Silver light,

Moments ago, did Miriam step into the shadow, she looked back to Neverwinter Forest, but remembered how much the darkness had whispered to her in those very woods, and how temptations was stronger then ever. She knew not to blame the man with many wives and children, but only herself, for not being strong enough, to the point even her own daughter had been harmed. She had changed during the course of her youth, and the mother knew that the longer she stayed, the more it had hurt her so. Strangely enough though, she could not remember how well their relationship was as she disappeared into the fog.. It granted a worry, but in the end, she knew it was best.

Miriam became a young mother, just a yearling going into an early heat, and was blessed by her twins, a son and a daughter. Though he soon disappeared, and her daughter being attacked.. The place truly felt cursed, and the maiden felt she was right to leave. For others, as they dwelled in peace, those around continued falling into a misfortune, and she felt that the magic in that woods, did not suit her soul. Like sparks did they collide, and finally, did she go.

However now here she was, in a strange land. All around was there mountains, but before her so was just a clear lake, and there she could see herself.

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While the area was unfamiliar to him, it was not uncomfortable, or too distant from what he believed he knew- and so, it felt like home. It didn't occur to him to question his existance, not when he felt peaceful here. The wintery snow in the mountains was soft, and made a pleasant crunching sound underfoot as he walked along, heading toward where he'd seen a gleam of water through the trees. He could get a drink, and then possibly go for a hunt; his stomach had begun to rumble quietly. 

But a small dash of colour caught his eye- and it was a colour he knew that only existed in the faint petals of flowers whose name he didn't know- and in the pelt of a friend of his. He did a double-take as he recognized her, and flicked his ears forward. She didn't seem out of place- but nevertheless, he was both surprised and pleased to see her. "Miriam?" He called, his voice a puff of mist lingering on the air for a moment before it disappeared.
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She could not help but hold a broad smile to an oh-so familiar person, "Bronco," tone filled with warmth as she approached one of the few wolves she counted dearly at her time during teekon. However upon reaching him

Miriam could not help but look at the familiar face fondly. Upon his voice reaching to her delicate ears she approached him so, faint memories returning to her as she recalled her times on playing stones with him, and even moreso his help to find her son. While the fruits of searching never came through, she counted him as one of the few wolves the moonlit wolf trusted, and held to on a friendly status, "Bronco." 

Though she was surprised then, upon coming closer and it really was him, she could not help ask, "What are you doing here? This is far from the Glen." Though Miriam only assumed, because no matter where she walked, everything was unfamiliar.

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He remembered her, and how gently she had always spoken to him, how lovingly she had spoken of her children. It took some time, but in the seconds that passed after she spoke his name- an odd cue, as it seemed to be, for he could have sworn he heard another voice echo it in the back of his mind- he recalled the last time he had thought about her, which was when he'd been informed that she'd been unwell. He hadn't seen her, and he remembered some guilt that wriggled its way into his conscience knowing that he hadn't gone to visit her, even though he'd wanted to. Why he hadn't gone to see her was far beyond him. Whatever memories he had, only seemed accessible when triggered. 

So when she mentioned the Glen, his features lit up for a moment in surprise- but like someone with poor or faded word-recall, the majority of the information that otherwise would have come into his mind at the mention of 'the Glen' escaped him. He remembered the smell of the glen, and the way the river wound its way down into the sandy shores, creating a small ravine. He looked over his shoulder, as though trying to gauge just how far he was from the Glen- but he couldn't be sure. "I...Guess," He said. "I was looking for...Something, I think I might've just wandered a bit. But Hydra, and the mountains," He said, gesturing. He'd seen Hydra earlier. He'd patrolled the mountain with her- that much was tangible. "They're just there; I'm not too far from home." He said. The mountains had felt like home, at least. Part of him called the mountain home- he was simply oblivious to the fact that he'd also called other places home as well. "Are you feeling better? I heard...I think I heard you had been ill," He said. Who had told him that? Or had he dreamt it?
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"Those mountains seem quite different from what I remember.. Everything around here, seems unfamiliar." Miriam held doubts about herself, thinking she had moved away from Neverwinter, and in the same sense, Moonspear and Firefly Glen. They were quite close neighbors. However, she also struggled to remember how she exactly got to this area, remembering she had stepped into the fog, and entered but another unknown place. She knew Bronco was no liar, but something felt off.

"Was I?" Questioningly so, Miriam tilted her head to the side toward the question. She doesn't remember being sick, however she does remember the despair during her time of pregnancy.. Then a series of misfortune was to happen, however time had passed, and the moment had grown. The nature between mother and daughter seemed to be questionable at the moment, as she could not remember if they had left on a good, or bad note. Though she knew, it was best for her to leave overall, "I believe i'm okay, how are you doing?"

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He was inclined to believe Miriam when she said that the area was unfamiliar. He'd noticed how he hadn't recognized the landscape around the mountain he and Hydra had begun to claim, but for some reason, it hadn't struck him as being odd that they needed to claim the mountain. So he shrugged simply in response, unable to provide her with a clear answer. He felt a bit strange- as though part of him was lying perhaps, or simply that he'd forgotten something that he ought to know...But he didn't feel inclined to own up to that fact. He'd just seen Hydra- so he couldn't have been that far from where he belonged. 

When she questioned him, he shrugged. "Sorry, I might be wrong," He apologized. He couldn't recall who'd said it...And the memory became blurred. Had someone even mentioned Miriam to him? And when had that been? He couldn't recall. Either way, she looked well enough, now, and admitted as much. So whether or not she'd been the one he'd been told had been ill, the important thing was that she was feeling alright. He smiled, faintly. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm...Yeah," He said, almost dreamily. He had no complaints- none that he was aware of, anyway. An out-of-place thought crossed his mind in a fleeting instant- and his gaze became unfocused, before he shook his head. "Sorry. Déja-vu," He said. "I was just gonna try and find something to eat. Are you hungry?" He asked. Talking of the present, for some reason, just seemed so much easier.
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Long ago she looked so sickly and ill, and even then upon improvements, Miriam never did regain her previous luxuries, and remained looking as if she starved. Though now was she lean and willow, her fur glossed and well-maintained, and she felt healthy, and pleased with the factor. Leaving such a dangerous zone had improved marvelously to the mother. Though the back of her mind could not still help but yearn for her children, but she knew they were better without her. Her dearest Asmoses was written off long dead, for he disappeared too young to survive.. But Liliana, her beautiful girl, had her father to cherish and love. She did not need her Amma, especially as vaguely so, she remembered their strain relationship.

One day, Miriam would return to visit.

"It is a confusing time.. I'm not too sure, how I got here," she so confessed with a pitied smile.

"I do not remember eating though, perhaps we can explore what the new is."

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When Miriam confessed that she wasn't sure how she'd gotten where they were, he realized suddenly that he too felt as though he couldn't quite recall where he'd been even if he'd wanted to recall where he'd been just days ago- but part of his mind simply forbade that he try to access whatever memories were tucked away. So as suddenly as he realized that something was amiss, he soon forgot, and dropped the idea that something was different about where he was presently. 

With the distraction of finding a meal, it was easier for him to relax, and simply be himself. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't dogged with grief or guilt, nor was he being forced to make tough decisions not only for himself, but for others. Now, he simply existed and the only thing he had to concern himself with was finding something for him and Miriam to eat. The simplicity had such an allure to it that he couldn't be bothered to spend time wondering why he couldn't remember. 

"I'm sure we'll find something," He said reassuringly. "I could probably eat a whole horse right now, but we're probably better off looking for something smaller." He noted with a light laugh. "What's your, uh, favourite thing to eat?"
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Miriam didn't fret too much, as she believed she held the God's protection against the harm, and thought that the Goddess, perhaps had lured her into this strange land. Faintly so she thought perhaps the magic was calling to her, but she never had a knack to hear such things, and as much as the Priestess would mention, she held trouble understanding. Though the other seemed wary to a relaxation on forgetfulnes, as she knew him so, he was a confident fellow. She felt safe with him.

"I prefer rabbit, though I never tried horse," she chuckled,  "if we search the ground, maybe we could find a burrow of their den." She suggested, feeling like it may be the easiest to do in their current forms. As hunger was coming, she felt bigger challenges would not be easy, especially between the two. He had thought the same, thankfully.

