Alpine Lake A Father's Prayer

For @Amber

The time he spent away from the grotto ran together. Days stretched into weeks as he passed though unfamiliar terrain. Lakes, meadows, and mountains all passed him by in a dizzy haze, and his travels had begun to take their toll. The search for his children had been unceasing and the wear had begun to show. He was haggard -- more tired than he had ever been, but somehow he held onto the hope that drove him forward. His children were alive. Somewhere out there -- waiting for their father to come for them.

He would not dissapointment them. They would know their fathers love. Soon, he hoped. But still, after days of wandering southwest, the cardinal had picked up no familiar scent in his travels. Though his path drew him closer to his goal with every step, the cardinal was unaware. The Lord had guided him this far, but his faith was beginning to waiver. His frustration becoming more apparent with each passing breath.

Under the cover of a brightly shining moon, the cardinal drew near to a lake -- much like the one situated in the middle of the grotto he called home. His front end slumped with exhaustion as he dropped to his knees. With his tearful eyes fixed on the sky he prayed for the strength to bring his babies home.

Still having a good time on her night time journey, Amber went farther after talking to the bear. It was still boggling, in her mind, but soon it wouldn't be the most interesting thing going on in her life. 
There, laying beside the lake, was a handsome and dark furred man. He was ragged, messy, but he looked healthy. Perhaps he was just one of those wolves who were unlucky enough to be born with an incorrigable pelt. It happened, and nonetheless he was good looking, if not a little tired. 
               "Hello?"
Amber called out to the Cardinal softly, sniffling towards him but keeping a distance should he prove aggressive. Her ocean eyes steeled down at him warily, but her feathery tail waved over her back. She was friendly, yes, but they were close to her home and she had to protect it.

The Cardinal's silent emotional outpouring to the Lord continued with earnest. Was he being punished? Had the Daystar doomed him to wander in penance for his sins? His impurity would surely be punished somehow. He prayed for both forgiveness and mercy, willing his Lord to grant him much needed respite.

His prayer was soon interrupted by a noise. He pulled his gaze from the brightly shining moon and his eyes fell on a dark wolf, dimly illuminated by the pale light. A familiar scent was carried on her flesh. However, it was something he could not quite put his paw on just yet -- even if it was exactly what he was looking for.

Rising from his reverential position of prayer, he took a step forward and greeted her with a polite dip of his muzzle. "And hello to you," he returned as he tried to discern the source of her familiar scent.

The man turned to her, and Amber could see the sadness weighing on his heart. It brought her to a halt, tipping her head and blinking a couple of rapid times. Were he someone she knew, she'd have already asked what was wrong, but perhaps this wasn't a time to pry. 
He nodded, respectful, and the shadowy queen took a more neutral pose. She didn't know he was the leader of a pack, but did it really matter right now? He was close to her home, which may give reason for her to be testy, but they're on nobodies land right now. Why bother with pushing for dominance when friendship, and through that knowledge, was so much easier?
                    "My name is Amber, Amber Ciel. My home, Silver Creek, isn't too far from here. What about you?"

As he took another step forward, it finally clicked. Shreya. He smelled Shreya on her pelt. The scent of his grandmother was unmistakeable. Though he did not recognize her face (since she had never been a part of the maplewood) there was no questioning that this woman ran with the ex-maplewolves. This woman was his best bet to find his children.

Oh, what a blessing this was that Raas had tossed in the Cardinal's lap. His forgiveness had been recieved! He did not wish to deceive an innocent soul, but he would not let this blessing be squandered. This would have to be handled delicately, or else the whole plan would crumble at his feet.

He, however, had experiance in situations like this. "I'm Finch," spoke the man, lie rolling of his tongue with ease. "Finch Shephard -- I'm a scout from a pack up north called Saltwinter." He nearly said Sleeping Dragon, but given the history between the maplewood and Drageda, he didn't wish to rouse suspicion. "I've been sent on a mission to scout out the Hinterlands and learn of the packs here. In which direction is Silver Creek?" He asked. The lie was steadfast, and he was more than inclined to throw Caiaphas under the bus to achieve his goal. He would not fail.

The dark man stepped closer, but Amber kept her paws rooted to the spot while her soulful eyes watched every move. A smile spread across her face, though, and her tail was wagging. 
Finch spoke with such a light tone, so smoothly, that never once did she think he was lying: and that was something coming from Amber, who usually read people like a book. 
He was scouting for a pack, he said, learning the land and mapping it in his head for Saltwinter. The ebony woman understood, dipping her head as he went but pausing when he'd asked directly about her pack. There was no harm in telling him where they were, so he could stay away, right? The Creek was strong, healthy, what could possibly be a danger to them in the warm Summer months?
              "A couple hours travel that way."
Jerking her muzzle behind her, back the way she'd come, Amber was actually a bit surprised that she couldn't see many things that were familiar on a day to day basis. She really had gone far, huh? Oh well, she'd come down to Silver Creek from here and it would be no problem going back.

For a moment, fear reared its ugly head in Hiram's heart. The stakes were so high -- and this, this was a gamble in which he wagered the right to his own children. But in this game, one needed to play dirty in order to win. The only cards he held were lies, but his experiance was his ace in the hole. He played her; straight faced as she fell into his trap.

She bought it.

He was nearly overcome with joy, but he suppressed the emotion until all that showed was a thin smile. To shout and cheer at this splendiferous circumstance would only give him away. "Thank you," he said, nodding his head. "You've done my pack a great service." Now, he had all he needed to know -- the final puzzle piece was in place. Soon, all would come together and he would have his family.

Finch gave an tight smile, one that reached his eyes perhaps even more than it should've. He didn't ask anymore, as expected, and Amber gave a slight tip of her head. That was it? Her ocean eyes narrowed in the slightest, wondering if there was something wrong with him or something was wrong. 
                   "You don't wanna know anything else? Won't your Scout trade call for a little bit more than the general direction of packs?"

No. He didn't need anything else -- but the woman was right. For his charade to be believable, he needed to play the part of a scout to a tee. Though he had the information he needed, the battle was not won just yet. This Amber needed to depart, none the wiser to Hiram's true intentions. And so, he needed to continue his lie for the good of his children. "Yes, of course," he spoke, smiling.

"What are the wolves of Silver Creek like?" He asked. However, he already knew the answer. They were cold, vindictive, and most of all, unforgiving.

It seemed he did have other things to learn, and the ebony woman's worries were quelled. He asked about the nature of her packmates, and there was a moment of silence as she thought of a way to describe them.  
             "Well, everyone has their own personality. But we're pretty careful about strangers and owing things, who we let into the territory. We're all about family there. Once you're part of us, everyone is very welcoming."
From her own experience, life at Silver Creek was lovely. She'd never had an issue with anyone, in or out of the borders, and she was even better fed than before. Not to mention the added safety of a pack.

It seemed a generic description to the "scout," who already knew the true nature of the maplewolves after having led them for so long, but her answer was all he needed. Any suspicion, he believed, had effectively been shed. He smiled. "That's all I need to know," spoke the man as he smiled a proud, toothy grin. "Thanks!" There was something about the con game that he missed -- plus, it seemed he had not grown rusty during his time in the Teekon Wilds.

And so, he returned to the side of the lake to drink from the water again, from which he would wait silently for Amber to turn and leave so he could follow her trail at a distance.