It took Lorelai two days to realize her paws had carried her back to familiar ground. She’d stopped dead in her tracks at first, one foot frozen still in the air. No… Surely not? It couldn’t be, she reasoned, casting her eyes down into the valley, following the river’s curve. She’d seen plenty of valleys and rivers in the years since, but no two had ever been the same. She sat back hard on her haunches. Well, now. This… wasn’t in her plans. Granted, Lorelai hadn’t had any plans to start with, other than wake up, eat, walk, sleep and repeat. Now that the ankle biters were off on their own anyhow, she was back to the same old-same old. She'd been looking forward to new horizons but it looked like she'd found herself some old ghosts instead. She heaved a sigh and stood again, began to work her way down the slope towards the fertile range below. It was a weird feeling for sure. She wanted to be excited but found herself more wary instead. It had been so long, years since she'd seen anyone. She knew some of her siblings had wandered off as she had, but others had stayed. Who, and why, and what were they up to now? Something tightened in her chest. Had Pops..? ... Well. He'd been ancient already when she was young. Some things were inevitable. Part of her couldn't imagine that damned tractor without him perched on it. For all she knew his bones were rattling up there even now. Could bones still scold you? The thought put a half smile back onto her face and she decided she might as well go find out. She hadn't expected to run into a pack border, or at least not an unfamiliar one. The scents were foreign to her but beneath it all was the unmistakable tang of sheep shit, an odor she couldn't forget no matter how hard she tried. If no one else, maybe her uncle was still around at least. She thought about howling to announce herself, but... Where was the fun in that, especially if the sheep shit was just a coincidence. If it really was a bunch of sheep-loving randos they could just as easily run her off, or at least make laying eyes on Pop's tractor harder than it had any right to be. Her mind made up, she stepped over the border and into a quick and quiet trot. She'd just have a little look around, sneaky-like. As sneaky as a bright red wolf her size could be, and if Pop's bones weren't up there bleaching on the tractor seat she'd throw a proper fit and maybe steal some sheep, just to prove a point. Or say hello to her family. Whichever came first. "Talk" "Listen" Think

Ulmaria diligently worked at gathering herbs as the noon sun rose high in the sky. She kept to herself most days. It seemed like there was always so much to do, things to get done, things to get, she traveled as she needed to and didn't worry about what anyone else thought of it. As long as she got the job done that's what mattered right?

She delicately laid a cluster of white horehound leaves into her basket. As Ulmaria lifted her head she noticed a wolf, bright as a sunset, heading into the range territory. Her fur started to stand on end but her feet didn't move. That form looked familiar… but it couldn't be…

Ulmaria had moved on with her life. They were all at an age where it was time for them to make their own paths and she'd come to accept she might not see any of her siblings again. Yet, here was a familiar form headed for Valentine's old tractor. Leaving her basket, Ulmaria started to walk toward the figure, a few tentative steps, a few more, and then she was off in a run. That was Lorelai, it just had to be! As she neared a girlish screech cut through the air. "Loriiii! Is that really you?" Ulmaria didn't stop for an answer instead seeking to wrap her arms around the base of her sister's neck and lick the other's cheek.

By the time Lorelai was able to get eyes on the tractor, she'd spotted motion as well. Her ears pressed flat and she tried to pick up the pace. She could chew on a stranger in a little bit, but tractor first. And tractor quickly, preferably, because they were surely going to call out an alarm... Annny second now... Lorelai slowed her trot and squinted over at the other wolf, who'd abandoned whatever it was they were up to in the first place. Interesting pelt, there. Familiar even... Lorelai gasped, recognition clicking at about the same time as her sister let out an ear-splitting shriek and began sprinting towards her. She had just enough time to brace all four paws before Ulmaria slammed into her with three long years worth of blunt force. Lore might've grown a few inches on her but apparently not enough to keep any extra air in her lungs. She gasped out, "Hi Mari," dodging between licks, "I wasn't sure anyone would still," and back to the other side, "Be hanging around here!" Lorelai wormed to give her sister an affectionate lick of her own before backing up to disengage, allowing herself a proper look at her sibling for the first time in longer than she could remember. They'd both grown, and while Lore was travel-lean and footsore, Ulmaria had the look and smell of a pack wolf who'd established themselves well. It was nice to see, even if she couldn't recognize anyone familiar mingled in on her pelt. Lorelai sat down and scuffed her claws in the earth. "So, uh. Been a while! What've.." She cleared her throat, and gestured to the horizon surrounding them. "What've you been up to?" Internally she winced. Three years and the best she could come up with was 'What's up?' Ugh. In her defense she'd been ambushed but still, that was pretty weak and she didn't mind admitting it. "Talk" "Listen" Think

After the initial burst of excitement Ulmaria was able to get herself together and pulled back to give her sister a bit of breathing room. Lorelai had grown into an impressive wolf, tall and svelte and devoid of any pack scent which made her guess that her sister had been wandering alone for some time.

