All these places were familiar to her. She could be away for a thousand years and still know every inch of Relic Lore like the back of her paw. A light snow fell from a cloudy sky, able to gorgonize even the most focused on wolves. There was something lovely about the little dainty flakes, something captivating. Her orange eyes followed them as they fell, eyes nearly crossing as a few of them landed on her nose. Shaking her head, the woman pulled herself out of the stupor that the weather put her in, and fluffed out her fur. It was so cold that the water in the falls was frozen, making her journey to the grotto that much easier. Twisting around rocks, she managed to slip into the private space. A smile shimmied onto her muzzle and she hopped onto the ice. It made no protest, letting her know that it was more than stable and solid. With another hop, she was on the other side and settled onto her haunches, giving herself an absent minded groom, glad to be able to wander about Relic Lore in peace.

The land was always the same, more or less, though the wolves changed. It made her wonder who she'd run into first. Admittedly, she was rather close to Swift River. It made her wonder if she'd accidentally run into Marsh or, god forbid, Corinna. They'd probably avoid her like the plague, just like she'd probably do. Any company would be welcome company, even though she was enjoying her peace. It would have to be broken eventually. Her ears twitched and she aimed her eyes towards the path, looking for some kind of shadow against the pale white ground. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony

Her jewel eyes only hovered there for a moment, before she tipped her head back, rising back to her paws and throwing her body backwards towards a tiny pool that hadn't quite frozen. Nature had never been something that she was particularly enamored with. It was just there, it happened, she experienced it secondhand as it changed and moved with it as best as she count. It was a container for life. Nothing more, nothing less. But it was hard not to wonder how this pool had survived the freeze and the snow. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed frozen, but not so solidly as the rest of the water that pooled around her. Lifting a paw, she dropped it down upon the thin layer of ice. It let out an unhappy groan and then cracked. Instantly, she withdrew her paw and scowled, shaking off the freezing water. She wondered how fast it would refreeze, but was nowhere near interested enough to stare at it for however long it would take.

A voice, though soft, called out from somewhere, and Borlla turned around, ears back, nose twitching, trying to identify the scent before the wolf saw her or vice versa. It was unfamiliar, though she could detect the scent of Swift River, and she noted as well that though the wolf didn't see her, they smelled her and didn't seem to know who she was either. Although it had been a long time, a year, maybe longer, since she smelled of Swift River, there was no doubt that anyone familiar with her would likely be able to identify her by scent anyway. <b style="color:#5c312b">"Yes?" She answered, peace falling over the woman again. Her stance was somewhat dominant as she watched the direction in which the voice came, waiting to see exactly who she was about to stare down. She should have expected to run into a Swift River wolf. It was only natural for her to be thrown headfirst into terrible situations. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony

She called out, and silence then took over. A slow exhale slightly plumed her nose while she waited to see who her company would be, other than a Swift River wolf. She got the feeling that by the end of this, she probably wouldn't have a friend, but part of her was looking forward to that. Though, simply by thinking that, she was probably sabotaging her chances of actually making a friendly acquaintance. Her eyes fixed upon a boulder, the only thing really blocking her view. Slowly blinking, she finally spotted a pelt of white, striding with pride into her line of sight.

A pair of lovely green eyes met her own, and Borlla cracked a friendly enough smile. Her tail failed to wag, however, as her hindquarters touched the ground. She looked happy, goodnatured. It was good to know that was still what Swift River stood for. The fact that it still stood at all was enough for Borlla. <b style="color:#5c312b">"It's a pleasure, Cali. I'm Borlla. You from Swift River?" Her ears pressed forward with interest and her gaze was steady. After a few seconds, she cut in again, a slight warble in her voice, a hint of laughter, <b style="color:#5c312b">"That was a stupid question. Of course you are. You reek of them. Unless you just hang out in the forest a lot." She smiled a bit wider, and her tail beat a few times against the earth. <b style="color:#5c312b">"How's it going over there?" Yellow eyes met green, before trailing off towards the forest. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony

Proud. Heh. Well, that was good to know too. Clearly this poor girl wasn't just some low subordinate who wandered too far. She knew what she'd gotten into. Another brick laid. Swift River was still solid, whole, good. Why did she care, though? Why was Borlla looking for any sign, any trace that Swift River had gone "down river"? Some further excuse that it was all her fault, perhaps? Some weird desire to be the cause of grief to her family because at least then she'd still be something to them. But at the same time, she was glad to hear that they were okay. They were thriving. At least happy, if not just bursting at the seams with wolves. Cali seemed oblivious to who she was, something Borlla had intended in keeping her last name to herself. But she'd probably raised some suspicion in knowing Swift River. For all this girl knew, Borlla was some wayward loner, new to these lands. Of course, Borlla probably knew this place better than Cali ever would.

Their questions mingled awkwardly in the air, and Borlla tipped an ear, allowing the River wolf to go first. She expected something basic. They were doing well, lots of pups, Indru and Corinna happy. What she got was completely the opposite of what she'd expected. Well, more or less. Her eyes visibly widened at Cali's cheerful admission, and her ears twisted back. Marsh? Once upon a time, she'd been fond of the silent brute. Now she could easily say she didn't like him much at all. The girl tried to regain her composure, feign innocence and mere curiosity. It was hard when she was filled with a tepid slurry of anger and confusion. <b style="color:#5c312b">"Marsh? Well," She let out a nervous laugh. <b style="color:#5c312b">"What happened to Indru?" Once she'd gotten the words out, she seemed to slip a little, eyes wide once more, ears falling back into a cautious position. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony

The meeting seemed to turn sour so quickly. At the mention of Indru's name, the woman before her seemed to be angry. Borlla could feel it and it made her so very uncomfortable. What had happened? Just one more thing to add to her wonderful list of wrongs? Her brother had made it clear what he thought of her months and months ago, so she felt only the faintest tinges of remorse upon hearing that he'd left the area. But Corinna and, she assumed, her children were still here. It seemed her brother had gone the Borlla way. She was disappointed. She'd once held him in such high regard, and now he was just as terrible as she was. No. No. He was still worthy to hold the Tainn name, while she wasn't. When he'd turned her away, he'd disowned her. Those five precious letters were simply hanging on by a thread, an empty title that wouldn't get her anywhere in life.

<b style="color:#5c312b">"I'm, uh...Sorry to hear that. He was good leader." She could say that in honesty. Yes, the woman was bitter that her own brother had abandoned her, kicked her out of her own home, but he'd had the right to do so, and she couldn't deny that his rule had been right. It would have been childish, and that was something she was trying to put behind her. However, this new knowledge only solidified Borlla's decision to stay away from Swift River. The forest that laid just past this ethereal waterfall was as close as she'd ever get again. Something told Borlla that the disappearance of Corinna's mate would only somehow make the Lead female's hatred of her even more strong, and she had a very strong sense of self-preservation.

Part of her wished there would be some way to make right the wrongs she'd caused, but it was too soon still. The wounds were still too fresh for all, and even Borlla wasn't sure how cordial she would be towards the emerald-eyed woman. One day though, perhaps she'd risk the forest, and see if anything good came from it. <b style="color:#5c312b">"Well, I'm pleased to hear that all is going well." Borlla attempted to divert the conversation back into at least neutral grounds and pull the sickly feeling from the air. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony