It is a beautiful spring day. The sun warms her fur and the cool breeze lovingly kisses her face. In it, the cold remainder of winter bites but the promise of summer dampens the sting. The grass waves its long stalks at the heavens, welcoming unseen specters and part of Meadow contemplates laying among the stalks and getting lost. All of this leads to the promise of a pleasant day and the small wolf takes comfort in this.

It had not taken her long to make her way back to the den. That is where Meadow stands now, outside the den that she shares with her sister Resin. Anxiety has her in its grip and her stomach does somersaults. All she has to do is push past the fur that acts like a door and call out to her. However, the fear that Resin will be mad has taken a firm grip of her.

As she stands on the threshold, with the prospect of seeing Resin again, the ‘what if’s’ start to parade around and around her mind. ‘What if she thinks I abandoned her?’ ‘What if she thinks I am a disgrace for running away?’ And the worst of all, ‘What if I really am a coward that left for my own selfish reasons?’ Bile rises in her throat threating to make her bring up the small amount of food she had eaten.

Swallowing hard to quell the feeling of nausea, Meadow considers her options. Either she can run or face her fears and go in. After a long pause she makes up her mind. She is done running. Puffing up her chest, raising her head high, the small wolf makes her way into the den. Stopping in the alcove, head lowering somewhat as she allows her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light, Meadow calls out softly, “Resin? Are you here? I have come home.”

Tail wags faintly at the approaching reunion. After all the fear and uncertainty, Meadow is ready to be home.



"Speech!"

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"Do I ever just sit at home?" Resin had been out and about all day, as usual. Her shoulder and leg gave her trouble daily now, but she powered on through the pain. She did take little breaks here and there, but she still got the job done. As of late, she'd pushed off a lot of her patrolling on Dunkan. Magnus helped out as well. She'd taken a shine to the man. Now that he was incapacitated in the halls of the Ashen wolves, Resin was back to picking up the slack. Not that she could blame him. She was proof that a bear attack was no laughing matter. With her half of the rounds done, Resin made her way back to her spacious den for a rest. She was a little surprised to see Meadow hesitating outside of the den, calling for her. Prone to flights of fancy, Meadow came and went as she always had. The only worry was that something large would eat her and she would simply cease to return. It was a relief to see that, this time, she had returned. Resin moved past Meadow and into the den, having already been out in the beating sun for too long. Though it was now spring, the sunlight soaked into the big woman's obsidian mane, making her overheat quickly. The cool shade in the den was a nice relief. Pouring out a dish of water from a skin hanging on the wall, the one-eyed fae laid down upon a pile of furs in the main chamber. She lapped at the water, waiting for Meadow to come inside and share where she'd been and what she'd found. "Speech"

Resin’s voice speaks up from behind Meadow and the small wolf jumps, heart hammering at the sudden appearance of her sister. The small wolf is prone to getting lost in her thoughts which means she can lose track of her surroundings. Including the approach of others. A dangerous habit but still something that happens. While she is working on this problem it still happens. A lot.

Tamping down the fear that had spiked, Meadow turns and offers her sister a huge smile. With bright, joy filled eyes, she says, “No. You were never one to sit idly by when there were things to be done.” It is true, Resin is always doing something and, if she is forced to rest, it can make for a very grumpy wolf. A small chuckle floats out of her mouth as her sister disappears into the den.

Following the larger wolf into their den, Meadow watched her sister get water from a skin and lay down. For a moment, words fail her and the small female just allows herself to feel all the emotions that arise. Happiness bounds through her followed closely by shame, guilt and remorse. They play across her face, racing across her features in quick progression. She considers apologizing but remembers all the coaching Resin gave her in that area.

Reining in her emotions, Meadow takes a deep breath and allows herself to settle down before she launches into her tales. Finally, the smile returns bright and happy. Words start to pour forth, “I have so much to tell you! I traveled all over! There was so much to see and I brought back a ton of bugs to show Iolaire. I wish I could show you everything I saw. There where plants I had never seen and creatures too! Beautiful things and some scary stuff too but I got away from those.” Eyes are alight with joy and she has to pause to take a breath.

She is moving, shifting her weight from side to side, almost bouncing with pure delight as she once again speaks, “Oh! I met this giant horse! Or he called himself a stallion. His name was Goliath and he was huge! Even bigger than you and Sirius.” Now that she is talking, Meadow relaxes. She is in her element and could talk to her older sister until morning.

Before she continues with her tale, Meadow asks, “So what all have I missed? You seem to have a few more scars. Are you okay?” Concern is written plainly on her features. She wants to move forward and embrace Resin but the smaller wolf waits. Part of her is still ashamed that she left and doesn’t feel that she deserves the comforting gesture. So instead, she waits and listens.



"Speech!"

