It'd been a few seasons, if not more, since Ásvor had seen Valdis. The last time she'd seen her she'd learned that she had found a pack to join, and had been practicing her fighting skills. While Ásvor was somewhat envious of her opportunities, she also valued her freedom quite a bit and had a hard time imagining settling down anywhere. She'd implied to her friend that she would consider it, but that she wasn't sure what her sisters would say. Not that I've seen hide nor hair of them lately, anyway, she thought almost bitterly to herself as she headed through the grove. Once she'd made the effort to reunite with Valdis, though, Ásvor found no sign of said pack. She was sure Valdis hadn't lied to her, so perhaps the group hadn't worked out? It was discouraging, but she had a feeling she would find her again someday, which was perhaps a silly thing to think of someone she'd met all but two times. Ah, well - clearly she'd left a lasting impression on her. Ásvor wouldn't admit it out loud but she certainly had. As soon as she caught even a hint of her scent while traveling, she hadn't been able to deter herself from trailing after it. After so long, she truly wondered how Valdis had been faring. Had her pack simply moved, or had she found another place to call home? Curious, she pressed on, her ears flicking in curiosity every so often as her friend's scent grew stronger with each moment that passed.

ooc: keeping most injuries vague b/c raid

Valdís wasn't sure what made her think this journey was a good idea but she limped along anyway. Perhaps her injury was the very reason she felt compelled to push herself. She was sore and she was stiff and she felt the urge to move in the hopes that she might loosen the cramping muscles or at least keep the rest of her body in shape if her left foreleg was a lost cause. Her hind legs were moving fine though the moderate lacerations across the small of her back were growing agitated with her movement. All in all though she'd been pleased with the raid. It was a decent first try in her humble opinion and she felt she'd learned a lot. Next time she was going to do better. Dusk blossomed cool and dark on the horizon, the summer days growing steadily shorter. It was hard to believe that fall was just around the corner. As she slipped through the grove it would seem something else was lying just around the corner. "Ásvor!" Valdís let out a surprised cry as she saw her friend, she'd been wondering how the other young woman was doing. With a grin on her face and her tail wagging lightly she bounded over toward the Finnvi woman. "How have you been? It's good to see you!" "Talk" "You" Think

For a brief moment, she wondered if Valdis might find her insistence upon finding her a bit strange. They'd only met twice, and yet Valdis was quite easily her closest friend besides her own family. Perhaps that said more about Ásvor's relationships with others than anything else, but alas - if the other woman found it strange, she certainly made no signs of it. Ásvor watched as Valdis noticed her, her gaze falling on her friend's battle-scarred features. What was first a smile, lightening her normally stoic features, slowly shifted into something more neutral as she saw her slight limp and slightly unkempt fur that suggested she'd been in some kind of fight. For a moment she stared, her brows furrowing in concentration, as she tried to get a better look at Valdis. While she was clearly quite happy to see her, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened. "Valdis," she returned the greeting with ease, leaning toward her slightly to bump her snout gently against her friend's shoulder. She was unsure the extent of her injuries, so her touch was careful. "I've been well. Bored, but well." Ásvor grinned a bit, sniffing slightly at the air as she pulled back a step. "What about you? Tell me, what on earth happened?" Her scent told Ásvor that she was part of a pack again, which partially pleased her. At least if she was in some sort of danger, she had wolves around to keep her safe - or so she hoped. Her eyes narrowed as she let her eyes rove over her friend's coat, wondering top herself if any of her injuries needed to be tended to.

It was good to see a familiar face. Valdís had yet to get close to any of the wolves in Talis and she felt a definite connection to Ásvor. The other woman had been on her mind from time to time. Valdís drew herself up proudly as the other woman looked her over. She felt no shame in her injuries, they were badges of courage in her eyes and she was all to happy to show off a little bit. "Crew disbanded and I joined a new pack, Talis, just on the eve of a raid. We raided Celestial it was… a difficult battle, hard-fought but I emerged victorious over one of their old warriors and… I fought the alpha! I reckon I gave him a real run for his money." She grinned, leaning back but then wincing sharply. "I don't suppose you'd be able to help with some of these would you?" She gestured to the oozing wound on her lower back from where the alpha's fangs had cut her. "Talk" "You" Think

