Come down, come down sweet reverence

Winter drove Jynn southward. The novelty of snow had warn off and she longed for longer and warmer days so she trekked down into Auster. As usually she had no where to go and no place to be so she just let her feet guide her where they would. They hadn't let her down yet and this occurance was no exception. She arrived in a lovely garden just after a gentle rain. She had been here before, they called it the gods garden.

Leaping upon the nearest stone wall she started walking along the garden's perimeter, her patch occasionally cutting inward along the paths made by the garden walls and sections. She knew it had been built by human's some time in the far past and she wondered what made them desire to section off plant life like this.

_________________________________________________________________ Her first stop upon leaving the Hallows was God's Garden. Even as the sun warmed along her back, Audra paused a moment to look behind her. Still, her heart ached for the joys of living in the castle, but it was no longer the same. Letting go a saddened breath, she glanced around the worn rocks that made up the place before her. Once upon a time, it must have been a grand place full of wonder and beauty. Now, desolate and flattened, left to the elements. Not far from her, Mack took to the trees for a rest, and that she was fine with. Because as luck would have it, the familiar scent of a dear friend would catch in her nostrils. The long-legged girl she grew to know as Jynn was magically standing before her. Was this a sign? A good start to the next chapter of her life? It had been a while since she'd seen Jynn so the smile that pulled her lips up could not be hidden. "Jynn! Long time no see," Audra chirped as she approached with her tail wagging happily. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn reveled in the unique smell of the air post-rain. Everything felt renewed. She knew that it wouldn't last of course, the dry season of Auster would soon shift to retake it's claim and the seasons would parry back and forth til the wet season assumed command.

Rustling caught her attention and she turned to see Audra. Jynn smiled broadly and let out a cheerful call. "Audra! It's so good to see you!" She leapt down off of the wall and trotted over to the other woman, claws clicking on stone as she went. "How have you been? How's pack life been treating you?" Her own struggles and considerations with solitude versus pack life had very much been on her mind and she was curious how Audra's experience was going.

_________________________________________________________________ More than pleased that Jynn greeted her with the same enthusiasm, Audra waited for the girl to get closer before replying. Even though much time had passed since their last encounter, it felt as if it had been yesterday. Her tail wagged happily until Jynn questioned her about the pack life. Glancing out toward her right side to look over the crumbling garden, she let out a sigh. "Oh, Jynn," she murmured hesitantly at first. "Honestly, I enjoyed being a part of the Hallows. Having something to do is nice, but a lot of drama comes with it too,"  there is another pause as she looked back at Jynn. Should she be honest? Tell her everything? Mulling over, she thought maybe it would be good to get it off her chest. "I broke up with my girlfriend and am on my way to teach at Abaven," there is a slight tremble in her voice as she glances at her paws. No, now wasn't the time to cry. "Anyway, how about you? How's life been treating you? Find any cool, new places?" Audra tried to instill more excitement in her voice as she lifts her golden gaze back up to Jynn. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn's ears drooped slightly as she caught the hesitation in Audra's voice. Oh no, something had happened… at least Audra was alive and unhurt but packs disappeared and broke apart all the time for a myriad of reasons. She just hoped it wasn't maurauders. Instead it appeared to have been inner pack drama. "Ahh…" Jynn nodded slowly. That made sense. Part of the reason she was so wary of pack life was that she'd seen what could happen first hand. How pack members could turn on each other, especially in times of stress.

What really caught her by surprise was that Audra had had a girlfriend, and further more that the girlfriend broke up with her. She scoffed. "Well, she clearly didn't understdand what a catch she had. Her loss! But let us not mourn those who are so lacking in taste when there's a world out there ripe for exploring!"

"Find any cool, new places?"

Jynn nodded excitedly. "Oh, there are so many neat places! I can't even list them all. There's a lake in the north that glows when you walk on it. A land with trees that bleed, and I also found an underground river. If you want you can join me I can escort you part of the way to Abaven. I'm headed to Algoma Prairie myself. Get some early spring hunting in."

_________________________________________________________________ Jynn's permanent optimism was one reason she had always been fond of the girl. No matter what predicament they had gotten themselves into, Jynn would always smile and say it would be alright. Her encouraging words made Audra blush as she glanced away for a moment. Did she really mean all that? Was she really such a catch? It was true though and somewhat relieving that she wasn't tied down to the pack anymore. She could travel wherever she wanted to without anyone asking where she'd been. This brought a smile to her face as she looked back up at Jynn. Both ears were alert as her friend described the adventures she had been on. It even got a little 'wow' out of her. The lake that glows when you walk on it sounded the most interesting. Bleeding trees were not her thing and she tried to stay away from underground dwellings after their last adventure. "I would love some company on my way up there! I haven't been by Algoma in a while," she chirps as her tail wags excitedly behind her. Maybe traveling north to Boreas wouldn't be so bad after all. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn's smile widened as Audra started to grin. There was the Audra she remembered! Audra agreed to go with her and Jynn yipped in excitement. It was often more fun to travel with a friend than it was alone. While Jynn didn't mind time with her thoughts she craved the chance to get out of her own head and that was easiest with company to focus on. "Great!"

Jynn bounded ahead, starting her way northward toward Boreas. "So, any big plans? Think you'll join another pack or stay a loner for awhile?" If Audra was done with packs Jynn would happily offer to be her travel companion but she knew all to well the risks that came with living a loner's live verses a pack life.

_________________________________________________________________ Jynn's overall good mood and excitement seemed to dissipate any sourness Audra had in her. Following Jynn's yip with a yip of her own and a happy wag of her tail, she bounded after the long-legged girl. Starting a new adventure seemed promising and she hoped for a better road ahead. When she glanced over to Jynn as she was inquired about pack life or not, Audra shrugged. "Honestly, I think I want to scope out some opportunities first. I enjoyed the safety the Hallows provided, but I also wasn't the biggest fan of being kept within pack lands. I might stay a loner for now until I see some more of Boreas or get tired of traveling," she smiles at Jynn as they continue ahead. Oh, this was going to be a great journey! _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn nodded as Audra explained her plans, wrinkling her nose at the mention of being kept within pack lands. "Ugh, I'd positively die if I had to be cooped up all the time." What sort of pack didn't let its members wander free? "I don't think I could ever get tired of travelling… ok wait that is a lie. I did explore a chunk of the north in winter and about froze my ears off. I was very much done with travelling at that point but then I found that glowing ice lake and it just made it all the worth while." She was curious if that lake would still be frozen in the summer or not. She'd have to make a point to check it out while she was in Boreas. "You know, I have a crazy idea. I mean I don't know if it will actually become anything but I'm thinking of seeing if I can find enough wolves to form a traveling band."