Her trip to the mangroves had been brief. She’d go back, but there was no traces or hints of her family so she didn’t really feel the need to stay. For the most part, Elise just felt a need to make sure it was still there and all in one piece. Was that really something she needed to worry about? Could a mangrove forest just disappear? She didn’t think a territory could really wander off the way she and her siblings had. Well... At least that’s what she had done. She didn’t know what had come of her siblings or extended family, though she did intend to find out. She hoped that if she wandered around enough she’d find one of them or at least meet someone that knew what had come of them so her curiosity could be satisfied.

It was midday when she finished crossing the land bridge between Boreas and Auster. The lovely forested area that met her when she first started making her way into the new continent was a pleasant sight and the spotted young woman started trotting though the clearing with a smile. The warm sun felt good and all around her everything smelled sweet and floral. She spotted a bush with some kind of berries near one of the trees and made her way over to it. Now that she was closer she could tell they were blueberries. Her tail began to wag and she carefully picked off a few, humming happily as she enjoyed the tasty berries. This was much more her speed! Must more so than that creepy, misty forest she had come across on her way here.

The female was spending a bit of time apart from Idun though both of them knew, should he call, she would heed that call as swiftly as her limbs could carry her. In the meanwhile she left him to his work and she, on the other paw, had taken to attempting to find some company. Hers was not the sort to leave alone for long for, while she would refuse to mate with anyone other than Idun, that would not stop her from insisting that she and a stranger cuddle up in their den. As long as she was warm, fed, and had a bit of attention her basic needs were met; that was enough. Not wanting to stray too far from Auster just yet the female found herself in a grove of wildberries. The sweet scent in the area was alluring to say the least; Noe enjoyed it. She had taken in her fill of some berries and laid down at the base of one of the bushes to curl up for a nap. Head upon her paws the female let out a content sigh. Noemí had barely begun to slip into a doze when she heard humming. At first she tried to dismiss it, but something told her to stir and, somewhat grumpily, she got up to see who it was. She peered around the corner, maw opening to speak, when words and motion failed her. She paused, a paw still in mid air as her eyes fell on an oh too familiar spotted form. Her jaw hung open for a couple extra seconds before she managed to find her words. “I see how you are~” She teased. “Disappear, not even a goodbye, and now I catch you eating blueberries on a bush right next to me without even saying hello? Hmph, guess I’m not worth much~!” She wore a wide grin as she waited to see her sister’s reaction. It had been far too long since she’d seen Elise and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited. This was a blessing for sure. "" Art by EasternDog and le3bite on DeviantArt.com

Elise was admittedly a bit aloof and certainly not the most observant when she wasn't making an active effort to be. She easily missed the wolf that was resting in the shadows of the berry bushes and still didn't notice her until a voice caught her attention. The red and white woman's head popped up with surprise, her head quickly turning till her blue eyes landed on the familiar form that she had begun to believe she had lost forever. A huge grin crossed her muzzle and she giggled at her sister's teasing. "Yeah yeah, shut up and give me a hug!" she replied, trotting over to her litter mate and happily wrapping her neck around Noemi's. It had been so incredibly long since she had been with her sister, but there was absolutely no hesitation in coming to greet her.

It didn't matter how much time had past, she knew immediately who it was as soon as she saw the orange-hued woman. They were older and much more mature now, but could a sister ever not recognize her sister? Elise took a step back from Noemi's embrace so she could look her over, happy to see that her sibling seemed to be healthy and well. Her tail was wagging gently behind her, clearly unable to hide how happy she was to see a piece of her family. There was so few of them now and it made her feel like her sister was even more precious to her. "How have you been, Noemi? Tell me all about what you've been up to!"

Noemí couldn’t help but laugh in return as she wrapped her neck around Elise’s own. They hadn’t seen each other since they were pups yet their greeting felt as though they hadn’t been apart for all that long. It just felt… natural to stand here now. Her tail began to sway back and forth and the female let out a breath.

“Where do I even begin?” She mused when Elise drew back. “I’ve kind of slipped in and out of Boreas over the years. I was part of a pack but it collapsed, sadly. Now though…” Her gaze was shining. “I… I met a man named Idun. Our relationship is not like those you typically see but it’s perfect Elise.” Her smile wavered.

“Although… I’m not so sure you would agree with the religion we follow.” For a moment a flicker of doubt flared up within her and Noe shook her head. “I’m happy though. I think I’ve finally found a place for myself.” She managed to bring that smile back. “...but what of you? Where have you been?” Her blue gaze slid over her sister’s form. “I was worried I would never see any of you again… you wouldn’t happen to know what became of mom and dad, would you?”

Action, "Truths."

She would have been happy to listen to Noemi give every little detail about the life she had while they were apart, but it seemed like she would get the broad strokes of it for now. She gave an intrigued grin when her sister mentioned meeting a man, glad to see that there was someone that made her happy. It did make her head tilt to the side a bit when she talked about a religion they followed being something she might not agree with, but she couldn't imagine what it could possibly be. As long as it made her sister happy and it wasn't hurting anyone why would she have an issue with it? It would be something Elise would certainly have to press her sister for more information about, but it would have to wait until she was able to answer the string of questioning that was presented to her.

"I've been in and out of Boreas as well... mostly out if I'm being honest," she replied with a soft chuckle. Her expression grew a bit more somber when the topic of their parents came up. "Father passed away. He was fairly old when we were born after all... I'm not sure about Mother... I would assume by now she probably has as well, but I haven't been able to track her down. I went to where our old den was recently, but there's no traces of any of our family around there any more. That was the first place I went to when I came back to boreas - hoping you or one of our siblings would be there." She knew their litter had been fairly scattered very early on and even their older half siblings had gotten caught in the breeze at some point. It seemed like much of their family, as close and loving as they were, all seemed to be drifters when not held down by a pack of some kind.

"Tell me more about this guy and this religion," she insisted, bringing that easy smile back to her muzzle as she sat back on her haunches. "You can't just brush over things like that! I want to know all about this Idun character."

"Speech" Thought