It was rare to see Ásvor actually concerned for another, rather than just trying to figure out what she could get out of them.. but with Valdis she couldn't help herself. With others perhaps she would merely be interested in getting to try out her skills as healer, though she wasn't normally one to offer help, yet now she wanted to help simply because she didn't want to see Valdis suffer. Not that she seemed to be in much pain, no more than expected after a tough fight. Though her gaze showed concern, she was proud of her too - Ásvor had never been one for fighting though she suspected she'd enjoy it quite a bit if she ever was confronted with battle. She listened as she moved to walk a circle around her friend, scoping out her injuries and assessing them. "Sounds like I missed a good time," Ásvor found herself beaming at the thought of Valdis confronting an alpha as well as a trained fighter. It was definitely a sight she wished she could've seen - or even helped fight alongside her, though she had no affiliation with her new pack, Talis. The female's ears flicked at her request for help, somewhat surprised that she'd even asked though also quite pleased at the same time. Suddenly she regretted that she hadn't searched harder for something portable that she could store herbs in, even if temporarily - she hadn't exactly found anywhere to settle down, wasn't even sure if she wanted to find a place to call home any time soon - so she probably should come up with some kind of solution to keep useful herbs around. It was especially apparent to her now. She pursed her lips for a moment, thinking. "Well, you probably haven't been able to clean it properly yourself, first of all," she suggested first, brows furrowing as she visualized the angle such a thing would require. She could certainly help with that part. As for herbs.. she glanced around, trying to recall what she'd encountered nearby. The thing about being a healer, or at least someone interested in herbs, was that you noticed a lot of things around you even when you weren't particularly looking for them. A few things came to mind, though she wasn't entirely sure what she could find nearby. "I think I saw something nearby that could help in terms of actual healing," she mused aloud, thinking. "If you don't mind me disappearing for a short while, I could meet you back here and see what I come up with?" Ásvor offered a slight grin, hoping she agreed to the plan.

Valdís chuckled as her friend spoke. "Oh yes, it was a great time! Well… for most of us. Not everyone made out as well as I did." Her thoughts drifted to the Celestian girl who'd been blinded. She felt a brief sting of pity but there was nothing that could be done now. Course in her opinion beating up little girls wasn't that impressive. Of all the regular members of Talis only she had the guts to take on the other sides alpha. "I was promoted to!" Valdís puffed out her chest and grinned. She nodded as Ásvor stated that her back wound probably hadn't been cleaned properly. Yea, she was probably right. Her friend asked if she could go gather some supplies and Valdís nodded. "Sure thing! I'm not going anywhere. Maybe afterwards we could go on a walk or something?" "Talk" "You" Think

The slight smile she wore twisted into something more like a grin, clearly quite proud of Valdis' outcome. The state of the rest of the wolves that had participated mattered little to her - though she hoped her friend's packmates had fared decently too, for her sake if nothing else. "Congratulations on that," she acknowledged, her eyebrows lifting slightly, clearly impressed. Obviously she had done well for herself within Talis, and though Ásvor couldn't help but feel vaguely envious of the fact that she'd found a place to fit in, she was mostly just happy for Valdis. She seemed to agree to her idea, and Ásvor nodded gratefully. "Rest for a bit, then. I'll be back," The Finnvi woman offered a gentle smile toward her before turning and bounding off, determined to find something to help her. ----- She wasn't gone for too long - though it was a touch longer than she'd hoped. Ásvor navigated toward the eastern edge of the grove, toward the edge of the dam. Herbs were always more plentiful near water, so it was a natural inclination to head there in search of something. After a bit of searching she found a meager patch of yarrow, slightly wilted from the changing temperatures, but still something could work with. Gingerly she gathered a few stalks of the plant and headed back to where she'd seen Valdis last. "This.. is a start," Asvor offered, sounding a bit apologetic as she dropped the flowers at her paws. The wounds weren't fresh enough to need direct application, but this might help regardless. "If there's any chance of a fever setting in - from infection from your wounds, or anything like that - this should help. I'd chew on a few of the flowers for awhile. It won't taste great but," Asvor shrugged, knowing Valdis had likely dealt with much worse than a nasty taste in her mouth. She didn't hesitate to move around the other woman, examining her injuries a bit more closely now.

Valdís lay on her stomach, tucking her hind legs under her body as she sat spynx-like, gazing out at the wildberry grove before her.  The sun was setting rapidly and the coolness of dusk was settling over the land and she turned her head skyward to stare at the stars for a moment as they flickered into existence.  It was a gorgeous evening and it was nice to get away for a bit.  Valdís was used to being a soldier, to taking orders and following them but she wasn't the best at socializing.  She barely knew any of her packmates having come in so late and she knew she needed to make the effort to get to know them.  They would do better in the next raid, she was sure.  She just had to make sure that that happened. Time seemed to move slower without Ásvor there.  Valdís felt herself constantly checking the horizon and feeling silly immediately afterward.  It wasn't like her friend would just abandon her, that was a silly thought indeed!  So why was she constantly looking for her?  Soon enough Ásvor would appear on the horizon and Valdís would smile, tail wagging lightly in the grass as the other appeared with some herbs in her jaws.  Valdís gazed at them curiously but followed Ásvor's advice though she couldn't help but make a face as she chewed the flowers, shaking her head as she swallowed them down. "Bleck!  How do prey stand to eat this stuff?" She grinned up at the paler woman. "Thanks though, I don't mean to be ungrateful.  So would you want to go for a walk or something or we could stay here and watch the stars?"  She wasn't sure if Ásvor had to be going or not. "Talk" "You" Think

By the time she made it back to her friend, the last glimpses of daylight were slowly fading, replaced by the soft glint of stars overhead. It was quite a nice evening, and she hoped Valdis would at least get some time to relax and recover from her injuries, however minor they might be. She made no effort to contain her easy, obvious joy at returning - her own tail waving slowly behind her as she approached and offered her the herbs. It was hard not to snort in a bout of laughter when Valdis tried them, but she didn't argue.  "Yeah, honestly most of them taste pretty terrible," Asvor admitted with a smile and a glint of mischief in her eyes as she watched her.  "It helps if you find something to help them down. Water probably wouldn't have been a bad start, but.." She shrugged - they weren't near water currently, so this would have to do. She couldn't help but wonder, perhaps a bit morbidly, how easy it might be to convince a wolf to consume something that could harm them rather than help - though she supposed Valdis knew her intentions weren't malicious. Not that she'd ever do anything to hurt her slightly larger companion. Maybe poisoning most other wolves would be a real possibility.. but Valdis? Despite her thoughts, she'd never actual begin to consider such a thing. The other female's question brought her out of her thoughts, and her smile returned. "A walk sounds good. But just a short one, then you need more rest. Maybe we can find somewhere to sit and watch them after?" Some of the tales her mother had told her and her siblings involved the stars and the pictures they painted in the sky, and she wondered if Valdis knew any similar stories. Either way, spending time with her was always pleasant and she was happy to milk their time together as long as she could.

ooc: sorry for the short reply ><

Valdís nodded at her friend's comments about the taste. She'd have tried to wash it down but without any nearby water source she'd just have to deal with it for now. If it helped it would be worth the bitter, earthy taste. She was pleased that Ásvor had accepted her request and she nodded. "Yea, that sounds good." She started walking, slowly at first but she soon settled into a steady and even pace. "So tell me Ásvor, what have you been up to? Are your healing skills growing as you hoped?" She hoped she wasn't being to much of a pest. She was genuinely curious what the other had been up to. Surely she'd had some crazy adventures herself. "Talk" "You" Think

A content sigh left Asvor's lips, a rare moment of vulnerability that she hardly even showed around family, as they walked together. Her agreement elicited another small smile from her. It was rare she truly enjoyed anyone's company, so she was grateful she'd found VaLdis again - though their meetings seemed to have quite a bit of time between them, she found that distance often made the heart grow fonder in some ways, and it was always nice to reconnect. She was glad for the easy pace, truly not wanting Valdis to push herself and further irritate her sore leg.  "I've been up to.. less then you, I can tell you that," Asvor smirked a bit as she eyed Valdis from the side.  "I've gotten a bit of experience here and there, but not nearly as much as I'd like."  Another sigh fell from her lips, only this time it was more forlorn.  "I think I'll make an honest effort to find my siblings soon and figure out what their plans are. Aimless wandering is only fun for so long." The thought of a pack was odd, but she was growing tired of being unable to fully hone her skills.

