Tentatively, his eyes cast toward the den where three pups now slept, not just two. Lucy’s stay with them had kept the agouti wolf hesitant – the scenario that had unfolded reminded him greatly of the time he had found Jorunn, and while they had tried to seek out his family then, they had come up with nothing.
It was time to determine where the dark little girl belonged, now that she had rested and healed better. It was likely her family were beside themselves.
Pulling away from the den, the large wolf lumbered further to the woods, hoping to not disturb the trio. Pausing, his muzzle tipped upward, and he called
@Astra and
@Pasha forward – he would need two scouts to check out the surrounding packs to see if they could locate her true home.
not sure what all pasha would be clued in, so i'm vague here!
The season was beginning to change again. It was a gradual progression, one that Pasha couldn't help but notice in the way that cooler air had come to tickle his nape in the evenings and mornings. The leaves hadn't quite started to turn, but that too would come in a matter of time. Before he knew it, winter would be upon them and the world hushed into a gentle lull at the year's end.
He had been drinking from a stream when his father's voice summoned him, but the call was not for him alone. It did not deter the swiftness in which Pasha abandoned slaking his thirst; he would have rather stood steadfast at his father's side than leisurely make his way there.
Finding Scimitar was no difficult task, as given the time he anticipated finding his father lingering near Eshe's whelping den. When he did spy out the Frostfur patriarch, a smile split his features evenly as he closed in with wagging tail. The other wolf that had been summoned had yet to arrive.
When Pasha arrived, the man gave a tip of his muzzle to his son in quiet greeting, his tail giving an amicable flick as he took a step closer. He greeted the youth properly -- his nose pushing to the young wolf's cheek, though his eyes would drift between Pasha and the direction he felt Astra would arrive -- though it would seem she would not come.
Determined not to wait on the dark female, he gave a gentle shake of his muzzle, not announcing his disappointment. Instead, his gaze fell solely upon the tawny wolf, and he straightened his figure slightly, trying to gather his thoughts. "The wolf that was healed on our borders only weeks ago seems to have injured and stolen a pup. Her name is Lucy -- I was hoping you could scout out the nearby packs and see if any of them are missing a pup. I'm not sure where exactly she came from.. she's still healing, but I would like it to be investigated further." He paused then, withholding a soft sigh. "Could you check things out nearby? Maybe try to keep the details of everything to yourself until you know more about the nature of the pack."
When it seemed that the other would not come to join them, Pasha's attention settled fully on his father. Scimitar did not hesitate in getting to the point and from there he was filled in on the more recent happenings within the forest. He recalled the stranger and felt his feature go slack at the thought of him stealing away a child, but the expression passed swiftly. There was something to be done, a little scouting, and the yearling beamed inwardly at the chance to do it.
"I can do that," he said. Though he had not wandered far outside of the territory since coming back to it, Pasha knew enough about the surrounding area to glean a few ideas of where to start his search. And for as eager as he was to go marching off right then and there, he found himself holding his ground for a moment. "Do you think she was taken away from her pack for a reason?" Those last few words lingered and left Pasha wondering was more there was to the story, if anything more at all existed.
“I don’t know,” he voiced, honestly. The thought had not occurred to him only until Lucy had stated her hesitation at returning home. Perhaps, as deranged as the black wolf had been, he had been rescuing her from something even worse. But he could not know it now – and nor did he dwell on it. The girl was safe – