Mira was not pleased. Not one bit. She... she was in a territory over from Abaven territory, but it still made her feel restless. She woudn't run into anyone, she wasn't on pack territory... and yet, she fervently wished she had gone a different way towards the sea, instead of skirting Abaven. She should have avoided it all together. She didn't want to be near Abaven, and yet... here she was, only a territory over.

She was the epitome of an idiot. Frustration welled inside of her, and she ground her teeth together. Tears - of frustration, mind you, not sadness - pricked the corners of her eyes, and her claws tore at the ground even as she continued to push her way through grass that was taller than her. The mantra of idiot kept repeating in her mind, but it was too late now - she had to keep going. Hopefully, she would encounter nothing and the memories would fade once more.

"Speech" 'thoughts'

Motif to be honest wasn't sure who she was anymore, or who she had become. She was a mother, a beta of Abaven, a sister, an Auntie (abide a terrible one) and still she could not define what she and Shai where to one another. When had her life become one where she relied on who she was to everyone else? She had been free, strong, and fearless not that long ago. She had been Bass's right hand, a proud sister, an alpha of Abven and nothing had fazed her. Now she was a failure of a sibling, having burned her bridges with her beloved Rhythm. She was a mother without a mate, and flailed about in some attempt to be a parent. She knew she was a train wreck, drowning with no lifeline in sight. It was no surprise that she would wonder from Abaven territory in search of clean air, free of the taint of her failures. What she hadn't expected, was the scent of a familiar stranger. Having lost the companionship of Rhythm, she hadn't been close enough to any other wolves to find it elsewhere, so she would find inside of her, surprise, anticipation and a touch of joy in the potential reunion of an old friend. One she had made back when she sparred every chance she got, back in days that felt much younger. There was a touch of trepidation somewhere in the pit of her stomach as she moved on an encounter course to Mira's path. She wasn't far from Abaven territory, a fact that puzzled Motif. She had no idea where the other had vanished to, or why, or if she was returning or simply passing by. Yet, in the timing for Mira couldn't have been better, because in that moment none of those questions mattered, the only one that did was that she was here. There would be no challenge in her posture, only curiosity, and perhaps wonder as Mira came into her view. “Mira?” her voice would echo out as a question, as through perhaps after all this time she could be mistaking a stranger for a friend. Speech Thought

The scent hit her first, but she irrationally rationalized it away as the wind passing the scents toward her - nevermind the fact that the wind wasn't even blowing towards her; it was blowing away from her. She didn't want to face someone from Abaven, let alone the person she had been closest to - it hurt too much, that she had betrayed Abaven and that she had no chances left. She knew it was her fault, and the fact that she never developed completely the relationship with Motif as she should have also hurt her - it was entirely, and completely her fault. The voice hit her second, and that was when she knew she could no longer deny what was happening here. And when the voice hit her, a flurry of emotions hit her: joy, fear, trepidation, anticipation, excitement. She wanted to see Motif, and she didn't. She had denied the want moments earlier, but with the truth cemented - she couldn't surpress it entirely. She knew that Motif only scented her, not seen her, which meant she could sneak away... and her mind was half-inclined to. However, she was already moving towards Motif, as if not from her own violation. When she spotted the dark woman, she froze, yellow eyes wide on her face. It wasn't her imagination, it wasn't some odd thing in her mind tricking her. Not that it was likely it would have been that; voices have never been in her head before - well, besides her own - but it was still a fear of hers. But... this, thsi couldn't be denied, this was no illusion. "M-Motif?" The girl stumbled over her words like a pup taking its first steps - hell, she felt as hesitant and scared as one, too. As excited and nervous. She noted the curiosity, she noted that there was no dominance - and she noted that she was not in Abaven territory, so even if Motif wanted to she couldn't really do anything. "What are you doing here?" It sounded worse coming out of her mouth than she intended, harsh... but at the same time there was an undercurrent of fear and hope, an odd combination for one such as Mira to have. Then again, this whole situation was odd for the woman who was normally so confident. "Words"

Her question would be answered with Motif's own name, and that in itself told her enough. She moved closer to take in the sight of the familiar brown girl to see that she was still fit and strong, and Motif would remember that she had been a worthy opponent, back when Motif took sparring far more seriously. The Abaven girl would start to smile, when Mira's next question reached out between them, and Motif hesitated. she was happy to see an old friend, but that didn't mean the other appreciated Motif dropping in on her. She didn't let her doubts faze her, reaching in for the memories of the strong, fierce creature she had been before Rhythm had left her, and she would find it in her to let a smile draw across her lips, her brow to raise in a question that was just as much a challenge. “We are almost on Abaven's borders, I think the bigger question is what are you doing here?” she pointed out, but again there was no unfriendliness to Motif's tone. Speech Thought

Her own lips trembled, wanting to smile and at the same unable to. How Motif was happy to see her, she couldn't fathom - after all, she had left. Left the pack, twice, and with no warning at that. She abandoned the pack; abandoned the wolves within it. How could one be pleased to see her? It made no sense to her. Well, more like she didn't let it make sense to her. She didn't want this perception to be wrong, she didn't want to be wrong, even though she did at the same time. Damn, she was confused. And confusing.   She tensed at Motif's words, but after a moment, she relaxed again. As much as she was able to, that is. There was no hostility in the female's voice, even if her expression was challenging. It was challenging in a... good way. The way it used to be. The way she wished it still was, in a way, if she hadn't messed up. She had, though, and she wasn't going to go back - not even if allowed. "Avoiding Abaven," she responded, looking away with her ears flickering half-way between flattened to her head and upright. Her voice, this time, wasn't as hostile as she thought it would be. No, this time it was hesitant and tiny. Avoiding my mistakes echoed in her mind, because she knew it to be true - wandering alone, she could avoid them. Meeting those she did not know, she could avoid them. Meeting someone she did know? They seemed to drown her. "Words"

What is this part doing here, Sea?

Motif's expression would raise in surprise at Mira's words, avoiding Abaven? Well, she supposed that made sense, Bass wasn't always the forgiving type to those that vanished on him. She herself wondered what had happened to Mira, the two where fast on their way to becoming friends before the other had taken off. Motif had to believe there was a reason the other had left, left Abaven and Motif behind. She wasn't angry at Mira for her absence, even if she was confused, perhaps the reason for that was the hollow pain in her chest where Rhythm use to be. She could hardly be angry at anyone else leaving her when the one closest to her heart had done so. “I missed you, I didn't think I would see you again.. where have you been all this time?” The Abaven girl asked, stepped closer to her old friend. Even as she blurted out all her questions, she could see the shame and worry in the others eyes, and she moved closer yet, to bump her muzzle against the side of the other girls face. “Hey, it's alright, i'm not mad” she promised softly. "Speech"