Valdís was enjoying the pleasure the walk brought her. Both the pleasure of good company and of a stiff limb being allowed to work and untense. It was doing her muscles good to limber up a bit. She'd spent to much time resting in her den. She listened as Ásvor spoke of her lack of progress and what seemed to be a rather uneventful life so far. She nodded. "I understand. I thought I would never join a pack but after awhile the isolation starts to get to you. Wolves are pack animals for a reason, says I. You know… you'd always be welcome to join Talis if you fancied but I understand how important family is to you. I hope you find your sibings." She kept on walking, giving herself time to still a pang of jealousy that had sprung up in her heart. She didn't have siblings she was close to like Ásvor and part of her was jealous that her friend was putting them first no matter how understandable it was. "Where does your family reside? Do your siblings tend to stay in one spot?" Perhaps if they did there would be a place that Valdís could go to visit with her friend. "Talk" "You" Think

At the mention of growing bored of life as a rogue, Ásvor nodded in understanding. "You're right there. I guess just.. settling has always bothered me." She shrugged lightly, wondering of Valdis would understand. She didn't like the thought of just picking a pack that seemed to fit and trying to join - what she truly wanted was for Yfir to be reborn, for at least one of her siblings to rule a grand empire and to follow them loyally.. but alas, the gods had not intended that yet, and she knew her mother was in no such condition to try to rebuild their kingdom. "I don't crave power myself, not really -" Not in the way a leader did, though she was sure having a small sliver of power might be thrilling. "- but it feels strange that my family no longer has an empire of their own. It makes me feel aimless." A smile was offered, head tilting briefly toward Valdis. "Thank you for the offer, though. I'll let you know what I decide, either way." Somehow, Valdis had managed to earn Asvor's respect, and even a bit of loyalty.. even if their meetings were spread apart, she felt like she owed it to her to at least keep in touch when she could travel down this way. "Most of them tend to be drawn to the northern part of the continent, so that's where I'll be heading next. The gorge and the forests surrounding it are like home to us, so if you ended up venturing that way, call for me." Lightly she leaned to half-nudge, half-nuzzle Valdis' shoulder affectionately. She didn't want to lose touch with her entirely, even if their paths tended to go separate ways most of the time.

Valdís nodded at her friends hesitance to stay in one spot. "I can understand that. There are so many risks with it… but many advantages to." Staying in one spot meant you could become a target, enemies would know right where to find you and if you were unlucky enough for your alpha to lose a challenge you could find yourself starting from scratch. But in some cases there was safety in numbers and a pack meant a better chance at learning from those around you as well as being well fed. She listened as Ásvor brought up her families pack and she emphatically nodded. "I know the feeling. When the Bone River pack, my hold pack, was ripped asunder I wandered for what felt like ages until I just couldn't stand it. I had to make a name for myself somewhere. Only time will tell if I made the right decision. Who knows though. Your family may yet rebuild its empire." She was glad though that her friend appreciated her offer. Her emerald eyes turned to gaze out across the landscape once more partly to hide the pain that stabbed at her heart from Ásvor's plans to head north. All the way north while she was to remain in Auster. That was painfully far… Yet, she couldn't hold anything against the other woman. If Valdís had the chance to see her family again she had no doubt she'd do the same and really they'd only been able to meet a couple times anyway. The two women were just on very different paths. She smiled. "You bet I will!" She felt a warmth spread down her spine at Ásvor's nudge and it helped to ease the stone that seemed to have settled in her stomach. A sudden jolt of pain caused her to yelp and stop. "Ack… back's starting to sting. I may not be able to keep this up for as long as I wanted to." "Talk" "You" Think

As Valdís mentioned something about her early life, Asvor perked up with interest - she'd always wanted to know more about her, but hadn't quite known how to ask. She'd been drawn to her because of the slight hint of shared culture between them. She thought back to when they'd first met, when Valdis had been digging a den, and she'd mentioned she knew of Freyja. Though she'd mentioned too she didn't believe in gods and spirits.. it was more than most wolves knew, and she'd been hooked pretty much from that moment on. She nodded in understanding at her story. "I wouldn't worry. I'm sure you made the right choice," she agreed softly. "I think most things end up working out in the end. And if not, they were not meant to be." Unlike Valdis, she did believe in gods and spirits - and believed that, though wolves had free will, their lives were often nudged along by a plenitude of gods and that things generally worked out the way they were suppose to. Asvor couldn't help but feel similar discomfort at the fact that their paths seemed destined to not cross as she had found herself hoping they might. Would it stop her from wanting to see Valdis again? Definitely not; the distance tended to only make her long to see Valdis more, and even if it wasn't as frequent as she hoped, she would still make the effort whenever she could. Her own expression wilted slightly, finding it hard to keep her mind from straying down that path. But she would enjoy their time together as best as she could for now. The other woman's sound made her wince, feeling worry form in her stomach. "Alright, let's rest then," she suggested lightly. Stretching out her sore body was a start, but overdoing it wouldn't do her any good. Asvor scoped out a decent patch of earth, protected slightly by some thick bushes, and directed them towards it, finally moving to lie down and jerking her muzzle toward her chest to direct Valdis here. They'd sort of rested together once, the first time they'd met, but she couldn't help but want to feel Valdis curled against her - she just hoped she wasn't being too presumptuous in assuming she might want the same. "Lay with me for awhile? Then in the morning I'll be on my way." She smiled almost sadly at the thought of leaving, but figured they might as well make the most of their time together if this was how things would be.

Valdís nodded. Yes, most things would work out in the end if she'd just be patient enough but that was the trouble really. She wasn't patient. She wanted things fixed the moment they were broken. Deep in her heart she just wanted her mother to show up again, for the two of them to go home and reclaim their pack but she knew that life wasn't that simple. Such thinking would only hold her back. She needed to start her new life here. The trick was deciding what that entailed. Ásvor suggested they rest and she nodded. Normally she'd put on the tough-girl act. She hated showing anything that could be seen as weakness but she trusted Ásvor more than she had anyone else since her home pack fell. She took a few steps toward the patch of earth but found herself hesitated. "Actually, I'm sure I can make it back. I'm fine, really. I- no, you're right. I could use a good rest." There was something alluring in the way Ásvor moved and when the other made her request Valdís found herself drawn to the other woman. She smiled shyly and nodded. "I'd love to." She carefully maneuvered herself onto the ground, curling up except for her forelegs which stretched out before her as she gazed up at her friend. She'd caught the end of that statement. In the morning she'd be gone. "Where will you go?" "Talk" "You" Think

Asvor couldn't help but wonder why it was that the gods had planned things this way. There was always a plan for them all, in particular her family, she knew that - why Valdis wasn't involved in it very frequently was beyond her. She could only hope that someday the strings of fate would be pulled in such a way that their destinies would be more intricately entwined. She'd always had faith in her gods and she hoped someday she would see exactly why things worked out as they had. For now, though, she would enjoy their time together - and she grinned widely when Valdis said she could rest and moved to lie against her. Even if she didn't necessarily need to - it was a good excuse to curl against her, something she hadn't realized she'd wanted until that moment when the opportunity presented itself. She was grateful to feel the comfort of another against her. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in some time.. most wolves she didn't trust enough to even let them near her in that way, and it'd been a long while since she'd curled up with her siblings like when she was a child. "To the north again, I suppose. The last time I saw my sister Naudir we discussed finding a way to procure some kind of teacher for me so I can gain some healing knowledge. That might be a priority, as well as finding somewhere to settle down and maybe - if we're lucky - wrangle up the rest of our family. And what about you? You plan on climbing to the top of the ranks in Talis?" Asvor grinned again, pleased at hearing she was doing well for herself.

Valdís felt a fluttering in her heart at the warmth and the closeness but she worked not to let it show. She didn't want to think about such feelings right now. Just the company, just being close to someone for awhile in a world that seemed to constantly be shifting and splitting underneath her feet. She could feel sleep pulling at her eyes but she clung to Ásvor's words. She said nothing as her friend mentioned moving back up north to find her sister and their family. All the way north… as far from Auster as she could be. She smiled sleepily as her friend smiled to her. Valdís yawned and nodded. "Yes, that's the plan." She rested her head onto her forelegs and almost as soon as she closed her eyes she fell asleep. -exit via sleep- "Talk" "You" Think