Firefly Glen But she knew.

Outside of Neverwinter's forests.

Miriam spent majority of her time within Neverwinter, awaiting for Asmoses, or trying to appease Liliana. However with her daughter now rightfully ignoring her, and the absence of her son, she truly was in the depth of despair. The best she could do was pray the days away, within her own mind and away from her daughters own sanctuary.

At times, she felt to step out of the forest. Surprisingly, the glen right beside was quite strong on the scent of wolves flocking- as it always was, but since she had come back, predominantly moreso. She didn't mind, really, she always felt like a guest of Neverwinter then of a home. At times Miriam wondered how her children felt about it, it definitely was there home, where they were born, but she.. Never felt that connection.

The mother stared at curiously, wondering who occupied the plains.

The Glen was massive. Patrolling it took even the most energetic members days at best. Toad had been assisting in the task nearly every day, despite the furthest corners being too far from the rendezvous to rejoice with her chosen family at the end of each long day.

The air was cool and crisp. The scent of dried conifer needles and damp leaf piles were an ever present fragrance that hung in her nose. Nearly every tree along the border that stood away from Neverwinter was marked with the scent glands from her face and body, for the huntress had long run out of urine. She didn't know how boys did this all day long.

It was just after one of these scent rubs that she found an unfamiliar face along the newly forming borders. She raised her tail, though it was as much in a friendly nature as it was in a "this place belongs to my pack" meaning. She strolled confidently toward the soft-coated lady, who seemed equally relaxed. Hello there, she said, sniffing politely at the woman from a distance. Are you from Neverwinter? The tone of her voice was soft. Her tail fell easily and Toad tilted her head.

Miriam held a soften smile, "Yes," she confirmed. While Mal seemed to held general distrust for Moonspear, she did not have a particular reason. Especially since one of her dearest friends, @Bronco, was currently deployed within their ranks. Surely if he was there, they couldn't be devil-spawned like some could imagine.

"I am Miriam, Miriam Iris Willow, one of the mothers in Neverwinter." Majority of the pack simply contained children and parents- the Alpha, obviously being the one who produced them all. In total there was at least four parents, though one.. Sadly passed.

May the Goddess rest his soul, for Miriam cherished Cupid regardless how blunt one may have been. They helped her so, during a time of sorrow with Asmoses.

There was a regality to her introduction that Toad appreciated. She gave a slow nod at this, maintaining the soft smile. Pleasure to meet you. It's an honour to meet a mother of Neverwinter, she said, true respect in her words. Mothers were the lifeblood of a pack. They were more important than warriors and guardians and even hunters, really. They performed some of the most difficult and beautiful work of all; Toad had long strived to be of as much use as possible to the mothers of Moonspear, and her birth pack before that.

I'm Toad Amelia. I'm from Moonspear and many of us are settling here in the Glen, I'm sure you've noticed, she explained. She wasn't sure what exactly Neverwinter's relationship was yet with Osiris and the Ostregas. Toad was determined to make a good impression on this important figure, if for no other reason than out of respect.

Toad wasn't sure if Miriam wanted questions answered or some other specific thing. Perhaps she was just scoping things out.

She laughed lightly, feeling it was not an honor. Though surely many knew that Neverwinter was majority of family-filled, with plenty of Mal's children running amock. She thought to be the simpliest of greetings. Though the wolf before her seemed nice, and introduced herself as Toad Amelia. Such an interesting name, Miriam thought.

"Is Moonspear expanding their territory?" For what she knew, Firefly Glen was neutral territory, but a hunting ground for some. She wasn't aware that the mountain group was territorial over it.

Toad mirrored Miriam's laughter, though she didn't understand it. Toad nodded excitedly. In a sense yes; Osiris, Hydra's son, has decided to form a sister pack, Firefly Glen, she explained. Surely, Osiris had discussed this first with Neverwinter. Toad was unsure of all of the details though, and decided not to assume anyone knew anything. She was often out of the loop.
After talking to Dirge, she knew that there had been times that the Glen as a hunting ground had been contended. The family, and she herself, were most concerned about vagrants than they were neighbouring packs from the sounds of it. It made sense then to ally with those that they would be sharing a border with. Recently one of our puppies went missing, and there've been all sorts of vagrants troubling us, so it made sense to have more security for everyone's sake, Toad went on.
She knew that at the very least, securing the Glen would prevent such people from bothering Neverwinter as well. Ideally, the entire valley would be coated in wolves in the correct side of law and order.