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Having taken her drink, Resin settled down, fully prepared to listen to Meadow's tale of exploration and discovery. It didn't take more than a moment for her sister to launch into animated speech. Dark ears perked, taking in the information. It seemed as though the small wolf had learned quite a bit in her absence. As Meadow continued to speak, Resin sank more deeply into the stack of furs that she lay upon. Meadow speaking about learning of horses brought a toothy grin to the maned fae's features. Resin knew of horses. They could be dangerous beasts, but would often simply run when approached. Her sister had gotten close enough to speak to one, however. The beast had given her its name. "Yes, horses do grow quite large. I've seen several in these lands. They're not very common though." Being asked about her new scars, Resin realized just how long her sister had been gone. She had been so busy with pack business that it hadn't seemed that long at all. "Sirius, Roan and myself killed the cave bear that murdered Roan's sister." She couldn't remember the woman's name, but she knew that they had done her justice. "I broke a leg and a few ribs. It tore up my shoulder and neck, but Iolaire stitched me back together." With one eye, she looked down upon her formerly snapped foreleg. "It gives me quite a bit of trouble. I believe my warrior days may be done." What would she do if she wasn't a warrior? Wither away and rot, most likely. Bringing her gaze back to her sister, Resin sighed. "I'm glad that you're home. Don't leave again, anytime soon, okay?" Meadow being in close proximity would be one less thing to worry about. Iolaire would soon be leaving on her quest and Resin would worry about that. If Meadow was home, her sister could help distract her. "Speech"

Meadow’s smile is so big now that it causes her eyes to become squinted and the area around them crinkled. How happy the small wolf is to be here and talking to her sister. No matter where she goes or what happens, she knows that Resin will be here, waiting for her. Her sister does not belittle or chastise Meadow for her bubbly nature and way her mouth runs away. Instead, the stoic Resin always has a patient ear and kind word for her smaller sister. Meadow knows that, no matter what happens, Resin will be there to boost the spirits and lend her ears to her younger sister.

The toothy grin that appears on Resin’s face at the talk of horses has Meadow smiling even wider. It dims for a moment when the older, wiser sister speaks of the beings. Nodding in understanding and amazement as she thinks back to her meeting with Goliath. The stallion had lived up to his name. Towering over the small wolf, he had brought such awe to her. Meadow really hopes that he is doing well and that he finds some place to call home.

When Resin tells her that she and Sirius and Roan had killed a cave bear, Meadow’s face morphs into a look of horror. The injuries that her sister lists brings tears to Meadow’s eyes and guilt to her heart. To make it worse, Resin still feels pain and thinks that her warrior days could be done. The tears threaten to fall but Meadow fights them. This is her fault, she should not have left. Never mind the fact that she probably could not have helped kill the bear or heal her sister. It just hurts to know that she was not there to comfort Resin.

Sulfur gaze finds Meadow and she feels herself losing control. It is when Resin asks her not leave anytime soon that the small amount of restraint the small wolf has shatters. Tears spill over and she finds herself diving toward her sister. She avoids the leg that Resin had looked at, not wanting to inflict further pain on her. Aiming to curl into the older wolf’s side and bury her face into the thick fur. The tears soak her cheeks and mar her usually happy features.

A sob is pulled from her chest as she tries to hide her face in her sister’s fur. Meadow just keeps muttering, over and over, “I am sorry. I am so sorry. I should have been here. I won't leave again. I will never leave again.” The shame and sorrow she had been trying to hide now laid out clearly for her sister to see. Brain tells her to run but her heart urges her to stay. The war wages for a moment before her heart wins and Meadow stays curled up tight, sobbing next to Resin.

A tear-filled sentence can barely be heard, “I never should have left.”



"Speech!"

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Resin could see the tears well up in Meadow's gaze and instantly felt remorse for speaking so bluntly. Her sister had always been a soft, delicate thing. She was nothing like Resin. When Meadow launched herself at her, Resin was ready. The larger woman opened her arms and took her sibling into her embrace. She hushed her and gave her a pat. Apologies flowed from Meadow, which Resin expected. The woman apologized too much and she'd told her that often. "You don't need to apologize. I understand wanting to see the world." This was the first time in a long time that Resin had stayed in one place, so she couldn't rightly chastise Meadow for having thirsty feet too. Gently, she peeled Meadow away and sat her a comfortable distance apart so that they could speak face to face. "Iolaire is leaving on a great journey soon with her husband, Roan. Having you here will help. Not only me, but the whole pack. We'll need a healer handy with Io gone." She was trying to fill Meadow with determination and give her something to look forward to. "Think of how skilled you'll be by the time Iolaire returns." With the way that the wolves around here injured themselves...

Resin opens her arms to Meadow and the crying wolf takes full advantage of the opening. Sinking into her sister’s chest, tears soaking into the fur, Meadow hides her face. She wants to hide away in the deepest hole she can find or disappear from the watchful eyes of the world. However, Resin is strength and her presence serves to ground the smaller wolf. Her sister’s words reach Meadow’s ears and she looks up, searching Resin’s face for any hint of disappointment. A small smile starts to emerge when she doesn’t find any there.

Sniffing, trying to regain control of her emotions, Meadow tries to stay as close to her sister for as long as possible. By the time Resin finally manages to remove Meadow and sit her a comfortable distance away, the smaller sister’s tears are starting to dry. Dipping her head to wipe at her eyes, she listens as Resin explains that Iolaire is going on a journey with Roan. Eyes widen at the thought of Io leaving but a shy smile appears as her sister keeps talking. She always knows how to cheer up Meadow and keep her mind focused on more important things.

The smile turns into a look of thoughtful consideration as she contemplates what Resin has said. After a few moments of careful deliberation, Meadow gives a single firm nod and says, “Okay! I will practice my healing arts while Iolaire is gone. When she gets back, she will be so surprised by how much I have learned! I will make her proud.” Chest puffs out a little at the thought and a genuine, joyful smile appears. After a short pause, Meadow says, “Thank you sis. You always know how to make me smile.”

It is true, growing up with Resin, Meadow had never been short on smiles. Even when she came home crying, her sister always had the right words to chase away the blues and bring the light back. As Meadow settles back into her happy self, she asks, “So what journey is Io and her husband going on? Will they be gone a long time? Will they need help packing? Oh, I should make them a gift!” The words are back and flowing at a furious clip again. Tail wags happily as her eyes are alight with happiness.



"Speech!"

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It took some time, but Meadow calmed down eventually. She usually did once she was distracted by something else and Resin had done just that. Mentioning that Iolaire was leaving for a time had turned her attention in an entirely opposite direction. Eyes that had once been filled with tears were now glittering with excitement and curiosity. The larger woman chuckled and let her wait a moment longer before she began to speak. "They are going on a quest of sorts. Together they'll travel the land to gather information about fertility. Iolaire wants to have children, but so far she's been unable." She understood why Iolaire would want to have pups. She was much different than her mother. The small woman definitely had the patience for it as she'd been tending to the Fatalis brood and their father for some time. "I hope she succeeds. If not, I'm sure she'll collect whatever wayward strays that she can." Meadow had shown enthusiasm in learning to further her craft which was good. "Perhaps you should speak to Io before she leaves. See if there's anything that needs to be done." The scarred woman gave a light shrug. "Who knows? There could be a promotion in this for you." Stepping up in the ranks was always a good thing. Making yourself as useful as possible in a pack was the ideal goal. "Speech"

Eyes are alight with curiosity as Meadow waits for Resin to talk. When she does speak, Meadow finds her delight growing but not for herself this time. Instead, it is for Iolaire and her husband. Io deserves all the joy in the world and so does Roan. While she has yet to meet the man, anyone who makes Iolaire happy must be a great wolf. So, she wishes them all the luck in the world on their quest. Meadow will be sure to seek them out and tell them all that and more before they leave.

With a big smile she nods to the statement about her succeeding and chuckles about the strays. Meadow says, “Well, either way, I can help! You know I love pups. I am practically one myself.” Laughter follows the statement and is the truth. She has always been more of the ‘pup at heart’ type of wolf. Besides, growing up is more for wolves like Resin, Sirius and Zee. For now, she is content to be her happy-go-lucky self. Growing up will come later… if at all.

Nodding, Meadow agrees with talking to Io before she leaves. When Resin speaks about a possible promotion, her mouth drops open. She says, “You, you think… that is possible? I mean… I want to helpful and be useful. But I never thought about that…” Voice trails off and a thoughtful look crosses over her features and she thinks for a long moment. Finally, mind made up, she nods firmly and says, “Okay I will go to talk to Io. Besides being able to wish her luck and help them pack, I can do like you said. Maybe she can show me a couple tricks before she leaves. Either way, I try to be as useful as I can while she is gone.”

Looking at Resin’s hurt leg she adds, absently “Besides I might be able to find something to help your pain.” Once again nodding firmly she looks from Resin’s hurt leg to her face and smiles brightly. She states happily, “I am going to useful!”



"Speech!"

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Meadow's mood continued to elevate. She seemed excited with the prospect of learning from Iolaire and furthering her status with the pack. It was good. She wanted to see her sister succeed. If this opportunity was what she needed, then the scarred woman was glad to have initiated the experience. When Meadow mentioned wanting to heal her pain and be useful, Resin chuckled. "I don't think there's any healing this pain, but you are and always will be useful." Resin didn't know why Meadow though that she was useless. The small woman was very industrious. She always had something to do. Her paws were always in something. "Why don't you go and speak to Iolaire? Ask her what needs to be done while she's gone." Io could set Meadow on the path to a promotion. If both Resin and Iolaire told Sirius that the small, rambunctious lady was ready for more responsibility, he would surely listen. With a pat to Meadow's rump, Resin sent her sister out the door and to her niece. "Speech"

Watching Resin, Meadow frowns slightly when her sister mentions that there might not be any healing the pain but quickly smiles as the older wolf calls her useful. She has always looked up to Resin and if she thinks she is useful… well maybe she is doing something right. With a wag and a nod to the question about speaking with Iolaire, the smaller wolf turns to leave the den. With a pat on her rump as farewell, Meadow exits into the sunlight. Inhaling deeply, the small wolf one more puffs out her chest slightly at the thought of the promotion. She will do everything in her power to make Resin and Io proud of her. With a bounce in her step, Meadow makes her way to Iolaire and Roan’s den.

-Exit Meadow-



"Speech!"

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