after him with an unhindered darkness that unsettled Ibis. It sounded like the woman was angry and possibly in pain for some reason but Ibis wasn't equipped to deal with it, or to help. She stood there awkwardly until she was addressed gain.

Ira was gone, Korei Julia -- gone too. They all leave, in the end. The woman grimly concluded.

Right. Well. She didn't want to stick around so badly now, especially if her friends were gone. But at the same time Ibis couldn't pull herself away from someone when they were clearly sad, hurting in some deep profound way she had never known. It didn't feel right to leave the woman like this even if she'd sort-of forced the conversation. That's okay, I'm sure I'll run in to them again, someday. Ibis offered, her voice light and hopeful, contrasting against the worry in her eyes.

Are you... Are you okay? I'm sorry, its probably not my place to ask, but.. You seem sad. Oh, Ibis. Innocent little Ibis. She had no idea what sort of can of worms she might've been opening up with this stranger; no idea either of the darkness hidden in the dark corners of the world. All she wanted to do was help, and hoped that talking would do that - it had always helped her, after all.

The woman's question annoyed the crap out of Laurel. Of course she wasn't okay! Of course it showed that she wasn't okay! What else did she expect? Did she really think Laurel would go and tell her about her dead sister and about all of the horrors in her life that she wasn't even ready to admit to herself? What a naive fool.

Laurel instead gritted her teeth and swallowed back the anger she felt towards the stranger. I'm fine, she said, her tone flat and cold and angry. Everyone had their problems. There was no use bothering the stranger with hers, not even as she was requested to. Is there anything else you need? The pointed question came out a little more annoyed and uncontrolled than Laurel intended, but she saw no point in correcting herself. She wasn't here to comfort some random stranger who once had friends in their pack, after all.

The brisk manner of the woman was a shock to Ibis, who had only ever had positive experiences when probing with questions. She hadn't meant to offend - but then, she hadn't really thought about how the questions might be taken, or the fragile, emotional quality of the woman's mood right then. She should have pieced it together when the speckled man had come, said his thing, and gone. When the woman hastily asked if Ibis needed anything else, the girl shook her head and withdrew. No, I'm sorry, um... I'll just go.

It was clear she'd overstayed any form of welcome she might've held if her friends had been near; so she did what she specified and drew away from the borders, hoping to shake the awkwardness from her shoulders with some time spent in quiet reflection. Whatever had happened to the woman, Ibis hoped she found peace.