the cattails were charming. oh, how they blew in the wind... it was as if it was whipping away the uncertainties of the world. just not actually whipping. that might be painful for all involved. Bee had rested after going east, lying by the bank of the lake after drinking her fill of the cool waters. she could sense winter was almost upon the land and wondered if she should try to find a suitable den soon. then again, she didn't know if she was staying in Boreas for very long. like the cattails, it was a charming place. full of little mysteries with mysterious people.

the woman would lift her head to watch a firefly's ariel ascend. it buzzed close to her silently, wordlessly, before flickering away. she had remained still enough to see the insect beyond the blinking light and she was thankful for the experience. even if insects were a bit ugly up-close, she'd take it. the autumn night was young still; there was a gentle breeze moving the reeds along a clear path, disturbing the water from stillness. she peered downward, seeing fish in the depths. a small tongue rolled from her mouth, licking her lips thoughtfully.

but she did not get up from her spot, content to be a blemish of green against the greying world around her.

"Speech"
1/3 Navigation

Life had been strange lately. Once she probably would've scolded Branch and given him the 'I told you so' speech that was so typical of her. His decision to bring their family here and settle down had seemed a little ridiculous to her, but she'd supported him.. but she found herself feeling weirdly disappointed in the way Kesali hadn't flourished quite as she'd hoped it would. Instead of saying anything at all to Branch about it, she'd simply spend some time on her own, trying to keep within the vicinity of whatever family members had decided to stick around. Her wandering took her slightly further north than she tended to go. Even if Branch wasn't quite ready to settle down and recreate Kesali, surely he'd want to again in the future.. right? Her brother could be as headstrong as the rest, and she figured getting to know the rest of Boreas was a solid idea, in case he wanted guidance on where to go next. The scent of water had piqued her interest, and she steered herself toward the lake, the massive volcano she'd just veered around towering behind her, though in the darkness of night it was hard to see it properly. Ivy cast a single glance behind her before pushing on, eventually feeling the grasses grow thicker near the edge of the lake. The night was a quiet one, and the movement of her own paws - rustling the thick foliage - seemed unnervingly loud. Only when a passing cloud cast a glimmer of moonlight down on the lakeside was she made aware of anyone else nearby, and she stiffened instinctively as she squinted and tried to make out their figure. It was hard to see much from behind the rows of cattails, but she took a slow step forward. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Ivy offered, her tone somewhat stiff but conversationally polite - might as well pry and see if this stranger knew anything about these lands, while she was digging for information.

another would approach, but it was clear they hadn't seen her until the last second. she would look up to see a pretty young woman standing a few paces away. her coat was a natural hue from what she could see in the dark. the fireflies did lit her up nicely though. buzzing around her head, highlighting the lovely natural colors of the woman. Willoughby thought she looked very nice, anyway. beauty was in the eye of the beholder; good thing she always felt people were beautiful. all people. all equally.

"oh, my, yes. but it got even lovelier now that I have some company" Bee would add-in with a friendly smile. she had been alone for so long on the road outside of a few sparse encounters. it helped to have someone to talk to, even for a brief moment. her eyes looked away from the pretty female to stare across the soft ripples of the lake. not for the first time, she wondered what this place was called. maybe it was a simple name, maybe it was complex. either way, she wanted to know. twisting her head back to the female, she'd pat the ground next to her with a paw.

inviting her to come closer and look across the lake. but not at all expecting her company so close. "my name is Willoughby."

"Speech"
2/3 Navigation
1/3 met new wolf

Beauty wasn't something Ivy really focused on - not really. She was a practical woman to the core, one who could certainly notice beauty, but not one who tended to pause and dwell on it for any longer than was necessary. Which generally wasn't all that long, according to her standards. Even now she found no reason to reinstate the obvious, her attention instead focusing on Willoughby and what she might know about this place. "Indeed," Ivy agreed simply, her tone curt but not entirely unfriendly, and though she offered a smile it was brief and seemed to drift quickly away into a far more neutral expression. The invitation was considered for a moment before she decided to oblige, moving slowly to sit nearby - not so far from her that they couldn't talk, but definitely a safe, polite distance. "Mine's Ivy Wreckage," she replied quickly. A name for a name was always a fair deal, at least in her mind. "Are you familiar with these parts, Willoughby?" Or was she merely passing through, just as she was?

Ivy Wreckage.

"it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ivy." it suited the other woman, though she was too polite to say that else she risk being rude. just in case the woman did not feel her name did suit her. Bee noted the way the fireflies lazily drifted across her line of sight, already deeming this place Firefly Lake without actually knowing that it was called that. sometimes, you had to make your own names up for points of interest. sometimes, they weren't known to even to the natives. and sometimes, very rarely, they had different names.

"no" Willoughby spoke after her brief silence, shaking her head slightly as she addressed Ivy. the shake was slight and delicate. "I just arrived from the north, where I entered this land... before that, I had traveled for a few moons alone" a soft smile reappeared on her face as she stared across the lake once more. now with the company, she didn't feel so alone. it had been only herself for miles, having lost her significant other a year prior. she never did seem to remain in one place for long after that. "do you live in this land?"

"Speech"
3/3 Navigation
2/3 met new wolf (ivy)

"Likewise," Ivy responded succinctly. She wasn't one to waste time with pleasantries, though she recognized some benefit to being polite - and she tended to err on the side of friendliness to begin with, despite being uptight. Her own gaze briefly fell from Willoughby to watch the fireflies dancing across the surface of the lake. The stranger admitted quite easily that she wasn't familiar with these parts, that she'd come from the north, that she'd been traveling alone. Ivy nodded her head slowly, as if in understanding. By nature she wasn't a solitary wolf, but she'd been on her own now for longer than she cared to admit. She often longed for her homelands, where the Wreckage family and lived and thrived for as long as she knew. Branch's determined spirit had brought them here, and though his ambitions had been high - and his intentions good - Kesali simply hadn't flourished like either of them had hoped. Now, she couldn't help but feel aimless, unsure where most of her family had gone - and that was why she was here, seeking out any possible information she could, as if knowing about these lands might give her some direction she was otherwise lacking. "I've been on my own for awhile now too," Ivy responded simply, a fact rather than an attempt to empathize with her. "So no, this is the first time I've come here. Though I have a feeling it won't be the last." Part of her longed to admit she'd been searching for her siblings, or some kind of purpose after losing touch with them - without them she felt like a huge part of her was missing.. and she wasn't quite sure of that feeling could be mended.

Miss Ivy didn't seem like much of a talker, but the point was that the woman was trying. Willoughby could appreciate that. she also knew that compared to most wolves, she was a bit more talkative and open with her feelings. she realized that some wolves kept themselves guarded until they were comfortable with another being, so she never held it against another. she still kept her dreamy little smile on her face as she listened to Ivy speak.

"I see" so the other woman had been on her own for a while too. Willoughby did not smell any others on her coat from this proximity but they could have faded. it was a sad thought that Ivy was alone, but then again she was alone too. but she chose to be; having not approached any packs to join or asked to accompany a lone wolf or two... "I hope the fates are continually kind" how wrong she would be in the coming months "and bless us with safe travels."

but they also said experience - however bad - gives you character. "and I hope this lake stays like this for a long time" she chuckled warmly, looking across the waters once more. it would be a shame if it was tarnished or tainted. the view was lovely and the company even lovelier. though Bee had enough tact to reel herself back. "are there other Wreckages in Boreas?" she looked back to Ivy with curiosity. she'd feel better if she knew the other woman had family.

"Speech"
3/3 Navigation
3/3 met new wolf (ivy)

Would the fates be kind to them? Truthfully, they hadn't been overly kind to her these last few seasons, and overall Ivy tended to be more of a realist rather than an optimist. "We can only hope," she spoke, almost wistfully, as she let her gaze fall to the surface of the lake once again. There were quite a few things she hoped might change in the upcoming season, mostly regarding her family; reuniting with them would be a welcome relief, but until then she'd keep searching. What else could she do, honestly? A few long cattails swayed nearby in the night breeze, grabbing her attention for a moment. "There were quite a few, not too long ago. My brother had the grand idea to cease our family's wandering ways to settle down here... though I think his eyes were bigger than his stomach," Ivy explained with a dry laugh. Did she blame him? No. But perhaps his ambitions had been recklessly high. Even now, she would support him if he returned and tried to revitalize Kesali, but she wouldn't hide her hesitations from him. She hadn't before, and she wouldn't now, but her concerns would never stop her support and dedication. It never could. "But I'm not quite sure where they've gone off to." Maybe they'd gone back home, though she'd caught enough faint scent trails to suspect they all hadn't, and still she had hope that they were all alive and well. They had to be. "And so here I am, trying to plan my next move."

it was naive to think the best in everything, but she could not help it. if Bee didn't have hope and optimism, she would cease to exist as she did. her life had been guarded until this point, the only shock to her system her partner's passing a few seasons ago. she had since recovered from that ordeal, but she had done it alone. there had been nobody there for her when she grieved. it was something she sought to remedy in others if they needed it. Ivy uttered agreement, pressing on and explaining her family's goals.

so her people were more or less nomads, wandering the roads like Willoughby was doing. she gave a thoughtful nod to the woman. "what do you want to do next?" she asked her newest acquaintance. perhaps Ivy had never been asked that, going along with whatever her family wanted to do. though the greenette had a feeling the woman was not so much a follower but a supporter. she had someone like that once, who protected her from the big bads of the world. until it ate them up. "would you go back to your loved ones if the choice was given?"

some wolves did strike out on their own despite their family's goals. maybe Ivy would, and next they met she would get to meet her infamous brother. the one who started a pack for his people... he must be a noble wolf indeed. "I will keep watch for any Wreckages in my travels, Miss Ivy. somehow I will get word to you if I spot them" she smiled, offering her wanderlust to be something better than what it actually was. she would help, in any way she could, to reunite Ivy with her family. however small her contribution had to be.

"Speech"
3/3 Navigation
3/3 met new wolf (ivy)

What did she want to do next? Truthfully, Ivy hadn't spent a lot of time considering it. Finding the family that she'd been with before she'd come to Boreas wouldn't be an easy feat, and as far as she knew, most of the younger of the group had come here to join Branch and the rest of the family. But now? They'd scattered, much like leaves in the wind, and how many different directions they'd gone left her feeling utterly directionless. "I will wait," Ivy concluded finally, matter-of-factly, after a long moment of thought. Branch surely hadn't gone far, and there was no way she could chase each of her siblings at once... chasing just one might cause her to lose sight of where the next one was. Perhaps staying somewhere more central, somewhere vaguely familiar to them all - at least since coming here - would give them somewhere to anchor down if they decided to return, or if Branch decided to spread word of an attempt to create a home for them once again. I will wait, and I will better myself in the mean time, she repeated in her head, like a mantra. She was nothing without her family, but she could continue to grow stronger - both in mind, as well as in body - for their sake, for their futures. "I would, though I'd find it difficult to choose between any of my siblings, and I have a feeling many of them have gone in different directions." If talking about any of this pained her, she didn't give any sign of it. Her tone could be taken as slightly thoughtful, but nothing more and nothing less. "Though if you come across any of them, and find me in the meantime, word would be greatly appreciated," she stressed, finally offering a faint, if not slightly distant smile. "What about you? What does your future entail?" Making idle chatter wasn't one of her strengths, though perhaps she ought to start stepping outside of her comfort zone and learning what these lands had to offer.