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Miriam was a petite creature in size, so it wasn't terribly surprising when she admitted that her favourite meal was something that she could likely catch on her own. He didn't doubt that she could be an asset as a part of a hunting team- but in his experience, larger wolves tended to lust for larger prey to hunt, while smaller ones seemed almost more content to avoid taking that risk, and hunt down something manageable. He had a great deal of skill catching small prey by himself, but had always enjoyed the thrill of hunting something larger...Hadn't he? 

"Mhmm, or a thicket," He said. "Are you more of a flusher or a chaser?" He asked, hoping they might sort out their hunting roles in advance. He'd already lowered his head, and had begun to sniff out any trace of prey in the area that might have passed their way.
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"I'm better as chaser, I never had the abilities to be a warrior such as yourself." Fondly so did she continue to remember his moments of acting as a bodyguard of sorts, not only to herself, but she knew he most likely did to other wolves. Though it was something that never came before her, and rather, Miriam was never inclined to the side. She never liked the idea of sparring, and never thought to the best guard on being more petite then some others. It wasn't needed as well, for the Earls who followed the God were clear as day on taking the role. 

Nose lowered to the ground, Miriam started to speak toward him, "When I left my homeland, I very much desired to explore. However with my children, that had abruptly stopped for quite some time." Though, there was no regret within her voice. She never blamed them for what had happened, and loved them so, but it was quite obvious to some, how much she desired to be free again, "i'd like to continue that. Have you ever travelled far from home?" 

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When she responded, her answer surprised him. He realized, perhaps, that he hadn't been clear enough, or that he might have been misunderstood. While he wasn't surprised at all to hear that she preferred to be a chaser, it sounded as though she was referencing her position when hunting larger game. "Oh, uh, yeah," He said, with a soft laugh. "I mean, you seem like you'd be a chaser. I just meant for like...rabbits. Do you prefer to flush them out, or be the chaser, the...One lying in wait, to like...Chase 'em down an' catch 'em?" He asked. It certainly didn't take a big warrior-type to do either roles- though perhaps she'd meant that a larger wolf might've done a better job at flushing the rabbits out of a thicket, if they came across one. "Though I think you might still make a better chaser'n me. I'm not very agile, but I certainly can make a lotta noise," He said. He was willing to help with either role though if they wanted better success, he felt that Miriam might be better off as a chaser, leaving him to flush the prey out. 

In the idle time they spent tracking, though, he was content to speak of other things while they both sniffed for signs of prey. "Oh?" He asked. It sounded as though Miriam enjoyed travelling, and that she might not intend to settle down somewhere. It made his heart ache a bit, to know that someone he liked so much might be harder to find, or to visit, if they spent much of their time travelling. "Nah, I'm a homebody, I guess. I just...Kind of...Find a home, and then, stay there," Pretty much the exact definition of what he'd already suggested, but he wasn't great at describing his own motives anyway. "I like being around family," He concluded.
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"Ah, I see, I prefer being the one to flush them out and cash," Miriam said, nodding, "could I leave the finishing to you?" She asked. The wolf  had most troubles finishing off the prey, as chasing and luring them out was quite enough, but she always had trouble drawing the power to finish them so. The larger it was, the harder she found to tackle them so and fight against. There was some guilt in it, but she never knew the amount to put into it, and usually they would end up fleeing.

"I adore the idea of travelling with friends and family.. Though not many prefer that ideal." Miriam understood the desire to stay home with those you know, as many times uncertainity dwelled within as she met quite a various of strangers. There was a solace, knowing that you had a home, and she always was warm to thought of a return to the Orchid once more. However, she could not stop her curiosity. An ideal world would be those who follow the same path, preferring the nomadic lifestyle, as she wanders with friends and the like.

"Finding a home is always pleasant, there is a day i'd like to settle once i'm older." Though she knew, art of adventuring would not last forever.

As moonlit eyes begun to stray, they had caught onto something in the distance, "do you see that?" she questioned Bronco.

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"Sure," He laughed softly. It seemed like they'd sorted out their hunting roles, and that she wanted to be the one to flush out the prey, so he would do his best to chase it down and catch it. He wasn't terribly nimble on his feet, but he was skilled enough to be able to chase down a hare so long as it made a few mistakes in its turns. 

