Resting atop the log, faintly greyed muzzle tipped slightly away from the direction she was so tempted to gaze towards, Mara looked almost serene. The warm golden-orange rays of dappled sunlight warmed her back as the sun dropped lower behind her. The sky was nearly the same shade as her own ember-colored eyes. It was a lovely evening. Well, the evening might have been a bit more enjoyable if she wasn't trying to keep her eyes off the old densite where she'd raised her children. A fox had taken up residence there now, leaving it's scent all over the place where once the milky breath of her sons had filled the air alongside their shouts and the sounds of their little paws pounding the earth as they played. Closing her eyes, the older woman sighed heavily. It somehow seemed like only moments had passed since she'd taken up residence in this orchard, and yet after seeing Amos... Ah, and that made her wonder how the other two were faring. The pang that sent through her chest broke her resolve and she finally allowed herself to cast a surreptitious glance towards the worn old den. Would she ever be able to return to those simpler times when her only focus was on the little boys she was raising and nothing else mattered? Perhaps she'd enjoyed motherhood more than she'd care to admit... A heavy sigh left her and she pulled her eyes away from the den, turning to study the trees that were now heavy with fruit. "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: Permission was given by monster for Vern to find and fallow Cealum's trail.

The plan for today had been rather simple, a solitary plan since Mara had departed for a bit again. He was going to do a bit of tracking, testing out his aged sniffer to see if he still had it. It was something to get him up and moving and to occupy his time alone. Things started out well, it took a while for him to pick up a decent trail and he fallowed it. For a long while he was relieved to see he still had his nose. He still had one thing that gave him a purpose and made him a useful creature. He knew he didn't have many more years, but at least this was an addition to the few things in life he still enjoyed. For a long while he fallowed the trail, up until another scent highly distracted him. It made him stop in his tracks for a moment, question whether he had actually caught that scent or his mind was playing tricks on him.

Back tracking he went to the spot again and proved to him that Cealum had passed through here. It had just been her and it drew his curiosity. Last she had seen her she had a new pack, and was starting over again so to cross her trail out here confused him. He altered his course and began to fallow her trail, wondering if she had been alright. Cealum was still a friend in his mind and if something was wrong he wanted to help anyway he could. He didn't know where it may lead, but just checking in wouldn't hurt would it?

It led him to the orchard, but then he had lost the trail. It was frustrating to loose a trail, but no matter what he did, he could not find it again. Grumbling to began to aimlessly wander the orchard until the fresh trail of Mara slapped into his face. It was hot and strong meaning she had to still be here. Shrugging he decided to go see what she was up to since she was so close. Altering his course again he fallowed her trail and quickly she came into view, looking up at the trees and setting near a den.

"Hey," he called out, his tone quieter since she wasn't to far from him.




"Talk." & 'Think'

Years back this sort of nostalgia was still quite foreign. That fact alone probably spoke volumes about the sort of life she lived. How good could it be if she never really craved any part of it, never missed a detail or a wolf from her past? She didn't even miss her only known living sibling in the slightest. But now, with visions of her kids leaping beneath the trees in search of their favorite fruits, Mara was all too keenly aware of what she'd missed before and strangely enough... it was impossible to shake the feeling that she wanted to go back to what she'd had so seemingly briefly. Hearing the familiar voice call out a greeting, Mara turned her head slightly to cast her gaze Inverno's way. Giving him a thin smile and a nod, her eyes flickered briefly back to the den before she gave Vern her full attention. He looked as well as ever, which of course meant he looked like an old man. If he was anyone else she might even say as much, but as it was she settled for a simple "Fancy meeting you here. What brings you this way?" Curiosity hadn't struck her till after she asked, but now she was rather interested in why Vern had showed up. "Talk" "You" Think

Once her eyes turned to him and she acknowledged his presence he moved closer, leaving a few feet out of respect of her personal space. He didn't know what the significance was of this place, what memories it held. To him he thought maybe she was playing a game with whatever creature lived her, he didn't know that she had once had her children here and this was where they grew up. She looked well and it didn't seem like any harm came to her since she had left which was good. He would hate that his only....... His only.....

'Friend? Companion?'

He wasn't really sure what the relationship between the two of them was. He knew he enjoyed her company and would miss her when she wasn't there, but they had never really discussed their emotions towards one another. He knew that he enjoyed being around her, was used to her being around, and that was the simple gist of it. She asked him what he was doing out here and he gave her a slight shrug.

"It started off as tracking prey, but I ran into a recent trail of an old friend and for a while I fallowed it, lost it here in the orchard, and then ran into yours. I thought since I was out here I would see what you were up to," he replied. "What are you up to?"




"Talk." & 'Think'

She listened to his account of how he ended up here. While she felt a bit of passing interest at the mention of a friend, she focused more on his question and let the hows and whys of his arrival slip from her mind as she contemplated her response. "Not a whole lot," she began, finding it difficult to decide where to fix her gaze as she nearly stumbled over her words. Normally Mara liked the idea that Inverno was entirely separate from the rest of her life. Yes, he knew she'd been a pretty horrible creature in her past, but he didn't know all of it and he didn't know much of anything about her kids. He was Vern, the new and unspoiled piece of her life that held her together these days even if he didn't know it.

But maybe it would be better to share? Why not, he asked, right? With a soft exhale, she gestured toward the den. "I used to live here. A few years ago. I had... kids. Not all of it was... ideal. But it was nice I suppose. I miss the nice parts sometimes." Less than eloquent, but, there it was.