Broken Antler Fen Bye, bye, miss chair model lady. . .

AW but tagging newcomer @Cinna!

Slowly but surely, she was settling into the rhythms of Brecheliant once more. Though there were twinges of wanderlust here and there, and at least one time where she thought very seriously about flinging herself into the unknown, the pros of pack life outweighed the cons. Especially in this season.

Much to her chagrin, her younger sisters were gone, but at least @Roswell remained, and she spent a lot of time with the growing young man. He reminded her more of Arielle with each passing day, with not a small amount of her own father mixed in as well (but—how could that be?). 

Today, though, Lilitu spent the morning and afternoon alone. Evening had well fallen upon the fen as she departed the graves of her mother and Wraen and wandered into the Sagebrush Green.

It was peaceful, here, and pleasantly scented even covered in snow. Her breath fogged ahead of her path, and the only sound was the soft, steady crunch of her paws upon the frozen ground. Perhaps the peace here lingered from her time at the memorial, where she had spoken aloud to her dearly departeds.

Her joys. Her fears. Her questions—so many questions.

Cinna was still new to Brecheliant, but she was enjoying her time so far. She'd gotten some fishing experience from Teya, and now made it an effort to visit the lake at least once or twice a week to practice on her skills - if she practiced at the fen itself, she just got distracted by her fellow packmates. She still wasn't very good, mostly because she was easily excited, and often didn't yet have the patience that fishing required. She was too mobile, and it was often her fidgeting that scared the fish away, well before she could even hope to catch them. Even so, she wasn't going to give up on it yet.

Cinna was just on her way back from Lake Rodney when she ran into an unfamiliar face. "Oh. Hello!" Her tail wagged behind her, as always, and she smiled broadly. "I don't think we've met yet - I'm Cinna, I joined a few weeks ago."

She hadn't really expected to come across another soul—Brecheliant's numbers were, she admitted, worryingly low—so it was a pleasant surprise to find someone headed towards her, and she gave a beaming smile in return.

Hi, Cinna! she said. The girl was younger, but not a child, and her looks were fairly similar to Lilitu's; she could have been a long-lost sister. In fact, she stared at the wolf for a few long moments, wondering if. . .

Nah, no. She'd seen all her little siblings; this wasn't one of them.

I'm Lilitu. How'd you find this place? She began to walk slowly through the field, beckoning the newcomer to come along with her.

SUPER sorry for the wait! i was having trouble connecting to the character so my muse was nonexistent for a bit there

Cinna trotted happily after Lilitu, telling her, "Oh, I just met up with Teya, and we hunted together, and I asked if I could stay here." She nodded towards the direction of Lake Rodney, adding, "I've been trying to work on fishing, but I'm not very good..." Cinna's ears angled back a bit, and she smiled in an embarrassed sort of way. "Um... what about you? How long have you been with Brecheliant?"

Physical Health (100/100)

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Mental Health (100/100)

no apologies needed!!

She grinned at mention of Teya, nodding. She helped teach me how to fish, when I was a girl, she remarked. I. . . Lilitu trailed off, then shrugged, her face set in a grimace.

My mother helped form this place. I was born before, and we moved here. . . Soooo—a while, I guess? Even though I keep exploring elsewhere, she added, and laughed, youthful face dimpling with humor.

Lilitu cocked her head, looking at the newcomer. Anyone showed you around, yet?

She knew the fen fairly well—as well as any place she'd know. Nothing was etched into her head; even the Vale, in which she'd been born, was merely a foggy memory. She thought she could serve as an okay tour guide for this place.

not sure what the timeline was for the move so if i need to edit just lmk! <3

Cinna nodded, eyes widening slightly as Lilitu talked about her mother, and how she'd been with the pack for a while. "Wow, is your mom still in the pack? And does that mean you might inherit it?" As always, she was full of questions. Then, she added, "Oh, and yes! Teya showed me around already, but we're moving soon, aren't we?"

I think they're still in the fen at this point!

She shook her head, throat tightening. No—she's dead, Lilitu explained quietly. The thought of inheriting what Ibis had given. . . I dunno. That's maybe too much responsibility for me, she said, laughing a little and trying to lift the mood.

That's what I hear, she went on, happy for the chance to change the subject. But not very far. So you could always come visit this place, if you're fond of it.

Her smile grew wry as she looked upon the frozen marshland. It's not the prettiest place I've ever lived, but it's okay, Lilitu mused. She returned her eyes to Cinna, said gaze having resumed its normal happy glow. Have you ever been to the mountains?

Cinna's eyes widened, mortified, as Lilitu told her that her mother was dead. "I - I'm so sorry," the girl whispered, ears folding back. The other female seemed to not to dwell on it, as she mentioned it would be too much responsibility to run a pack, and Cinna nodded, disconcerted. "I think it'd be cool, but maybe you're right..."

Talk shifted to the upcoming move, and Cinna nodded once more; she didn't love the fen yet, mostly because she just hadn't been here long enough, but it was good to know they wouldn't be moving far. Then, Lilitu spoke, and Cinna started slightly. "Wait! Mountains? No - can we go now?!" Her eyes were wide and round, and her tail waved excitedly.

Don't be sorry, Lilitu cut in quickly, before Cinna could have a chance to wallow in it. You didn't know. And the moment was soon forgotten as the girl grew excited over the mountains, and Lilitu let out laughter like a brook gurgling downstream: easy, bubbly and free.

Maybe when it's warmer, she remarked. They're all covered in snow now. It's not even really an easy trip in the summer, though many do it.

She sighed, the sound wistful. But it's beautiful. You can see everything. She closed her eyes, picturing the alpine sprawl before her. I was born in this big valley there; it was so green, and the sky was so blue. It was perfect.

Despite all that had occurred, she really didn't think any place would ever be as perfect as the once-home of the Empire.

They went on down the path, talking of things that once were and times that could be.