Shadowwyn Moor Listen for that bell, just wait for that sound

Spring was here and it was beautiful. Bridget made sure to check in back home frequently, but Maia and Eljay had both made it clear wandering was an acceptable thing for the wolves of Brecheliant to do. Now was the perfect time for it, and Bridget couldn’t help wanting to find out more about the strangers who lived around them.

This time her travel carried her to a slightly less green location. The ground was peated and soaked from a recent rain… it made it a little more awkward to traverse, but that was fine. Two packs neighbored it. She’d caught their markings but hadn’t bothered calling. Felt rude to bother them just to say hi, but maybe one of these days she could see it Teya or Maia wanted her to reach out.

Bridget glanced up at the sun’s position, then bent down to continue drinking. She had a few hours left before she needed to find a place to hunker down for the night. She’d spend another day or two exploring the region, then head back home and report back. Probably didn’t need to but eh, it as nice to feel like her wandering had another purpose.

It was morbid curiosity that drew her past the mountains and into the valley, where she knew Easthollow was. Where she'd thought she'd known it was.
It wasn't Easthollow anymore. Or maybe it was, but changed so much that she couldn't think of it the same way anymore. Her mother's scent was gone, and Keen could not imagine what could have taken her away. Death? Or was her family forced out? Keen hadn't stuck around to find out; she'd taken stock of the scents at the borders for a moment and promptly hightailed it out of there. She couldn't process the discovery with it sitting in front of her like that, right in her face.
The last thing she expected to find — the last person, rather, was Bridget. Yet there she was, drinking rainwater as casually as if she had always been here. Keen stopped, startled, and only stared for a moment. Then she let out a breath and smiled as she called out. Hey, She might have tried to be smooth like the first time they'd met, but Keen was visibly shaken as she moved closer to the golden healer. Easthollow, gone or changed in some essential way; which was worse? I didn't expect to see you here.

Well, shit, make that two of them for being surprised! Bridget cleared droplets from her muzzle and then lifted her head to smile at the other wolf, her tail running an enthusiastic wave of greeting behind her. Hey! Long time no see! The comment was playful and not at all accusing. She was happy to see her and glad that Keen still seemed interested in her company, but Bridget wasn't the type to get irritated when she fell lower on priorities. Sometimes wolves traveled, and most of the time that absence wasn't personal - just something that happened.

You took a trip, yeah? Someone mentioned it, last time I stopped in to check with Sialuk. It had been a while back, and then between kids, she hadn't managed to make her way again to see if Keen had returned. Longer travels were just kind of more needed for her too right now. Bridget paused, then noted the other woman's expression and the way it seemed a little off. She was always awkward when they interacted (something the medic found adorable) but this felt a little different than the usual. Hey. You okay?

Keen tried her best to follow along; she loved talking to Bridget, she really did, but there was a part of her that was too stunned and hurt and, strangely, angry to focus on conversation. She was too old for this kind of reaction, she thought, too far removed from what had once been her everything. But here it was, all the same.
Yeah, I took a trip to the mountains. I was looking for some information for a packmate, She tried to smile again and failed. History, naturally. Keen found herself at a loss, and briefly looked around as if searching for stable ground to stand on. I uh - I found out some bad news, I guess you could say. Just now. She laughed but the sound was humorless, some of her devastation bleeding through then. Keen sobered immediately, embarrassed. Sorry, I'm... sorry.

She wanted to ask more about the trip and how it had gone, hear all about her trade and the things she'd seen, but that clearly wasn't what Keen's mind was on right now. Bridget's expression shifted to open concern, but she shook her head the instant Keen tried to apologize.

Don't be sorry, bad news is bad news. You can be upset about it. Would it help to talk? She was more than willing to be a listening ear if so. If Keen was anything like Teya it would be a resounding no, but even that the medic wouldn't fault her for. Bridget herself usually felt the better for sharing, but unfortunately for her, most of what she had struggled with recently hadn't been her struggles to share.

There was concern written all over Bridget's face, and while Keen was grateful for it, she was uncomfortable too. She wanted to let Bridget care, to let her in, but she also didn't want to — because then there would be no way to detach. Keen needed that; she always had to keep one eye on the door with the red sign labeled EXIT, just in case. So she swallowed and mutely shook her head, her own expression tied somewhere between anguish and embarrassment.
After a pause during which she tried and failed to clear the lump in her throat, Keen broke her silence. I don't think I can talk about it, She said quietly, eyes flicking down to the ground briefly before finding Bridget's lavender gaze again. Keen tried to make her tone lighter when she spoke next, searching for a way to let Bridget help without letting her too close. But... if you don't mind extending your trip, there's somewhere else I need to stop before I go home, and I'd appreciate company. Your company, specifically. A little shy, with those last words, but she couldn't help but clarify.

The answer confirmed that she shared at least one thing in common with Teya. It wasn't a comparison she drew on purpose, or fully, but it brought similar questions to mind. Bridget didn't think she would ever understand why some chose to keep things like this to themselves, bottling them up rather than openly letting themselves share them with a friend. In all of her experiences, all hiding did was lead to complications and upset as everything went unresolved and escalated.