What've you been up to?"

Ulmaria opened her mouth, close it, then opened it again as she tried to figure out what to say. "I hardly know where to begin honestly. A lot of wandering, finally ended up back in the old homelands. It's called Avalon now. Our leader is Corbie, really nice, big into rearing sheep and that sort of thing. Oh! Uncle Álarr is here too now, but what about you? Any grand adventures? I bet you have all the tales. Oh… actually, wait. I better let Corbie know you're here. The pack is pretty chill but better safe than sorry." Ulmaria tipped back her head to call for Corbie or at the very least alert her to the fact Ulmaria had company.

Lorelai listened closely, nodding along as her sister spoke. Avalon, huh? Had a ring to it certainly, nice or otherwise. She tried to keep her face carefully neutral at the mention of sheep. She didn't... dislike the stupid little fuzzballs, they had their uses. Tasted great, for one thing! But the smell... Ugh, well, more power to them. Lore couldn't place the feeling in her chest hearing that pretty much everyone had scattered to the winds but then again, who was she to judge? So it wasn't resentment or even sadness really, just a sort of aching curiosity. Lorelai opened her mouth to reply, she'd surely had some adventures of her own in the intervening years, popping out a couple of kids being foremost among them, but her sister rambled right into calling for her leader before she could get a word out. Lore's ears flicked back, a withering sort of 'Well that takes all the fun out of it,' expression flicking across her face. Honestly, after all the work she'd... at least considered putting in, all the risk she'd taken, and now she gets tattled on! Oh well, she could trust Ulmaria's judgement. Probably. Once the summons subsided she took her chance. "I hardly know where to begin, honestly." She scuffed her claws across the dirt, considering, but in the end the best way to eat a bison was one bite at a time so she might as well get on with it. "I spent a good long while just wandering here and there, drifting with whatever caught my interest. Eventually took up with a group of traders, spent a few seasons walking their caravan route helping them haul goods and chewing on the occasional thief." Her grin became crooked as memories swarmed up and washed over her. "It was a good few years. Met a lot of wild characters, you wouldn't believe. Uhm." She cleared her throat. "You're also an aunt now!" She held her breath and waited to see what her sister made of all that. "Talk" "Listen" Think

Ulmaria grinned sheepishly at her sister's expression after she called for her alphess and winked. "Don't worry about it. Corbie's chill and besides placing the call will keep everyone else out of our business. Besides, she's probably busy with the sheep." A friendly call would keep the pack at ease about their little intruder now that it was know Ulmaria was already, sort of, dealing with the issue.

Her ears perked up at the mention of a band of traders that followed a caravan route. Now that sounded like fun. "That sounds like quite the adventure! Do you think you'll head back to them or… or are you thinking you might stay in a pack here?" The words slipped out before she could really stop herself. It was so exciting to see one of hersiblings that of course she hoped to spend more time with Lorelai. Either with both of them in the pack or… or maybe… Ulmaria wasn't necessarily opposed to leaving Avalon for other opportunities. She'd mainly settled here after her failed search as they were familiar lands and of course more distant kin. Speaking of kin…

You're also an aunt now!

Ulmaria blinked at Lorelai. "I'm sorry, come again? Aunt? Wait… NO! What? You're a mom! When did that happen? What! Where are they?"

