Home. It'd been a long while since Ara had found a place she could truly call home, and after deciding that Lirim would be the best place for she and Athena - and her son and his mate, if they chose to follow as they said they planned to - Ara hoped she wouldn't have to settle anywhere else. What place was more fitting than this, after all? She had always loved willow trees, and the ones here were even more majestic than the ones she'd known in her childhood. Their long, sweeping boughs nearly grazed the ground, providing a nice cover from the afternoon sun, and Ara was content to weave lazily between the wide-spread trees. She had yet to really meet anyone in Lirim besides Frostbite, who'd seemed like a kind enough man, and she knew she ought to at least make her presence known. A content sigh fell from the aging woman's lips as she settled on a particularly old willow tree, with a wide, curved base. It seemed as though it had been sculpted to fit her form perfectly, with how naturally the wood curved. Briefly she rubbed the side of her cheek against the wood, grateful for the rough surface against her coat, before moving to recline to her haunches. She sat briefly before dropping to a horizontal position, stretching her forepaws in front of her and relaxing against the gentle shade provided by the willow tree. She truly, honestly, could think no better place than this to live out the rest of her days - however long she might have left.

Torin had been made aware of a new addition to the pack, Frostbite had told him of the older woman who had spoken of her family who was likely looking to join soon. More than that though, she was also apparently an accomplished healer and with his nieces and nephews now a full year old it was past time they learned any skills that might help them advance. He had hoped Hailey might have been the one to do that and he knew Stardust likely wasn't completely ready for that yet... So that on top of wishing to get familiar with those in his pack found Torin seeking out the as of yet unfamiliar woman. She was easy enough to track, her scent hadn't quite mingled with the overall scent of the pack. Torin couldn't help the slight tug at the ends of his lips as he spotted the woman lounging beneath an ancient willow. She looked very contented and as he approached Torin slowed, his voice a deep soft rumble as he spoke. "Ara I assume?" "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

Ara hadn't really expected anyone to approach her. That was only partially because she was swept up in the serenity of these lands, completely engrossed in her own thoughts - she simply was used to being on her own, and knew her presence was unassuming and often overlooked. Of course, she didn't mind being forgotten, nor did she mind being approached, though today she was quite pleased by the company. The smile that suddenly overtook her expression was obviously genuine, and she slowly tipped her head upward to face the younger male that had approached. Apparently he already knew her name, a fact that pleased her. She had hoped Lirim was a close-knit pack, as he had already discerned it might be, and this was only further proof of that. "Ara Destruction," she introduced herself easily, surprising herself by including the surname she had taken on for so many years only to neglect. In a way, despite her former mate's departure, she still felt as much a Destruction as anything else - her sons were Destructions and so she, by proxy, would always consider herself one too. "It's a pleasure to meet you... though I have to admit I don't know your name." Hopefully in due time she would know the members of Lirim as she once had of Fiori, of all the packs that came before... of Ludicael and Threar and even of Seracia back in the days of her youth.

Torin couldn't help the smile pulling slightly wider across his face as she turned to look at him, her own smile gracing her features. She confirmed that she was in fact the woman Torin had been looking for... not that that was ever really in doubt, unless someone new had joined and he'd yet to hear about it. She admitted to not knowing who he was and Torin nodded. "I am Torin Adravendi-Valentine, I am Kaliq of Lirim. A pleasure to meet you as well." He took a moment to glance around. He wasn't exactly eager to just jump into making a request of the woman but he also was dreading having to swap pleasantries. He just wasn't very good at them. Still he'd make an effort. "I know you've not been here too long but I wanted to see how you were settling in." "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

