Wild Berry Meadow i heard you sold the amazon

when his own mind became too much, terance always fled. he never left without intentions of returning, nothing within sunspire's beta wanted to leave, his home was with rannoch, with wraen, with seabreeze and ibis and okeanos. but the mountains held their claim on his mental health, and so sometimes he needed to get away. even if he was gone for just a moment, the dark redleaf-disarrino man always returned. 

it was early morning when he arrived in the meadow. he was too restless to sleep, and so he'd walked all through the night. he slowed when he approached a small pond in the river, a little creek flowing through. it likely carried all the way from the lake by sunspire-- at least, that was terance's assessment. he dipped his dark head and drank from the pond. the water was not as cold as he preferred, but refreshing all the same. in this moment, even though his mind felt truly blank, his expression and posture looked defeated-- despite even his full frame and broad build.

@Hydra

The knowledge the (then) Beta had earned shocked her beyond belief; she had asked to branch out, temporarily, and to see for herself the legitimacy of the words Towhee had spoken. To be sure, Hydra believed Towhee—but the male was the cockroach of the Teekons. His parents had given him the wrong name. He had survived her (though only by her good graces). Perhaps he had survived Towhee, too. 

She ranged away from Moonspear to continue her investigation. The inky coat of Terance was noted, but not who it belonged to; by night, she traveled. During the day she recovered from the heat and slept as best she could; @Alya was with her, this scouting expedition, brief though it would be. Hydra was ever supportive of her passions.

terance had never forgotten the shape of the sisters. their dark coats were darker than midnight and they had a way of moving that was just so mesmerizing. even in the night, terance recognized hydra. especially alongside a second sister, who he could only assume was alya, who had a love for scouting. but, who knows. 

terance barked without realizing he was going to do so. he missed his friend every day-- and subconsciously he needed to speak to her. about anything. maybe one day they'd accidentally meet in the wilds so many times that... they'd just become fast friends again.

but how naive. that ship had sailed months ago, and terance was the one who set it loose.

he approached, if she had stopped, and if she'd let him, stopping a short distance off. "you'd think the wilds were too big that we run into each other as often as we do," he tried, head tilting to one side. was this pathetic? terance felt pathetic. he should've just turned and gone home.

The bark that sounded off was recognizable to her, even after all this time. It grated on her nerves to admit such, but then, it was always good to know things wasn't it? Alya was given pause for a moment, too, but Hydra offered her an out with a simple look. Whether or not her sister remained or forged ahead she did not see, though she really did not need to—she would know. 

She looked to Terance who approached her without missing a beat. Sunspire had not came back to them, which meant he was a man of his word. She had not doubted this, but had plenty of doubts in Liffey, who did what served her. Shifting her weight, the Beta looked him over to note that he seemed a little less stocky than he had been upon Moonspear. 

Skinny, even. 

Hydra held her tongue. Best to mind her business. She wasn't supposed to care. 

His words were met with a blink, and she tilted her head. You would think, she supposed with him, looking over her shoulder. Her mind was on her task—oh, but Terance could know, couldn't he? There would be satisfaction in telling him. There could be no doubt that her justice was far less than what he deserved—which was death. 

A Redhawk wolf found me and told me that bastard that killed my sister has died, by their fang. He attacked their leader, who was also with child, her ears pressed forward. I should have killed him. It was not Terance she held this against, but rather all those who turned their nose to her knowing, even despite seeing for themselves what had happened, even despite knowing her. Still, she was glad that they had left. Those wolves were not her friends to start with. 

Even Terance, she supposed. Because at the end of the day he had decided to follow the very wolves who spat on her name. 

It hurt to think this, but his betrayal had been like a death for her. There was still an ache that longed for his companionship, for the way things used to be—but she would never give that to him again. 

I can't help but look for him still, she admitted at length. I have to be sure.

there was never any true proof that titmouse had killed galaxy. korei julia had insisted that it was something else but-- well, who had terance been to argue? he didn't know. and he always stood behind hydra-- at least, he used to-- so her word was true to him. 

his gaze narrowed, brow furrowed, ears cupped forwards. "you'd think he would've learned," said sunspire's beta, frustration written into his words. he was not.. the biggest fan of the redhawks, just because of his first encounter with them, but hydra had always been friends with the one. ah, that begged a question. "the redhawks relocated, then? they didn't disband?" he asked, remembering their last meeting at the caldera.

to hydra's next comment, terance's ears fell, his face softening. "sunspire will keep an eye out for him," he told her, that was all he could offer.