Lorelai quickly decided she could forgive her sister for blowing her cover if it would keep others out of their business. The temptation to remain grumpy about it was still there... But nah, seeing her again felt too nice to feign any sort of discontent. And if anyone did crash their party she'd just gnaw on them a little until they fucked off again. With the exception of the sheep-loving alpha, whom it would probably behoove her to remain on good terms with. For now. Ulmaria asked what her plans were and damn if that wasn't an excellent question, but she had a hard time responding past the split-face grin that took hold when her sibling burst out in surprise at the first mention of the runts. "Oh, you know. No big deal." Lore shrugged and tried to play it ambivalent for all of two seconds before the laughter got the better of her. "Hey, one question at a time, eh? It's no great love story or anything like that. Fell into a tryst or two with a good friend a little over a year ago, and one thing led to another. He's with the caravan still, raised with their folk and I think most of the kids were minded to stay. One or two said they'd be striking out on their own, so they may be along. We left on good terms and I made it clear they could come along if they wanted, but it was a tight knit bunch and honestly they're probably in better hands with a group than just a lone wolf." Lore smiled and shrugged. What she didn't say was that after a year and change she was starting to feel stifled, not by the kids but by the repetition of seeing the same faces day after day. She always knew she'd leave again one day, and the kids had too. Maybe it was her mindset, maybe it was genetic given their family's apparent proclivities, but she had never found herself to be a doting, feather-hearted maternal figure anyhow. She loved her pups and wanted the best for them, and took damn good care of them too when they were younger, but it helped raising them with the troupe too. By the time they were weaned and starting to find their own paths and interests it wasn't so much that they had two parents, but instead nearly a dozen aunts and uncles all willing to help with whatever they needed, and a handful of other pups too that were seen as family whether they shared blood or not. It wasn't conventional, but it worked. She just hoped Ulmaria wouldn't think any differently of her about it all. Lorelai let her eyes refocus from her trip down memory lane, and centered back onto her sister. "Whenever they do come hunt me down I'll be sure to introduce you, I can promise that much. I'm planning to stay in the area here for the foreseeable future anyways, get back to my roots and see what all has changed. Maybe dig up some of our other siblings, if I can." It was a vague plan, but vague plans were her specialty these days. And who knows, maybe Ulmaria had some leads for her. "Talk" "Listen" Think

Ulmaria had never felt so old in her life as she listened to Lorelai explain how she'd fallen for a friend and they'd had pups. Not just that but the pups were now old enough to choose whether to stay with their nomadic group or follow after their mother. Time really could be a heartless bitch. Ulmaria felt a pang of guilt that she hadn't been there to help with her nieces and nephews despite how improbable it would've been.

"Whenever they do come hunt me down I'll be sure to introduce you, I can promise that much."

"I'd like that. I'll have to keep an eye out for any suspiciously colored wolves. Still… that's just so crazy. When did we get so old, Lore?" She was glad that Lorelai was at least going to stay in the area for awhile. "If you could that would be great. I really haven't seen much of anyone, and believe me I did my looking before just returning back to the range." Ulmaria shrugged. There really wasn't much more to say than that though she wished her sister luck in finding the others.

Ulmaria glanced around but so far didn't see anyone coming. "Well, I'm sure you're welcome to stay for a bit and rest. I think if anyone was really worried they'd've showed up by now and besides I'd vouch for you anyway. I've got some smoked fish if you like, but I also understand if you're eager to continue on."

Her sister was taking this series of blindsides remarkably well, all things considered. Sudden reappearance of a sibling plus an equally sudden expansion of her extended family? That was a doozy. Lorelai was about to extend her a lot of grace and appreciation for it too, right up until Ulmaria called her old. "Oi! Speak for yourself, I'm still a spring chicken!" Lorelai bounced up and struck a dramatic pose, swishing her tail in a dramatic flourish. She'd keep the way her joints popped on cold mornings to herself for the time being. Of course Ulmaria had spent her time looking too, which wasn't exactly heartening given she hadn't turned up much, but Lore would still hold out hope. They had a whole pack's worth of siblings, surely there still had to be a few lingering around. As far as staying, at least for a while, Lorelai brightened. The last thing she wanted right now was to disappear over the horizon again. "Now that you mention it, I suppose I am a bit weary and footsore. And I've never been a woman to turn down a nice smoked meal." She winked and laughed. Hungry or not she just wasn't ready to say goodbye to Ulmaria just yet. There were stories upon stories left still to tell between them, and maybe over a meal was the best time to do so. She lifted a paw and gestured. "Go on, then! Take me to your finest fish!" Wherever she went after this, the decision could wait for another day. For now, relaxing and catching up with her family was her only concern. And if she was still holding out hope for someone to stumble in a raise a stink, she'd keep that to herself as well. "Talk" "Listen" Think [EXIT?]