Firefly Glen [PHE] boundless

the festivities were fading like the flickering of a dying candle, the smoke suffocating shamura's lungs and the extent of her interest in the glen. some parties had already dispersed, others gathered their goods and prepared for the trek back home. 

her own assembly was not any different, the trio of acolytes busy with rallying together their elements in bundles of dried pelts. they had concluded their labour by mid-morning and swept through the encampments that still remained for any final offers of trade. 

shamura sought to slip through the moongrove camp to leave salted meat for her artistic companion, when a scent she had not smelt since the final days of summer had boiled through. honey? curious and curiouser she lingered off the course she'd set and toward where the sweet aroma simmered.

She'd spotted the hive when she'd gone out early in the morning to relieve herself, beyond the river where the Redtail Rise encampment was supposed to be. It was free territory now, given the fact that the wolves had not come to claim their turf and participate in the hunt. Here, she could relieve herself and offend none. Having noticed that the Moonwolves took care to keep the area clean, she scuffed dirt over her deposit, so it could decompose and offend none with its smell. 

The hive was empty, and it hung from a bow that had been broken, likely by a stiff gust of wind. It wavered even now on the slightest breeze- and the bees had likely left because they felt their home was in danger of falling and being destroyed. She reached up and grabbed at the end of the branch, pulling it down repeatedly until the nest fell- and with a crunch, it landed on the ground, still attached in part to the branch. 

Honey.

She nosed back a layer of the papery covering, to find the combs neatly organized inside, still containing honey which had been abandoned in haste. With a chuff, she picked it up by the branch, and began carefully carrying it back toward her pack's campsite, though the golden syrup leaked drop by drop as she went. 

It was almost impossible to carry it without losing honey; she couldn't hold it still enough. She caught the eye of another woman, who scented the breeze. She set the hive down, and gestured. 

Hey- if you help me carry thith back to my pack'th thite, I'll letchu have thome.

A fair bargain, she thought. 

Jutht take that thide of the branch...We'll carry it between uth.

the rustle of movement eased the crownbearer's paws to a steady halt, a twitch of her nose given as the figure of the other woman materialized. ears flickered at the offer, a moment of silence given in consideration. "hmmm," hummed from her throat as her gaze rolled over the abandoned hive now neatly placed on the ground. 

"very well," she decided after a beat, positioning herself on the opposite side of the branch as she awaited for the woman's guidance. honey was a rare delicacy, especially so late in the season. it would be worth trade or bribery on their travels, and held enough value that some manual labour would not be unworthy of the reward.

Ameline lowered her head, and keeping the golden-eyed woman in the corner of her eye, she gently picked up the branch once more, timing her movements so they might move as one. She tilted her head slightly, gesturing with a flick of her gaze. Ish thish-ay, murmured around the branch, and once her companion was ready, she began to walk, matching the woman's pace so that the hive wouldn't bounce around too much. 

They were well-matched, in terms of height. Ameline's frame was a bit more wiry and tough, whereas Shamura's musculature was leonine and graceful. Still, she was grateful to have found someone whose stride was similar to hers. They would make for an eye-catching pair, side-by-side, even if they hadn't had the hive hanging between them.

an eye-catching pair indeed. of those they passed by, most did not stray from stealing a glance toward the honey-thieving women. their pace was even, a well balanced match, and made for maneuvering the branch and hive all the easier of a task.  

"ve got faw ta go?" a butchered attempt at conversation around the branch that hung in her mouth. she'd not any idea of which camp this woman belonged to, and her sense of direction was being overwhelmed by the sugary sweetness that so teasingly dangled between them now.

"Nuh," Came the abrupt answer. Ahead, she could see two of her daughters playing a game of tug-o-war over the leg of an elk. The meat had been stripped, but now only the gristle and connective tissue held the two sections of bone together- tested by the two girls as they pulled at either end. She watched with mirth dancing in her eyes as the pale tissue tore, and the elk's femur separated from the fibula. She cackled as both girls were sent stumbling backward, each with their own bone.

They spotted their mother and the stranger, but Ameline doubted they had ever seen a beehive up close before. She'd warned them, of course, not to mess about when there were bees to protect the hive- now she carried one, alongside a complete stranger. They kept their distance, suspicious as always but watched with curious eyes. 

She chuffed, and lowered her head so they could put the branch on the ground together. The hive's papery outer later crunched lightly under the weight of the honey combs within. Ameline craned her neck from one side to the other, and licked her lips. "Alriiiiight," She breathed, with a smile. "Thankth, thtranger. Ouuuuhoohoo, thith ith gonna be gooood. Been a while thinth I've had honey. Betht we get you thome before the girlth get a tathte. No thnackth are thafe around them." She cackled.