Witch's Marsh The tide comes in, I watch it all wash away

for @Sarah only if you have time! Otherwise I can aw this

Ashlar was away on business of his own within the Bypass, so Gannet left to see what could be found in the marshes to the East. He'd learned what he could of healing and his skills had improved with both time and practice, but still he felt he'd only just scratched the surface. There was so much knowledge!

In order to equip himself for the winter and the pack to come, he'd need supplies. The cold season was not optimal, but some could be found. Water always brought life, even when it was occasionally stilled with frost. He combed through the edges of the swampland and nosed amongst the chilled mosses, setting aside those that looked most promising. As he did, he smiled. His son had little patience for the skills he had to teach, but perhaps another might like to learn. One of Terence's? He'd like to leave the skill; he did not know if, when he took news to Mona, he'd return or not.

After spending some days away from the Emberwood (details of which are yet to be hammered out and therefore I will be vague about them), Sarah was on her way to the pack. She had considered not returning at first - but as rephrasing Mark Twain: "News about Ibis's death might have been greatly exaggerated." The girl was as good as dead, if she did not decide to wake in soon, but she was not dead yet. So... after getting rid of the emotional load, she was able to think rationally again.

Had Gannet decided to stay still and not seek food in swamplands, Sarah would have missed his presence entirely. Her mind was fully occupied with myriad of thoughts (most of them depressing, but that was a normal state for her) and she could have passed him within an inch from his nose and not pay any attention. Now, however, her head snapped up and she stood still the moment she heard the sound of moving footfalls. A moment later she spotted a pale pelted wolf wandering around.

It took her another moment to realize that she knew the guy. Unfortunately, his name had escaped her memory, so her former dear friend was greeted with an unceremonious: "I did not expect to see you again!"

Gannet knew that familiar faces would be around, but he also knew there was no guarantee he would see them. The man had been away a long while and a lot had changed. This face, though, was particularly welcome. He wasn't one for forgetting names (my only char who doesn't), so he knew her immediately. They'd talked through some heavy times together.

You're still here, he said, and came forward to meet a little closer. His smile made it clear that he was extremely pleased by this, even if his tone didn't quite match her enthusiasm. How are you? The second question was a courtesy, but for Gannet it went deeper as well. Last he knew she'd been better.

Sarah assumed that the black-foot guy had also forgotten her name, though he too recognized her. It was an eternety ago, since they last had spoken. She vaguely remembered missing the meaningful and honest conversations with him, but then Mahler had come along and filled the vacancy so effectively that... she was ashamed to admit to herself again - she had quite forgotten about him.

"Nothing much has changed," she told him. "I do not live with Terance anymore," she added, in case he wanted to know any news about Lost Creek Hollow. "Why have you returned?" not an accusation, a genuine curiousity. He had left for reasons she could not recall.

Gannet smiled easily. I saw. I do now, for a while. He did not know how long he would stay, but it probably wouldn't be until summer. Not without at least returning and giving Mona an update. Ashlar wanted to come back. He'd been curious, but without his son's desire to return, likely Gannet would have remained gone. He'd always been rather transient in the lives of wolves around him.

Why did you leave? He'd thought she and Terance were close, so it was odd to see her gone. She seemed happy, though? Wherever she was, it was perhaps treating her well.

"I thought I had found new purpose in my life, but now I am not so sure," Sarah replied, without delving much in details. She was not sure, if she wanted to return to Uaine Gorsedd after her brief tryst with Mahler. Those had been good few days and, if it had been up to her, she would have wanted to continue like that forever. But she realized that the right moment, when their paths should have crossed and they could have written a story together, had passed. They couldn't rewrite the past and couldn't build a future together. Mahler wanted to build an army and she had to battle with her demons daily.

"Where are you staying at the moment - Terance or somebody else?" she asked. There were quite a lot of packs around here, Gannet was a pleasant fellow and would undoubtly have it easy to join any group. Unlike her grumpy self.

They conversed for a while longer and then left each other on mutually good terms. 

Closing off all my Sarah threads. Thanks! :)