"That...Actually sounds kind of nice," He confessed. From what he could remember, he hadn't done a tonne of travelling with family and friends. He didn't recall doing much travel at all, and felt that he was happier when surrounded by loved ones...But if they were all travelling with him, then that couldn't be too bad, could it? "That's called a nomadic lifestyle, isn't it?" He asked. He thought he'd heard the term somewhere before- but he'd never experienced what it might be like to be a part of a nomadic pack. It would have its challengs, for sure- but travelling and settling whenever and wherever they pleased? That didn't sound like a bad idea at all. 

He was still thinking about the perks of living a life travelling with family when Miriam called his attention to something he hadn't noticed. There wasn't urgency in her voice, but he'd been distracted enough that he was lightly startled- and instinctively stepped in front of her protectively to separate her from whatever it might've been that she'd seen, in case it was dangerous. "What? Where?" He asked, oblivious to the fact that he might have been blocking her view.
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"Is it?" Tilting her head, Miriam looked at him questionably. She really didn't know the term. but it sounded peaceful in a way. She had thought that perhaps 'wanderer' and 'loner' was enough to describe herself, but both those titles associated with a sort of loneliness, and often many wolves deem to try and recruit them. At the moment she dare not to enter another, "perhaps I shall use that word instead... Nomadic," did the maiden repeat with a soft smile. Though at the moment, her nomadic lifestyle was an entity of one, only including herself.

"There's someone blue shimmering in the distance," leaning over, did Miriam peek over his shoulder to focus her moonlit gaze upon the eerie scene. Covered by branches however, vaguely could she see the slight movement of blue behind so. It was so bright it was hard to miss, but at the same time deeply hidden within the branches. If it wasn't for winter and the barren tree's that came with it, she imagined the scene could be missed. 

"I dont think it's dangerous," the woman said, a touch to his head in appreciation toward his protection, but gently minded it did not seem necessary at the moment.

+2 Discovery Points

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There wasn't anything from what he could tell, that signalled something dangerous was nearby. A glint of water through the trees, sure, but no shadows lurking, no scent of anything that could be another predator. He felt Miriam's breath warm on his shoulder, and in her calm voice, she reassured him that it was simply the lake she'd seen. He relaxed, and stepped back, feeling a bit silly for having gone into a defensive mode, simply because she'd surprised him. Maybe he was taking things too seriously...He wasn't sure why he'd been triggered so quickly, but he was quick to relax again. 

"Oh, yeah," He said. From what he could see, which was very little through the trees, there was something sky blue in the distance- too low, though, for it to have been the sky. Glistening, like water- or so he thought. "C'mon, wanna go check it out?" He invited, taking a couple steps in that direction. Finding a good water source could be handy- and it might also be a place frequented by prey as well.

+1 Discovery Point

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Quietly so was the stillness of breathe between the two, as Miriam's light ears perked slightly, and twitched on the sound of running water. Though it was so faint, like a stillness in the air, and if it wasn't for the blue that caught her eye, she would've just missed it. Brushing past Bronco, curiously so did she push pass the bushes that covered the mysterious area. Though quickly, did her eyes shine like starlit as she sucked in a cool breathe from the area. It felt like a soft icicle had reached to her nose, and a view like no other. Blue like the sky itself, an unmatched mirror.

"Beautiful," did she comment in awe while stepping closer to the blue lake.

+1 Discovery Point

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He followed Miriam, though where she slipped through the bushes, he shoved his way through, with a great crackling and scraping of twigs and branches that broke and snapped against him. He was careful, but not dainty, and ill-built for moving through such dense foliage without causing a racket. Still- Miriam didn't seem to mind, and he was able to shake out most of the debris as he stepped to her side to scan, silently, the lake she had discovered. 

The pale blue of the waters seemed to mirror the sky, albeit with a slight tint of green to it. Despite the cold air, the waters had not frozen over, and the banks of the lake were bare and sandy. He took a moment longer to take in the scenery, noticing the amount of bushes, shrubs and stalks belonging to the last year's flora that crept along the lake's edge, promising that the area was likely lush with green life in the summertime. "It is," He said, as he too began to move toward the lake. "What do you think makes the water so blue?" He asked.

