Dragoncrest Cliffs déjà vu

She hadn’t stayed in one place for years. Although she had fallen in love with Rivenwood all over again, Javelina left the bypass as soon as she was certain her heat was well and truly finished. She let @Glaukos know she needed to stretch her legs and that she intended to return before nightfall, though that wasn’t the only reason she left her beloved home today.

She’d been thinking of her mother and sisters quite a lot since coming home, reluctantly at first and then with a heart cracked wide open and teeming with memories. What had become of them? Javelina didn’t know where to find any of them, though there was someone from her past who might be exactly where Javelina had left her.

As she neared the coast and the smell of salt filled her nose, Javelina paused and closed her eyes, awash in welcome nostalgia. She reopened them and continued trotting toward the cliffs by way of The Tangle. Her heart thudded in her chest as she came closer and confirmed: Sapphique was still here, still strong. And if she was not mistaken, that was @Mireille’s scent still woven in with all the rest…

sobeille had gone again. val did not think much of it - for many of the women had been seized by wanderlust of late, and he knew now his daughter resented his worrying. if she was not back by sunfall, he would let chacal know and begin his search.

sunfall was close; he watched the sun’s margins as it moved across a silvery winter sky. to preoccupy himself (and perhaps to strike two birds with one stone) val trotted along the tangle’s edge. he acted as if he were marking, but he also surveilled for any scent of sobeille’s.

another’s tracks headed into the briarwood. val was not a naturally suspicious wolf, but he wondered if she’d seen anything. hailing after her, val stopped as her silhouette came into view. she was thinner than he, worn by hard miles maybe — and her fur a cinereous grey that matched the darkening skies. hey there, val called affably, wondering what brought her out in such an unforgiving place.

Someone approached. Javelina went stock-still, listening to the footsteps crunching through the underbrush. She turned her face in that direction, letting the rest of her body lower slowly. She hadn’t quite reached Sapphique’s fringes yet, though surely this wolf belonged there. The last thing she wanted to do was come across as any sort of threat.

The male who materialized wore a dark pelt, save for a splash of white on one paw. Her eyes briefly caught on his, their green nearly matching. Javelina quickly averted her gaze, tucking her tail close to her hind legs. His amiable tone was very encouraging, though she wanted to make every effort to appear peaceable.

Hello, she returned his greeting, eyes flicking up in a flash before dropping again. My name is Javelina. I’m an old friend of Mireille’s, although, she continued, taking a deep breath as she realized, she knew me as Druid. I was hoping to find her here, see if she’s doing well…

if val was ever a jaded wolf, even then javelina’s submissive presentation would have evaporated any sense of distrust. his tail waved amicably, the last of shred of misgiving melting away as the she-wolf revealed her connection to mireille.

just mention of the russet woman was enough to bring a spark of interest to val’s gaze. oh, well nice to meet you. i’m val. he was not the type to speak on mireille’s behalf, so he stepped back with another friendly wave of his tail. i know @Mireille was traveling recently — a large hunt out on the plains. i’m not sure she is back — would you like me to bring you to sapphique and we can see if she’s returned?

She didn’t think she’d spoken that name out loud in years. She’d rarely had occasion to share her alias, either, but she’d thought of herself as Javelina Basilisk for so long. Just saying the old name aloud filled her with a sense of yearning. She’d come home. Once more, she was Druid of Rivenwood.

Her heart fell a little when Val told her Mireille might not be home, though it lifted again the very next moment when she realized what this meant: she was still in Sappique and, by the sound of it, she was indeed doing well. Druid’s expression softened into a fond smile.

She considered Val’s offer, then said, Thank you for offering, Val, but I don’t want to impose. I just— She paused abruptly to gather her thoughts. I haven’t seen her in years. And I don’t know what she would think if she saw me now. How is she?

She was here, possibly thriving, but Druid wanted to know specifics. What had Mireille done with these past two years? Anything Val could tell her, she would gladly listen, tucking the knowledge close to her heart, next to all her memories of her dear friend.

he was about to send his voice out to the wind when javelina informed him that was not necessary. with a soft smile, he cupped his ears forward and listened.

he wondered when they met; mireille was much like her mother, and val knew the women of sapphique to live storied, full lives.

she is good. val felt a smile sun the corner of his mouth, blooming into something wistful with love. she is a leader and mother now. i imagine much has happened since you saw her last. at this, the soft smile fell away — for he remembered all sapphique had lost these last years.

would you like me to pass a message along?

A leader, she marveled, and a mother. Years may have passed but Druid could think of few more deserving of such honors. Val pointed out that much had happened in those intervening years and she knew it must be true. Yet surely Mireille was still the same incredible creature from her girlhood days.

That’s wonderful, she said on a quiet breath. Two years is a long time. I’m sure you’re right. But Sapphique is still here, Mireille too. That’s wonderful, Druid repeated.

She considered Val’s question and wondered what Mireille thought of her now, if she ever thought of Druid at all. She was a busy woman, certainly, and Druid didn’t want to disrupt that in any way. But perhaps if she left word, Mireille would find the time to come see her one day.

Yes, if you don’t mind. Tell her I’ve come home. I’ll be in Rivenwood and she’s welcome to visit anytime, if she wants. And give her my well wishes, she said, eyes resting gratefully on Val’s face. Thank you.

val biased of course, but he agreed. sapphique was wonderful. life -- as he knew it -- was wonderful. and mireille -- well; he thought more highly of her than perhaps anything else.

he scarcely noticed druid repeated herself. rivenwood. val repeated this carefully, terrified he might somehow forget the message between now and when he saw mireille again. i will. i'll pass it along. he fell silent after his promise for a second before realizing: does she know where that is?

She didn’t answer his question right away, reaching back into her memories. Come to think of it, a majority of her memories involving Mireille were set at the seaside, pardoning their meet-cute. Surely her friend had come to call at the bypass, though Druid honestly couldn’t recall after all this time.

Tell her she can find me in the bypass just beyond Phoenix Maplewood, Druid told Val, reminiscing about the time the two of them had escaped another large hunt. Thank you again, Val. You’re welcome too, of course, if you ever want to visit. For now, I ought to get going. I told my companion I’d be back before nightfall.

there was a pause. val sensed rather than outright knew that druid was shuffling the memory deck. he had his own days like this, and smiled patiently to himself.

when at last she spoke, he nodded, collecting to his feet in a polite gesture. alright, i will let her know. i'm sorry you missed her. it felt strange sending off someone who hadn't quite gotten what they came for. val realized in that moment that his life, while full, was rather lonely at times. safe travels -- avoid the tangle if you can. it was nice to meet you, javelina.

he waited for javeluid to make her leave -- for a while, he stood at the spot she'd stood and listened to the gloaming descend. but then he too turned for home, wondering when mireille would return.