Liss is back! Looking for packmate(s) to greet her :3

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Skill — Ranger

She'd taken her time returning to Lestan and Kirain's place of refuge. Liss had been alone when she came to Mythris... and she realized, in some ways, it had become easier to be that way. In the company of birdsong and daydreams, she was free of obligations.

No, she didn't want to be dispersed forever. She still wanted to find her family. But here in Mythris, Liss didn't have the benefit of Papa's watchful eye, or blood-bound allegiances between neighbors to leverage. Or even a mentor to tell her what to do next, when her first attempts failed.

She was a stranger here. It was harder. She was having to cultivate a kind of work-ethic, if she wanted to succeed.

Mam might have been proud to hear that, if she'd been around.

But for now, she was ready to check in on others, and see how they'd got on in her absence. Had they missed her, too? Wondered about her? She kind of hoped so.

Stardust was keeping her eyes on the horizon, partly because the sunset was quite nice and she was trying to replicate it in her awful painting, and partly as watch on the borders. Lestan and Kirain were quite busy with their newborn puppies, so Stardust wanted to take some of the burden of their growing pack off their shoulders.

She had not met Liss before, but Kirain certainly keyed her in. She told Stardust of exactly what she looked like, and how she had gone missing. Kirain was quite worried about the girl, so Stardust always kept her cyan eyes out for if she saw anyone matching her description. The worry that Kirain had for the girl grew and grew as time went on, and it got to the point of great irritation for Stardust.

Low and behold though, as Stardust watched the horizon another came into view. Stardust watched carefully as the figure approached closer and closer. The woman of night hues, touched with stars, lifted her tall form as the other was certainly coming into the Rise. Stardust huffed as she stood, the look of the other becoming apparent. This has to be the girl that Kirain was worried about. Everything seemed to match, so who else could it be? Stardust loped forward, her natural face, although quite beautiful, had a natural perhaps unfriendly edge to it…if she liked it or not.

”You approach Camhanaich, are you Liss?” she asked with narrowed cyan eyes. If she was wrong, she would need to assess them to ensure they are no danger to Kirain and the newborns.

Skill - Orator

This. Lady. Was. Beautiful.

Dressed in a night sky, like the wore the gods around her neck! Liss gaped in excited awe for a moment, then the font unleashed, I am! And you! You must be Stardust! Kirain told me about you! You're so pretty!

They were both Druids, so Liss took a friendly reception for granted and didn't mind the sour face. Half of Vale had always looked that way, anyhow. She surged forward, eager to throw friendly paws upon shoulders and licks upon muzzles, I'm glad we finally get to meet! I've been gone ages it feels like, but I met a bunch of people, and some weren't friendly, but others were. I found Aivar! He's not from Vale, my home I mean, but I knew him! Our families were friends! Sort of! Have any of my kin come here? How is everyone! I bet there's a lot to catch up on!

Stardust’s stern face remained at the initial expressions from the other stranger. Confirmed, it is Liss. Stardust was about to open her mouth when Liss just…kept talking, but she did mention how pretty Stardust was…so there is that at least.

”Why yes but…” she managed to get out before the young woman came at Stardust…with her PAWS, and with LICKS. Stardust’s face flick backwards. Dark paws step back, and a subtle panic sets onto her face. ”Oh god, no!” she says without thinking. This woman just got back from who knows where and is wanting to put PAWS on Stardust’s glorious fur? She was about to say something again but then the girl just went.

Cyan eyes blinked as her dark ears flicked forward to listen to the seemingly endless stream of words coming from the woman’s mouth. She seemed rather excitable. She tried to keep up with all the words, and when the girl eventually stopped talking, Stardust slowly nodded her head with a rather awkward smile on her dark lips.

”Uhhh, yes…yes, ACTUALLY,” she went on, finally seeing HER moment to speak. ”Liss, yes, where the hell have you been? Kirain was worried sick about you. I guess you were off with this Aivar guy, but you could have CALLED or something. Do you know how much Kirain worries? She was about to go out there and find you…PREGNANT! But we made sure she stayed here and thank goodness we did because she has her puppies now! Imagine if she had her puppies trying to find you? And your kin? What do you mean your kin? Are you expecting them here? No one is here if you were expecting them,” she said sternly, taking in a deep breath with her mind quickly preparing for the onslaught of words from the light colored woman.