+2 Discovery Point

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Like a cautious lamb did she sniff carefully on approaching the water. It cooled her face the closer she got, and while winter was still around, it felt refreshing, then the freezing temperatures that brought from raging storms. Such a tranquil color that followed through, she lifted her starlit gaze and gave a steady look around, tilting her head, "perhaps blessed from the heavens." While perhaps a joke to others, in a way she thought maybe the Goddess had touched onto the earth. 

Notably though, it was quite close to the mountains. 

Curiosity got the best of her, and Miriam lowered once more to perhaps test the flavor of so. She was amazed at how fresh it was, her tongue lapping no debri to follow, and gave a smooth twist down her throat. It was only water, but tasted so much more.

+2 Discovery Points

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He chuffed softly as he drew to her side. He'd hoped more for some explanation that had to do with the colour of the sky reflecting off the surface, or perhaps an explanation of how glacier water had minerals, or something along those lines- but it she sought not to question or explain but simply accept the beautiful hue as a gift, he wouldn't discourage her. 

With a bit less reverance, considering the fact that he wasn't the most elegant of all creatures, he moved to her side and began to lap up water with messy scoops of his tongue, before he lifted his dripping muzzle and licked some of the droplets away before they could fall back to the lake's surface. The water was very, very cold- and he had to press his tongue to the roof of his mouth to avoid getting a brainfreeze after drinking so much- but it tasted excellent. "Might make kind of a nice place to live someday, huh?" He asked.

+2 Discovery Points

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"A nirvana to some, perhaps in summer, it will be even greater." Earlier Bronco had noticed the hibernated bushes and plants, but she had focused too much on the rarity of the blue water. Her eyes wandered around it so, finding that while it was still winter, and the leaves were dry, she could tell they was an abundance. Surely a beautiful time would come, and she would greatly see it, especially with a friend who had discovered it with her so, "it would be nice to revisit."

+1 Discovery Point

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He nodded in response. A bowl-shaped area like this, nestled amongst the mountains where the trees crept along the lake's shore, girdled by fruit bushes and herbs would definitely make a haven during the summer months. He imagined it would explode into colour once the snow melted, allowing the leaves to grow once more. 

He was reminded once again that Miriam was more inclined to be a traveller than he was. She would revisit the place, but she didn't seem inclined to drop anchor and secure a home for herself, which made him a bit sad. He could imagine travelling with an entire family, but presently, to go travelling wherever Miriam went...It would mean potentially leaving behind the family he had established upon the mountain. 

It wouldn't feel right to ask her to stay, not when she looked so much happier as she was wisked away by her own wanderlust. She'd been a mere fraction of the wolf she was now, the last time he recalled seeing her. Mourning the children who had disappeared, exhausted from endless searching. Now, she seemed to have life, faith, and passion again...And he could neither take that from her, nor bend his own happiness to suit a lifestyle that did not belong to him. 

"We could make this...Our place," He said, thinking it might be an olive branch. "In your travels...Whenever you come to these mountains, call for me, and I'll come see you here."
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"I would very much like that." In a way it made sure she could find him once more, instead of losing a friend. He was the only one she truly knew in this strange land, and as well even before then, she valued him greatly. Hardships came and go as she ended up in Neverwinter, and in that forest she was truly alone. It was almost laughable how she grown to love the glen moreso then the forest her children were born in, but even so, it was just a dark place she does not want to return to.

"A promise then." Miriam smiled brightly at him.

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It wasn't exactly the compromise he wanted to make. He wanted to see Miriam more often, but he was also tied to his homeland, and was not prepared to go and travel the way she was. Nor could he bring himself to ask her to stay in one place, when it seemed to suit her so well, being able to travel and explore. If the only way he saw her, for some time, was to come to this place, then so be it. Here, where the lake was open even through the chill of winter, and where the plants and shrubs and bushes made promises of bearing vibrant foliage come Spring. The minerals of the land, left behind by melting glaciers, would likely make this a promising place to bask in cool, clean waters but also to nourish plants, and in doing so, lure in prey. It might be an optimal place to live. The gently curve of sloping hills around the lake protected it from harsh gales, and would make the little valley a safe haven, he thought. The perfect place for them to meet, whenever her travels brought her back into his life again.

+2 Discovery Point

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