Ara honestly hoped that she could be of use here. She wasn't getting any younger, and any real purpose that she'd found in life had been already fulfilled. Her own two sons were fully grown, with growing children of her own, and she had no plans to raise any other children - no, she was far too old for that now. The thought of facing the reality of her own relatively short future made the thought of children all but float away, deciding she couldn't bear abandoning them when they were young, like her own parents had passed before her brother Steel was fully grown. Whatever time she had left she wanted to use to help other members of Lirim in whatever way she could, even if that simply meant occasional herb lessons, or even just offering a shoulder to lean on. Whatever they needed, she could be there, and she hoped she could properly express to her packmates that her services were free to any who wanted them. "Adravendi... that is I name I haven't heard in quite some time," Ara mused, smiling thoughtfully over the number of wolves she'd met bearing that surname. The Adravendi family had always been a kind one to her, in her many years and many dealings with them, and her expression softened at knowing this male came from such lineage.  "I've been settling in well, Torin, thank you." Ara's words were genuine, soft yet spoken truly. Her gaze held a lightness to it that was evident in her voice, and her gaze steady as she observed him. "It's been a fair while since I've been part of a pack - and I'll be the first to admit I've never been the best at it..." At least she was insightful, right? She'd spent - not wasted, she'd never call that time wasted - so many years either wrapped up in Novel, in caring for her or for their families, or in her grief over losing her, that she hadn't been in the right mindset to truly contribute to a pack for a long while. "I'm not the most extroverted of wolves, so truly settling in might take me longer than some. I will tell you that I intend to stay in these lands until I die, if I am able, so.. please, come to me if there is anything I can do. For anyone at all." Mortality wasn't something she feared - the fear of dying was something that held no purpose for her, especially being a healer, and she wouldn't pretend otherwise. Perhaps talking of such things might unsettle some, but she refused to shy away from facts, and hoped Torin understood what she was saying. She intended to be a loyal, contributing member of Lirim until she was no longer able, and hoped that by doing so she might forge herself a place to die in peace, here among the willow trees.

Ara spoke of recognizing his family name and Torin couldn't help but chuckle softly, nodding as he did so. He hadn't met as much as his extended family as it seemed everyone else on the continent had but he knew enough to know that they were far reaching and it gave him some comfort to think that at least he and his cousin were keeping some kind of kingdom for his family alive. The woman spoke and Torin listened intently, breathing in her words and allowing them to process before he spoke. "You're in good company, I've never exactly been a people person." He rumbled, his tone slightly amused. "Actually as it happens I may not have been seeking you out solely for pleasantries." He shifted slightly, not wanting to appear rude for asking something of the woman so soon after she had arrived but also knowing what was needed. "We have some children in the pack, my sister's pups, who are old enough now to start learning the skills they'll need and find where they want to be in the pack but we have a notable lack of healers right now... and as it so happens you're now technically our senior most healer." He breathed a sigh to mask his own frustrations about the lack of response to his request. "What I'm getting at is if you're willing to offer even an introductory lesson for them and anyone else interested you'd be doing us a favor." Not that he was going to force her into anything, he admired her honesty about the situation and he wanted to give her an easy retirement if that's what she was looking for.     "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

It was strangely comforting to know he came from a bloodline that she was familiar with; the Adravendi family had been nothing been kind to her, and her memories of them were fond ones. She had no doubt that this Torin would only further add to this collection of positive thoughts. She listened as he spoke up, agreeing with her sentiment, and she smiled in gentle relief. Her very purpose involved helping others, in teaching them as well as healing them, and yet she wasn't the most social of creatures - the contrast of these two parts of herself was rather amusing. It didn't interfere with her work, and she wouldn't ever hesitate to seek out someone who was injured simply because she wasn't feeling like interacting. No, her altruism and passion for helping those who needed it always came out above everything else, no matter what.  "Seems I'm in good company, then," Ara's smile widened, her tail batting gentle against the earth behind her. He admitted he hadn't sought her out specifically to talk, which didn't entirely surprise her. He admitted that there were children within Lirim who needed to begin learning their place within the pack, and what path they wanted to take.. only there weren't many skilled healers within the pack to begin with to teach them.  The thought of teaching youngsters about healing pleased her greatly, and her smile returned twofold, her excitement genuine and easily palpable. "It's been a long while since I've formally taught anyone," she admitted, though she was merely explaining rather than trying to get out of the situation. No, she was truly honored, and her mind already had begun whirling with the possibilities.  "But I'd love to. My body might be old, but my mind feels as young as yours, and there's no use letting it go to waste quite yet." Living her life here in ease sounded nice, and teaching youngsters about what she was most passionate about fit the bill perfectly. "I'm sure I can teach your nieces and nephews a thing or two, and if any are more interested in healing as a craft I'd be happy to mentor them personally."