Skill - Orator

At Stardust's retreat, Liss bothered to look down at her paws. They were pretty muddy. And she was covered in briars and twigs and bug-guts and sap. She'd tried to stay clean, really! Okay, not really. But sort of. A bit. Ish. Either way, when you were out on the road, it was hard to keep a clean coat! Especially one as thick as hers, blowing out for coming cold season!

But Stardust was talking now, so Liss didn't say any of that, even though she wanted to. And things were being said that made the girl flatten hear ears, lips sagging down into a distressed frown.

Had she put Kirain in danger? Liss hadn't meant to! Tears welled in her eyes, the powerful excitement of before souring into anxiety. I-I'm sorry, I—, she whimpered, I was really far away, first I met Aivar and these caribou hunters, and I tried to share with them but they were really mean and they chased me off and Aivar stayed with them and so I tried to find other packs to talk to and there were a few out there you know and— A brief, stilted inhale capped off an increasingly pitched tone; the whining continued, and I thought I might find my family up North but nobody was there that I knew besides Aivar and he hadn't seen them anyway so I came back to check on you guys and, and whatdoyoumeanshe'spregnant? No, no — she was pregnant. Had Liss missed the whole thing in her misadventure? Did she have her babies ok? Can I see her and tell her I'm sorry? The girl put on her biggest, wettest, saddest puppy eyes.

The horror. Stardust’s finally got a moment to actually take a good look at the girl. Her initial recoil was more of an instinct, a natural reaction to ANYONE coming near here if she is unsure their clean status. But now? The mud. The bark. The seeds and spores. The thorns and spikey things. They were all over the other girl. Stardust felt her breath draw sharply in. This would NOT due. ”Deus meus mulier.” she said in Latin, a language she had hardly used since getting here.

Of course, Stardust’s words did not go over well. The woman of night watched as the girl’s expression turned. The whimpers hit Stardust’s ears and she almost felt bad, but the filth that covered Liss bothered Stardust so much, she couldn’t even focus too much on it. The whiney voice of Liss continued as she explain in far too much detail all about what happened while she was gone.

Breathe, breathe, breathe. Stardust tried to listen, but it was just so hard. Stardust was feeling like she was getting to know this Aivar guy pretty well already, but he sounds like a bit of a jerk. Stardust could give him a piece of her mind, and maybe she would if she ever met him. This girl Liss sure did talk a lot, but Stardust could tell her heart was in the right place. It made sense why Kirain was so worried about her. Speaking of Kirain, Liss didn’t even know about the puppies.

”Yea---yes,” she gets in, although interrupted by further questions about the babies from Loss. ”First off, I am not sure you should be hanging out with this Aivar guy. Just because you know someone, doesn’t mean they are worth YOUR time, you see? If he don’t treat you right, ditch him,” she said somewhat protectively. Liss was someone Kirain cared about and wanted in the pack, and so naturally Stardust felt she must help the girl out where she can.

”As for Kirain, she had THREE ab-so-lute-ly gorgeous little puppies. They are perfect little CLEAN things, and you certainly CANNOT see them in the state you are in. Just look at you! We must get you a bath right now, missy, let’s go,” Stardust says, gesturing at all of the…stuff in Liss’ fur. Stardust turned then, keeping her head high as she gave Liss the chance to follow her to a stream nearby Stardust’s den. If she doesn’t come…Stardust had half a mind to drag her there…but that would require touching. Ew.

Skill - Orater

Three! She sniffled, hopeful that Stardust's willingness to entertain the idea of a visit meant forgiveness, even if it did come at the cost of a bath. She followed, tail tucked. Are they boys or girls? How big are they? Is Lestan excited?

Hey, though, ditch Aivar??? B-but I can't ditch Aivar! He's my friend! I'm — I'm sure he had a good reason for staying. He used to be an outrider like me — well, his people called them rangers, but they did mostly the same thing — and even though he said he was alone maybe he was spying, or trying to make an alliance, or... Or maybe he didn't want you around. But that couldn't be true... She whined again, I kept hoping he would follow me later but he hasn't yet.

Thank goodness Liss followed without complaint. Stardust led the way to the stream between her own den and Kirain’s, but the sun was setting. Looking over Liss, this was NOT going to be a quick process. There was so much dirt and grim, not to mention…things, stuck in Liss’s fur. Stardust could tell she was pretty woman, but not one to keep herself up. No worries, Stardust was here to make her to best that she can be.

”Two girls and one boy. All brown like the bark of trees and white like fresh winter’s snow. And of course Lestan is excited…I’d give him a piece of my mind if he wasn’t,” she mused with a huff at the end. Lestan seemed good for Kirain, so Stardust allowed him around for now. If he ever turned on her though…

The thought could not last, because Stardust got to learn even more about Aivar. Great. This poor girl was stuck on this guy who sounds completely disinterested in her and…Stardust could understand it. Not all can handle lots of talking. But Stardust can. Lots of talking ran in her family, just not in such a…cheery way. That was the adjustment.

”Well, you have a weird definition of what a friend is. Are friends mean to each other for no reason? How was he a friend before? Did he even give you a hint that he wanted you around? Just because you were both outriders or rangers or whatever, doesn’t make you friends,” she said a bit harshly, though slowing her pace and sighing a bit.

”Look, I know we don’t know each other yet, but you seem very…well, you, and I don’t want you getting your feeling hurt by some…GUY just because you know him,” she explained as the stream was coming into view. Stardust increased her pace again, looking to Liss as the water got closer.

Skill — Orator

Liss was certainly getting the impression that Stardust was good at giving out pieces of her mind. And didn't need any particular reason to do it, either.

Well... Liss thought back for a moment, Yeah, he said he was glad to see me! Flattened ears perked up, now more confident in her desired belief that she hadn't been abandoned, And we hunted together, it was just — when the others showed up they were real mad. They said it wasn't allowed! And I tried to apologize but they didn't care. She scuffed a pebble with her paw, sending it rolling through the grass. So they chased me off. But not him. But Aivar's always been grumpy. Maybe that's why they liked him, more. A shrug, then, with some fire in her, You can be grumpy and still like someone. Besides, if I decided not to be friends with anyone who was mean for a reason I didn't know, I wouldn't have any friends at all.

As the water got closer, Liss walked slower. She didn't mind swimming, but getting scrubbed and having her fur pulled and then having to dry off after without running around in case her thick coat matted... Eugh. She frowned again.

She listened carefully to the words that Liss said, Stardust noticing Liss’ slowing pace. Cyan eyes turned to look at her, narrowed at how she was chased off and the guy didn’t stand up for her? Nothing? Stardust lifted her pretty head and huffed in displeasure.

”And what did he do? Nothing? He just went with them and didn’t stick up for you? HMPH!” she asked, feeling the star-touched threads on her neck sticking up a bit. Liss seemed completely unmoved by the guy, but perhaps Stardust could understand. She probably was not native to land like the rest of them, and probably was sticking to what she knows. To some, that is better than being alone.

”You would too have friends. Kirain is never mean, right? That is why you belong here. She is your friend, and you will be my friend. We won’t abandon you for mean wolves…but in the end, you make your own decisions. You get to choose who you be around, and hopefully you choose well for yourself,” she stated firmly, taking a few steps back due to the frown and slowed down pace at the sight of the water.

”Liss…you HAVE to get all the mud and stickers and such out of your fur before you visit the pups. There is poison out there, and if any of it got into your fur without your knowing…you see, pups a small and are more sensitive to things like that. We must be careful for them,” she said carefully, concern touching her dark face. Sure, she was using the pups as an extra excuse…but she was also was not wrong.

Stardust loped forward then, getting her own paws in the stream. The water was cool, but not cold. The stream itself was very gentle and the sound of it was pleasing to the ears. ”Come on now, I will help you. You can tell me all about how you got here in the first place, hm?” she said in a bit more friendly tone, hoping talking will distract the girl.