The Heartwood Somebody said, "Outside the rain..."

Ibis left her girls in the care of @Akavir, who had promised them a tour of some of the harder-to-access sections of the vale, which would simultaneously keep them distracted from thinking of their mother and tire them out, for which Ibis was thankful. They were transitioning away from drinking milk and the change was difficult, a struggle for the two picky girls, but Akavir would handle it.

She was busy hiking away from the empire for the first time since arriving there to claim it, happy to stretch her legs—but worried, too, for what she might miss by making this trip.

She had considered going north to visit @Eleuthera within the Court, or moving in to the flatlands to check in on @Ira and Kaistleoki; however, after descending the mountainside in the very early morning and being met with the overflowing banks of the Greatwater, she was distracted. Ibis crossed the plains that afternoon and did not consider how far she'd gone - or for how long her adventure had persisted - until she was seeking shelter and the sky was thick with darkness.

he was tucked nicely amongst the roots in the protective embrace of a large tree, as stalwart as ever despite its barren state and proving to be a great comrade in terms of protecting him from the onslaught of rain continuing to relentlessly batter the wilds. given that neverwinter was out of the picture now thanks to mr 'i think im the bees knees because i beat little guys up but in reality im just a shit coloured brute with no friends because i've superiority issues and my entire host of brain cells exists only to stroke my ego and hype my inferno of a temper', he'd been forced to find somewhere else to provide shelter until things cleared up enough to travel again. except, they simply hadn't and so reif had ended up a prisoner within his own sanctuary for weeks, hungry and pissed off. having said that, he found an odd tranquility in the blemished woods, maybe not someone's first choice if they were seeking to set up camp safe from the world's bitter weeping but that was exactly what the boy enjoyed. they were recovering enough from whatever had previously taken it upon itself to vitiate them that they did the job and being no one else's first choice, he was never disturbed.

that was, until right this very moment as ears fluttered to attention at the soft footfalls of another stirring in the gloom. a different beat to the symphony of rain, that was for sure, and it wasn't long until the press of narrowed eyes did indeed spot a figure roaming closer. a brow arches as he studies what he can see through her thick cover of water and shade, was it a child? he didn't think so, just a really small wolf, hell perhaps even smaller than him, now that was something you didn't see every day. a sigh as he lowered his head once more, not making an effort to conceal himself but certainly by no means eager to make his presence known as he opted to merely wait and watch; curious as to what would bring one to this home of death just as the shadows were coming out to play.