"I do not know Osiris, but I am familiar with Bronco. I cherish him as a friend." Miriam was often out of the politics surrounded by Neverwinter. She only pushed herself with her children and minor interaction with others, as well as praying to the Goddess above. The only connection to the outside that the mother had, was the occasional Bronco that seemingly appeared in and out of her life; she really did see him as a friend.

"One of my own is missing as well," the mother confessed with a saddened tone, as her ears had flattened, "my little boy Asmoses." Hearing their own pack was missing one as well; it surely seemed there was a curse upon them all.

Even though she lost one, Miriam had also lost her daughters heart. In the end, she lost two children, and the only two she ever had.

Toad's face lit up when Miriam mentioned Bronco. Bronco's a great guy, she said, grinning and wagging her tail. Part of her wished that there had been some kind of romantic whats-it between them since Meerkat had hoped for that, but she knew that she was not in his league. That, and he was a bit young for her.

When the grey mother told her that she too had a missing son, Toad shifted, stunned. Her tail dropped and her face pulled into a deep, concerned frown. That's terrible, she said, sad and angry. She wanted to find the person, or people, responsible for these disappearances and watch them suffer. It just wasn't right. She greatly feared for their safety; the puppies from the spring were still small enough that they weren't capable of fending for themselves. Who would feed them? Did someone, or something, take them to harm them?

We just have to find them. We have to... Her tone was strong, but her voice seemed to quiver toward the end.

"I've been hearing there is a heinous group that was in the mountains. We can only pray that it was not them." Her face lifted to the sky, a short prayer to the Goddess of soundless words. Miriam could only pray to her, and the Horned God to protect all the children lost. Surely was not a mere' coincidence they were all missing-

sadly though, the group was not responsible for any of the disappearances. 

"I hope they are safe."

Heinous, Toad parroted, looking away. What did that even mean in such a context? Why would anyone ever want to harm a child? The thought of it disgusted her. Her stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself. She wanted to vomit. Her saliva even started to feel hot and slippery, but the mother Miriam moved on. She was right. They could not worry about things that they couldn't control.

Me too, said Toad solemnly. Perhaps.. We can work together to find them, she said. Without waiting for a response, Toad quickly followed. I hate to pry, but where was your boy, little Asmoses, last seen? It was the only thing she could think of that might help — sharing information. Our Mira was last seen on the borders of Moonspear. We think someone... or something took her in the Glen here. Toad readily shared the information to the Neverwinter wolf.

Although the packs were not allied, Toad sought to change that. There were more important things than politics at stake. There were real, living, breathing children who needed help. Toad was not about to sit and silently mourn with Miriam without trying to do something about it.

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"There is a man as well.. Assaulting our children." She hoped the hint was far enough without directly saying the heinous crime that was committed. Miriam dare not to name her own daughter, and assumed a man bold enough to do so close to home, there was other victims around. That itself, broke her heart, and set upon such a saddened look on the mother.

"My little star was last seen on the borders as well, perhaps it was the same man?" Such a thought disgusted her. Who would steal children, and for what purpose? She was thankful that Liliana did not get taken away by the one time, and assumed it could not be the same wolf..

Who would want children so much?

"It is truly a cruel world."

What Miriam spoke of did something very rare to Toad indeed.
Her blood began to boil. She felt a maternal anger rising within her that she did not have a place for it, for itt was something she couldn't remember ever feeling before. It was sudden, and intense, and frightening. It was something that gave her the power, an intense power to harm another. For harming a child in this way... the harm of even a woman in this diabolical, horrible, unspeakable way...

Toad was livid. The feeling was so intense, the twisting of her stomach caused her to look to her side. She wretched slightly, and dryly— nothing came up as Miriam spoke of what had happened to her daughter.

Toad was furious. This was a rare thing. The world isn't supposed to be like that. She spoke very intensely. Her words did not drift or falter. She wanted to hurt these people. She needed to find these children. This man, he must be destroyed, she said, quite harshly. There was no mistake in her words. This person who harmed children. She wanted to kill them.

