Bearclaw Valley we'd be shaking like a leaf with every god-given night

i figured laurel would notice first, so hope the PP of location is ok <3

indra greatly enjoyed this late-summer spell of temperate weather, warm sun, and gentle wind. the idyllic vales, swept in verdant green, were just a bittersweet reminder of winter which hulked around the corner like some banished monster: ever present and only tentatively hung at bay.

she was determined to enjoy the fleeting days while they lasted. the puppies were in high spirits and she dedicated herself to being in high spirits too: after all, they didn't know the bleakness of winter and thus, it did not cloud their hearts with fearful trepidation.

nearing the rendezvous where she heard the playful chatter of puppies (no doubt her own among them) indra slowed to a casual walk, lifting her muzzle to the welcoming sunlight with a warm smile on her face as she sought @Laurel's company.

Laurel hadn't noticed Lucas' absence over the past days. Well, she had noticed, but she figured that Xan was just off hogging his time, or whatever, or that he was adventuring and she was just missing him each time. But after realising that his scent was fading and that none of the usual suspects had any clue where he was, Laurel was beginning to dread something bad might have happened to him. He was growing older and more self-sufficient, surely, but not so much that she thought he was safe on his own yet.

When Indra came towards Laurel panic was just about setting in with the realisation that fuck, he was gone. She looked up at Indra with a distracted panicked look on his face -- a rare look on the usually determined and certain Laurel -- and called out to her sister: "Indra -- Lucas is gone!" To Laurel, it was the last straw at the moment. Her pups had made her life slightly happier but now they were growing up and Xan was still being a feelingless dick. Laurel was suffocating and she wanted out, had for a while, but knew she could not abandon her pups. But now Lucas was gone, too.

"We gotta find him!" Laurel instantly searched for whatever faint scents of Lucas she could find and started tracking it to the borders, regardless of what Indra would do.

all tranquility was shattered as indra caught sight of laurel: her sister need not even speak, and indra already knew grief was upon them. it was her sister's grave expression that heralded it; an unwelcome and unusual expression on a face that normally, was so reassured and proud.

indra felt her heart sink. lucas? gone? she felt something sink in her legs too, like a heavy liquid suddenly being poured into a narrow chamber. she wanted to speak, to confirm -- but she already knew from laurel's grim expression that there could be no other answer.

lucas, gone?

she looked at the remaining children, all present save for the cheery piebald boy. already laurel had moved away from indra, franctically searching along the ground for any detectable trace of her son.

indra willed her legs to move, but they were resolutely heavy; eventually her will won over and she rocked into action, canvassing the glade in rapid, desperate sweeps.

Laurel looked at Indra after not finding a trail of scent, waiting for some sort of response, but nothing came. For some time she just looked at her sister, before she decided with a broken voice: "come on, we gotta look for him."

With a numb feeling in her body she started to walk towards the borders of bearclaw valley, forgetting for the moment to even try and use her nose, too numb to think properly.

at laurel's suggestion indra sprung into action, already spurred by a sense of overwhelming worry. it was not like lucas to just disappear; he was social, friendly, agreeable -- her heart sunk like a stone as she realized those were all traits a kidnapper could manipulate and use against him.

what if his trusting nature had gotten him into a bad situation?

she gave laurel a silent look that seemed to communicate her intention, and with a howl threw her head back to notify @Xan -- and then, without much else said, turned for bearclaw's exit to search the outlands for laurel's son.

It didn't even occur to Laurel to notify Xan, but she nodded absently when Indra did. That was smart. They should inform the rest of the pack so that they could watch the pups. They were with few, after all. With her stomach still in a knot Laurel made her way to Bearclaw Valley's exit. Her face was distracted, her focus all over the place, and she said little to nothing to Indra as they moved, fully focussed on finding Lucas and picking up whatever trail of his scent she could find. There were vague whiffs here and there but Laurel found it hard to focus and find if they were actually leading someplace.

last post from me <3 lets have a new one soon?

they had parted ways, but not before indra stole one last glance at laurel. the sight of her sister was crippling; she looked lost, overwhelmed, stunned, and beaten.

indra was quick to look away, and with one last sympathetic half-smile made for the meadows to continue her search.

yes! <3

Laurel did not even seem to notice when Indra branched out and went her own way in her search for Lucas. Her head was filled with thoughts and worries but also with hope and the knowledge she would be overjoyed to hold her sweet boy in her embrace once more. That moment would come, and she clung on to that feeling as she searched everywhere in the meadow... only forced to return empty-handed many hours later.