She couldn't judge what she didn't understand, but it did set off a small warning, the first indication that maybe this relationship (if they called it one) wasn't all set for smooth sailing. Too early to tell, of course.

I don't mind. Where did you need to stop in at? She took a step back from the water and looked off towards the mountains, glancing that way before letting her gaze settle back on Keen. I planned a few more days out here before I would head home anyway. Things have been slow, aside from a few bumps and bruises. Kids figuring out how to be kids. She laughed a little, both at the memory and to diffuse any tension Keen felt over this. She really didn't mind.

It's in the taiga; some little frozen spot in the middle of nowhere, Keen's expression turned a little distant. She was relieved Bridget had agreed to come with her, having assumed it would be a detour from whatever she had planned. It was good to know she wouldn't be keeping Bridget from whatever purpose she'd had here, but Keen still had the passing anxious thought that she hoped Brecheliant wouldn't mind too much.
It seemed like they didn't appreciate Bridget enough anyway, seeing as she always felt the need to get away.
That thought was all Keen needed to push her guilt aside and throw herself into the mission at hand. She offered a hesitant smile. I'm glad you're coming with me, She said, because she couldn't think of anything else to say. Keen had never been very good at conversation even in her best moments. But she wanted Bridget to know that she appreciated her company, that she wanted it despite everything in her resisting whatever they were becoming.
Were they becoming something?
Even if it had been the time to ask, she wouldn't. But she wondered.

Me too. She probably should be back and helping more, but Bridget couldn't shake the feeling that the space was good for a number of reasons. They all benefitted, and the more she took, the more she realized how much she needed it. She'd been there for Sorana, but even with her friendliness with Bronco, she didn't feel welcome getting close to this bunch of the kids. Things with Teya were just too strange, and when they'd never been able to really talk about... anything, there'd never been a chance to get past it. It felt, more and more, like she was pushing herself into something that had no room to give.

What kind of history is your favorite to learn, when you visit places? If the silence had felt needed, she wouldn't have broken it, but instead she would initiate some talk to get both their minds on better things. She was curious what kinds of details a historian might find worthwhile.

Keen couldn't blame Bridget for not wanting a silent traveling companion, but at the same time she dreaded trying to make conversation on the way. How could she focus on anything at all when the world was so thoroughly changed? And, worse, she did not even know when it had happened. She could be grieving years behind the actual event, for all she knew.
More than ever she wanted to see @Merrit or perhaps @Arlette... but their scents hadn't been there either. Pack history, She said, gesturing for Bridget to follow as she started toward the taiga. It was getting late, but she figured they could cover some ground while they searched for shelter at the very least. There used to be a pack called Easthollow, just over that way at Stone Circle. It's not there anymore. Or if it is, it's not the same pack it was. Someone else lives there now. She pointed out the direction of Stone Circle, and her eyes kept drifting that way despite her efforts to focus on the path ahead. I'm not sure I'll ever know that particular history.

She'd brought up the subject in an attempt to distract, a chance for friendly conversation that could lighten the air some. It didn't seem to work, though, as Keen seemed to bring it around to touch on something that might have been related to her earlier distress. Bridget didn't want to pry; she'd already said she didn't want to talk about it.

Ahh. Good to know. She took in the words with a smile, but let the rest of the conversation fade into comfortable (for her) silence. There were sides to Keen she clearly didn't know, and rather than try to figure those out, she chose to mind her own business for the moment. Prying hadn't really ended well the last time she'd tried it.

Unless Keen brought up something more to talk about, she'd be silent company for the next little while, taking in the landscape around them as they traveled north.

I'll start something new for them at their destination <3

She worried that Bridget hadn't liked her response, but only briefly. As much as she didn't want to talk about her feelings in general, Keen could rarely do anything but stew in them when they made themselves a nuisance. So that was what she did while they walked, occasionally pointing out little details in the landscape that she thought Bridget might enjoy. Keen even spotted a patch of flowers that matched the purple of her eyes. After that she felt a little lighter. The world wasn't changed, it seemed, for anyone but her. There was a strange comfort in that.

Bridget had always been open to a fault. When she felt something, she said it, but there were times when that overwhelmed and drove others away. She'd had more than a few friendships, and more, fail because of it. She'd had a lot harder time when she was younger, stepping lightly around others' feelings and keeping her own to herself. It came easier now that she was older but she doubted it would ever be a comfortable thing.

Sometimes friendship wasn't comfortable. She let Keen lead the way and responded to her comments with quiet laughter and equally simple additions, but didn't bring up anything personal again. Silently she wondered if she was the strange one, feeling like trust was something a friend foundationally deserved. In her experience, friendships and relationships could only grow if they were given the chance to. Keen's reluctance to let her in had closed the door on a chance, but she'd be patient. Maybe another would open that the other woman would allow her to walk through.