"I was raised under the Goddess's Orchid, and we were taught to forgive and believe in the light-" and so she always prayed to. The for the Goddess to let fate be in the light, and eventually their soul to unite with her in the Summerlands. However, "but it seems as I left so, the world is truly covered in a darkness." Miriam could only shake her head, thinking of so.

Born from the Orchid, the maiden was brought up with others, and her only Amma. Though she never thought to be alone, for the sisters that were not related; everyone was to be family. She may not know who her papa was, but the Orchid always had the warriors of the Horned God to protect them so.. Such a peaceful world..

And finally, at the age of one, did she decide to step out, and quench her thirst for the world. And so much as happened, and even she, had been wrapped into the darkness. In the end but light enveloped her children, but sometimes did she feel it tug on the back of her neck.

"Do you believe, in a God?" she so asked.

Though her hatred seethed and burned, the Neverwinter seemed to calm her spirits. Toad for her part felt almost distanced and even confused of Miriam, who quickly began to spout some information of a Goddess unknown to her. And though Toad was not an easily turned woman, she focused on the Forest wolf, if only for fear that such lack of knowledge might blind her.

Indeed, the world seemed covered in a darkness. Toad, being unfamiliar with such beliefs, was entirely unsure how to respond to this kind woman. I uh, I dunno, she answered. The brown huntress wasn't sure what believing in a God entailed.

Like a higher power? Like somebody is watching us? Toad asked it without meaning to seem nasty or rude, but she felt the responses heavy on her heart. She worried that the seeker might feel otherwise, that Toad might need to pay. She felt uncomfortable, and shivered.

"I understand not all believe in a God or Goddess, but for me it is a salvation for a better world." It is the small part of her that gave warmth, that all the harshness that was in this mortal world, that the Goddess had others amongst her, that was just a better life. The Summerlands as well, were none would truly harm from the darkness; but to gain such enlightenment, required lifetimes of recrimination.

"I would hope they find salvation within their darkness.. But lately I wonder if they truly deserve it." The hatred she felt could not simply remove itself even through all the praying, for she truly wished harm upon the one that had touched her own daughter. Do some people deserve saving? Lately those questions plagued Miriam's mind.

The idea that belief could be a salvation seemed odd to Toad. Didn't you need to actually do something to make sure there was a better world? The thought distracted her from her anger at the child-harmer, however, and so she took a moment to think about it. I never really thought about it, she said truthfully. Religion had never been part of her life. She listened as Miriam went on to wonder if the child-harmer deserved "salvation."

Toad shook her head. I don't think a person who hurts a child gets to have salvation, she said darkly. She didn't really know what the word 'salvation' meant, so she used it more in place of the word 'happiness' even though she knew it was probably incorrect. Or if they do get to, then they get to have it taken away. Toad made no room in the world for such monstrosity.

"Perhaps you are right.. How I was raised was to forgive all and any, and to hope they receive the light that they were born with. With children, you question quite a lot of your own ideals." She knew for certain, Miriam could never forgive the monster who done such an act to her daughter. She didn't have the heart to wish ill upon them, but neither did she wish for them to reach enlightenment for salvation. Such an act, wouldn't deem worthy for the Summerlands of heavenly plains..

"I must be getting back, but it has been a pleasure to meet you."

Fading!

Toad opened her mouth, but no words came out. She'd never met anyone quite like Miriam, who seemed to believe in her heart that all deserved this.. light she spoke of. Toad had never heard of anyone being born with light or dark. From the stories she told, it seemed in legends that people were either good or evil. Sometimes there was in between, but it was rare if not unheard of in such tales for anyone to change.

While Toad knew well that the fanciful tales she told were just that, she also felt like this "good versus evil" was strong in the life she had lived. Of course, the coffee-coated woman failed to see such complex characters in her own life, such as her father. Doing so would have been admitting the harm he had inflicted while still being "good."

Of course, uh, thank you for chatting with me, she said awkwardly, still puzzled by the grey other. She gave a slow nod of her head and a brief, troubled smile. Then, they each went their separate ways. Toad went on patrolling, and Miriam melted back into Neverwinter.

Toad wondered if she would see her again.