It was his nature, Hydra said with a sigh. I saw it. He is a coward; children, and pregnant women, and perhaps there is more we do not know in between. She had been the only wolf to ever seek to correct and punish it; but there was only one way to do so, and that was remove them from this world entirely. Hydra licked her chops. After a beat, she said, and those that knew him were quick to believe his word, against what they saw with their own eyes. To be validated by them would only serve to embolden him, which it very clearly did. Unfortunately, Towhee and Raven had been on the short end of that stick; she would have much rather it happen to Liffey. Then again, Towhee had turned a blind eye to his misdeeds, too. 

In the end, everyone knew him for what he was: a monster. 

She nodded her head to his words. Blackfeather returned. I do not know where they moved to, the Redhawks; I did not look. I think they would rather their moving not be news that travels. If they had wanted Sunspire to know, surely they would have found them to tell them where it was they were. Liffey could see for herself, but Hydra did not know anyway; she was glad to know they were alright. 

Hydra was thankful for his next words. Even if it was only him, which she imagined it would be, she appreciated it. Any extra eyes... it helped for the cause. If I see him again, this time, he dies, she forewarned levelly. For good. But she believed in Towhee's prowess. She wished she could have aided her friend in doing it, but that it was done was all that mattered.

"you were right," terance returned with a gentle dip of his head. hydra was right, which was unfortunate considering the circumstances, but there was nothing else to be said. it seemed it had been taken care of. he hesitated, accidentally visibly, with a parting and closing of his jaws. of a few things, actually. though it was water under the bridge now, it was titmouse that had harassed him the moment rannoch granted him entry into sunspire-- and liffey who had let him escape once again into the wilds. he held his tongue, deciding that it would only strain their relationship further for hydra to know that he had harbored the menace-- murderer. but maybe she would've liked to hear again how she was right-- but, again, maybe not over this particular situation. not when lives had been stolen and endangered. instead, terance just nodded again, saying, "more wolves should've listened to you." 

in response to the redhawk wolves, terance merely nodded as he carefully thought over his response. "as long as they're okay," terance replied, ears cupped forwards again. liffey would be glad to know that. 

"and the same from me," he said solemnly, dipping his head as to secure his promise, "i'll come find you if i have any word but--" terance let a small smile slip, "-- i'm sure you'll know anything before me."

Hydra listened to Terance; to hear him admit the words brought to her little satisfaction, as she had not be the one to bring him to an end. But there was satisfaction—she had been right. Now he knew it. Screech's guilt had never been verbally contested to her, not in so many words, by Rannoch or Liffey—but Rannoch's final words, Liffey somehow not feeling safe among them, it made no sense at all to Hydra. The only way she could justify the words that had once been a marquee within her mind was to think of this act... and even then, she felt them unjustifiable. Especially now that the truth had come to light. She had nothing to say to that, not anymore. No words could express rightly the whirlwind of her mind. 

 She could not help but feel thankful, that he would respond to him as she would if he saw him. But could she trust that? Trust him? Once she would have, with her own life. Now, the uncertainty present reminded her of the old hurt that she had imagined she had moved past. It was not an easy thing to do, to heal from the wound he had left. An invisible scar that gnarled her mind. She felt it then. His small smile, comradely, was observed with a tilt of her head. 

Hydra could not let him in again. She could watch Rannoch leave a dozen times over and not flinch, but Terance had left a mark. Her pride smarted, even still, as she looked upon him then. I would appreciate that, she admitted at length. And perhaps it was the makings of an olive branch. More likely, however, it was her recognizing the resource he offered. Hydra knew Terance was a capable man who could surely do such a simple task. But would he? How could she know for certain, now? 

Hydra once more looked him over before simply nodding, and then she turned to continue onward. She was not done searching this night and had more of this territory to investigate. Hydra did not expect Terance to leave, not really, but neither did she expect he would linger.

unable to find the courage within him-- and unsure if it was even appropriate-- to tell hydra all the things he wanted to tell her, terance was left to merely dip his head in farewell to the black she-wolf, his ears cupped forward. he watched her leave-- just for a moment-- before sighing softly and looking around.

well. there was nothing here-- he supposed it was time to return home.