Cedar Sweep disappears in the deep

Fueled by the panic of finding Tambourine absent and very little else, he'd left the Glade's shelter one morning to go south after some scattered scents. It seemed a logical step for Silas to embark on. He was a pretty good nose. Maybe he'd find answers, or better yet, the silver wolf himself. 

There was his friend, and then there was something else. He felt his heart racing with every new piece he realized. Nothing seemed to add up. What had happened?

Frustrated, and definitely overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar space spanning wide around him because this was frighteningly outside his normal, he looped down around the summit then back towards the east. The trails were weakening. The strange thing was more obvious than Tambourine, and had been for a while he'd realized, and this was not making him very happy. Only worried. 

Silas didn't know the name for it, or any of these places he jogged over and through. He rested intermittently and eventually turned east towards the woodlot. He had nothing to go on here, but eventually caught trail of a familiar female of the Glade, Moonbrook. Following her did not bring him to any conclusions either and his head was hurting by now. Over and over, he wondered what had happened?

Contemplating whether or not he was nauseous from an empty stomach or nerves, he trotted slowly northward towards the river.

Even in the still and tranquil hours of early day, the world acted as an obnoxious symphony in her ears. She cowered away from the mumbles of the waterway beside a large stone which managed to block most of the outside noise. Then it was only her and her heartbeat, the heavy inhales and exhales she managed to take it, the soft rumbling of her belly. 

Soon enough, another's footsteps could be heard, coaxing her from where she stood. She watched anxiously with her ears flat to try and mask the calls of the wild. Had she known the pain a conversation might have put her through, or the discomfort which her own steps would cause then she might have hidden herself once again behind her makeshift shield. But she did not know any of this, so in a moment of ignorance, she remained out in the open.

On the wind, he could smell the river getting closer and closer although it was not with any great, specific purpose that he went there. It was a naturally drawing aspect of the land, and the hunter knew him that waterways attracted other traffic. Although this pursuit was not in the name of prey, or even following any trace he had going this way, he felt compelled anyway -- despite how hollow he felt, both heart and soul, as he forced himself forward.

He had been wandering alone since the Glade, so sight of another wolf caught him off guard and drew his attention her way quickly. Silas approached slowly and with great caution behind every step. She wasn't Tambourine, or any other familiar countenance, so the dark Ostrega could only greet her with a hesitant little chuff to announce himself. His eyes were searching over the sight of her the entire time, despite him not getting too close to her. Who was she?

The chuff sent another rolling wave of discomfort down her spine, forcing her to close in herself ever so slightly. She looked back up to him, an almost pleading look in her eye as she whispered, Where am I? Even the nearly nonexistent tenor of her own voice, she felt as though she were being attacked and horribly overpowered. She managed to lift her head slightly, fighting against the continuous thump, thump her blood played in her temples as it ran its course. 

Taking a step forward so that he might be able to hear her better, she tried to speak once more, Please help me. Had things always been like this? Had she always been so vulnerable out on her own? Whereas she wanted to say no, that this was something new and terrifying, there was no memory for her to pull such a claim from.

She looked miserable, and noticing the full extent of this took Silas by surprise and threatened to make him waver even more. "I.. don't know what it's called but it's a forest just east of Golden Glade..." he answered as to where she was. He whined softly, nervous and apologetic that he could not tell her more but he was just a recent transplant to the area himself. These were not his usual stomping grounds by any means.

His bright eyes were wide and stance all full of tension. "What's wrong? How?" he asked back abruptly because uncertainty welled up quickly. She had her scars, sure, but he couldn't see any obvious injuries on her that should be causing pain. Silas was not a practiced eye at this, though. What he saw was a stranger behaving oddly.. not that he felt much better about his presentation either. 

A forest east of Golden Glade. Fantastic. Perhaps that would have held meaning if she knew where or wht Golden Glade was. However, she did not hold this against him, as how was he supposed to know her state? My ears, she breathed in response to his questions, There's something...something wrong with my ears. She wanted to say more about what had happened, but she didn't know anything more to share, nor did she think she would be able to endure her own voice for much longer.

The yearling felt his eyes narrow. "Your ears?" From here, they didn't look damaged but he wasn't exactly up close. Since he didn't think she smelled ill, he did not know if keeping his distance was smart or not. "Did you hurt them on something?" He tilted his head. "Or do you mean it hurts to hear stuff?" he asked, wondering what she even meant by her ears. He could remember times when his siblings had pulled too hard on his, or he'd brushed one through a thorny bush, but that probably was not just the case for her; this had to be far more sinister than anything he had experience with because she was acting strangely.

 "I'm not a medic but you should probably find one. The alpha, ah, Reek in Golden Glade is one. Or there's a traveling doctor that goes around this entire area too.. but I don't know where to find him exactly." Silas recalled the male with the strange accent. He'd pointed out this way when he had asked where he was from, but that had been a few weeks ago.. he wasn't confident enough to suggest her much more than that.

He didn't stick around for much longer. Whether or not she took his word, he was largely indifferent and this was the best he could do to help right here and now. He had places he wanted to search and ground he sought to cover, so after cutting off this conversation with the strange female, the dark Ostrega moved on.