Honeyed Pasture inside, he was longing for something to be a part of

BTS stuff worked out OOC. tags for reference. backdated a few days after this thread

His world, which had seemed so perfect, just a few days ago, had been thrown into sudden turmoil.

@Cortland was missing. @Ava had informed him that the golden boy had taken off running. Something had happened between the two--there was no denying the charged air--but he didn't know what. He didn't know whether to hold it against the woman or not. Had she hurt him, in any way? Was she not to be trusted?

There were questions to be answered and issues to be worked out. Right now, though, the most important thing was to find Cortland.

Half-frantic as he followed his friend's scent, Phocion ended up in a sprawling field, vast around him. Deja vu hit him like a blow to the face; he closed his eyes, memories sprouting up before him like spring flowers. Scenes from a simpler time, a younger man--brave yet foolish, with an endless future. . .

"We must protect our family, provide for them, understand them. Krypton's voice, warm and soothing, like honey in his ears. After a rocky start, they'd reconciled here, and the woman had become one of his closest friends on Silvertip Mountain. "You must be there for us as we will be there for you."

"Cortland!" Phocion cried out, voice ringing across the open lands. Bristling, nose to the ground, he continued to follow the trail--stomach clenched in half-dread of what he could find.

she had begun to range, but did not leave for long the brinish tang of the air in ironsea. keeping the sea within sight of her eyes, erzulie found herself in a field gone cool at twilight. lush with spring verdancy, the promise of blood to be found in its secret reaches, the little meadow beckoned to the harlot.
with a low laugh, she lay down in the brisk grasses and etched the scent of earth into her withers. there she would have stayed, had not a frantic voice belled into the open air. sitting up, erzulie searched for its bearer: a slight pale figure trotting head-down through the field. in a moment, the ironsea wolfess had begun an affable approach, and when she had come close enough, called "you be needin' help, yes?"

A wolf of browns and golds, creams and whites, materialized seemingly out of nowhere, and he drew to a sudden halt, waiting for her to speak, his heart pounding. You be needin' help, yes? Phocion nodded frantically, the fur along his spine prickling as he responded, "Yes. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Cortland. Golden pelt, silver eyes. Have you seen him?"

The woman's scent was vaguely familiar to him--at least, the origin of it was. Salt, much like what had clung to Ava's pelt. They were close enough to the sea that he could faintly taste the different air on his tongue, but this wolf was a true coastal wolf, one who dwelled there rather than a mere visitor. If Cortland had gone to the sea, perhaps he'd run into this woman.

beautiful he was, with dark-rimmed eyes the color of some shaded pool, his pelt pristine as snowfall. and yet erzulie wondered at her perception of something in his nature that told the harlot he held no potential for her. then there was of course the matter of his frenzied search. 
the ironsea wolfess shook her dark-spice muzzle. "i cannot help you wid dat," she told the boy, "but if you be wantin' help findin' him, i will help you search." her mismatched eyes floated across his features as she spoke; pity, erzulie decided, but turned her attention now fully to the task at hand.

His mouth firmed; he didn't want to come off rude, but he was frenzied in his search, and he feared she may slow him down. She didn't know Cortland, what he looked like, she'd have to confirm anything before reporting back--no. No, this was a task he must undergo alone.

"That's all right--I mean, I appreciate it very much," he said, stammering slightly. He huffed, smiling ruefully. "If you see him around, tell him I'm looking for him. Tell him I'm going down the coast. Golden pelt, silver eyes. Cortland."

Again, her scent assailed him, and this time he cocked his head in silent inquisition. "Say, you live by the sea, right?" he asked gently. "You wouldn't happen to know a wolf named Sif, would you?" It was a longshot, but he wanted to make sure. He would love to pass his regards on to his old packmate, even if they hadn't been close.

her offer of help rebuffed, erzulie nevertheless kept her attention trained on the snow-hued male. his discomfort was obvious in the way his words briefly tripped over one another. silver eyes, golden pelt — some sort of jewel to the man who clearly seemed frantic over the wayward cortland. "noted," the harlot murmured, turning 'round to stride back the way she had come.
perhaps erzulie would have completed her about face, had not the boy addressed her a second time. stifling her amusement  — how many friends had he lost? — the spice-edged jezebel gave a slow shake of her narrow muzzle. "i not be knowing dat name, child. da sea and i have only been t'getah for a short time." her mint-glow gaze traveled slowly over his worried expression, but erzulie said no more.

She had turned to leave, and he felt bad for pulling her away, his distress waning as her tone was kinder than he expected. Another answer in the negative. Phocion gave a shrug of his thin shoulders, understanding. The coast was long; how could he expect this woman to have the answers he sought?

The search would continue.

"Thank you, um. . ." He trailed off, realizing he didn't have her name. The white priest dipped his muzzle to her in slightly awkward gratitude, smiling. "My name is Phocion. If you see Cortland. . .tell him Phocion is looking for him."

With a final wag of his tail, he made to leave, eager to get on his way, to keep looking. God knows where the Mayfair found himself now. Phocion could only hope it was a safe place.

erzulie let her mint-glow gaze rest on the boy, tracing openly the eyes that regarded her with kindness. "phocion," the harlot repeated, a smile accompanying her tones. "i will commit da both of dese names to memory," she murmured with an arch of one cinnamon brow. "perhaps you might do som'ting for me?"
she did not pause before running tonguetip across her lips and meeting the boy's beautiful gaze once more. "tell de men along your travels dat a harlot resides in ironsea. if dey bring me som'ting worthwhile, i will give dem what it is all men desire." the woman paused, a saltwind up from the brine lifting her cream hackles and smoothing her pelt against the contours of her body, still her eyes leveled upon pale phocion.

His ears pricked as she spoke, relaxing as she went on. He gave her a curt nod, trying to keep any sort of emotion from his face. He knew what a harlot was, he knew their purpose--he didn't necessarily agree with the concept, but if she was kind enough to do something for him, then he could extend the same kindness for her.

"I will pass that along," Phocion said gently, smiling. "Thank you for your help--and good night." With that, he trotted off, breaking into a gallop once the woman had receded into the distance. Any sense of calm given to him by her warm, sing-song cadence fell away, replaced by the same bitter fear that had ruled his mind since the boy had gone missing.

Oh, god, Cortland, where are you?

fading here <3

"good night," she murmured as the pearlescent creature darted into the night. had he been perturbed by her statement, he had made a good show of keeping it to himself. erzulie intuited she had surprised him, but left her hearsay along the wayside as she turned and began the loping trot in the direction of ironsea.