The old woman didn’t often leave Abaven, especially without an escort. There was little need and her old body didn’t deserve the extra wear and tear. She was still a healer deep down and the urge to go and collect her herbs was strong. However, this trip she was on her way to the hot springs that were placed not so far away from Abaven’s borders. Her granddaughter Poem insisted on accompanying her, but she knew the girl only had her best interests at heart.

The pair of them arrived at the destination, and as Rhythm made herself comfortable in the warm liquid Poem took her leave. The girl would go do a pit of patrolling and come back in a while to escourt the old woman home. Rhythm sighed heavily as she relaxed into the spring, letting the heat of the water relax away the aching in her old joints.

In need of a little 'me' time, Iolaire said her goodbye's to Roan and made her way to the infamous hot springs that she'd heard so much about. Bag about her neck just in case, the tiny dame picked her way across the land at her leisure, stopping here and there to inspect this or that. It was nice to be out on her own for a bit. Her front paws had begun to ache terribly over the past week. Sometimes the pain was excruciating. She wondered what might be wrong with them. Perhaps a soak in the springs would do them good.

A surprise lay in store for the woman as she arrived at the springs. There was already someone soaking within. That was fine. The place was big enough for two. Coming closer, Iolaire was rather pleased to see who waited in the warm, misty waters. "Rhythm?" She remembered that the woman was blind, and so she gave her name. "It's Iolaire. Do you mind if I join you?" She was already shrugging out of her pack which she placed in a sheltered place so it wouldn't have a chance of getting wet.

At first she thought that Poem had returned early as she rotated her features towards the sound of foliage being disturbed. Blind eyes blinked as chocolate ears swiveled towards the woman who was not her granddaughter. She certainly wasn’t expecting the owner of the voice that called out her name. At first Rhythm didn’t know who had come to see her, the voice was familiar but she couldn’t quite place it. Iolaire expected that and her name was quick to follow.

”Iolaire!” She returned the greeting warmly, her features shifting from confusion to joy easily. ”Of course, come enjoy the water.” She shifted slightly to allow more room in the tepid waters for her acquaintance. She seemed in much higher spirits than the last time the two of them met. ”You seem much brighter than the last time I saw you.” She observed without fear. With her age most social niceties didn’t matter anymore. Of course Rhythm was in brighter spirits as well. Time healed all wounds, not that Rhythm would ever forget the pain of Shaye’s loss.

Sinking into the warm water, Io released a sigh of pleasure. She had to settle down upon one of the submerged rocks since she was so small in stature, but it was no trouble. She made herself quite comfortable. The ache in her front paws subsided a bit with the heat of the spring. For that, she was thankful.

Rhythms words brought a chuckle from the tiny healer. "Quite a bit brighter. A lot has changed since then." Resting against the stone side of the spring, Io continued to look at the earthen woman. "And you? You reached Abaven safely, I see? I meant to come check on you, but things have been hectic with moving the pack and babies being born left and right." She continued to observe. "You look well. You look... happy." She hoped that the older woman would confirm her words. Iolaire found that she truly wanted the old wolf to be happy.

The hot springs really were the old woman’s favorite place to find clay. The unique mineral makeup of the springs always produced the most gorgeous pearl white clay. Of course Rhythm couldn’t actually see the finished result, but it was also the most smoothe beneath her deft paws. Unfortunately she could only gather tiny bits at a time, they were good for small alcohols though. Scent concentrates fit well in the decorative jars. Potentially she could decorate each individual one to match the contents beneath. She was getting ahead of herself.

”Good,” she commented simply. She’d sensed Iolaire had been in deep pain that day, and it seemed she found the cure for that ailment. ”Safe and sound.” However much drama had cropped up between the two sides of family. ”Seems we should keep an eye on the Armada’s exponential growth?” She chuckled good naturedly. Rhythm genuinely liked Iolaire, but her alpha was the one who’d imprisoned her granddaughters.

”I am.. happy as could be expected.” Was she happier here in Abaven than she had been in Legion? Maybe. The events that transpired while she was there held her prisoner, and there was no real way to compare herself in the two packs. ”Enough about boring old me, share your joy with an old woman?” were any of said babies belonging to Iolaire?

"Aye, the Armada is growing," she admitted, settling herself further into the warm water. "I like to think that fatherhood is settling my brother a bit. It's nice to have a niece and nephews running about." Io didn't know anything about Sirius having stolen Abaven members and so she couldn't say anything that might assuage whatever negative feelings Rhythm might have about the Armada.

The old woman asked after her own well being and the dark fae swished a paw along the top of the water absently. "My joy... I'm overjoyed by my niece and nephews. An incredibly kind man has come into my life and has washed away the pain that I felt the last time that we met." She then sighed. "With joy, comes pain." Silence took over for a few moments.

"I'm unable to have children. I'm barren due to lack of a menstrual cycle." Leaning back against the edge of the spring, she continued. "Unfortunate, since I feel the pull to give my future husband a child." She'd been thinking a great deal on her inability to conceive. "I've helped others with their inability to conceive in the past. I wonder if, somewhere out there, there might be someone that could help me with mine."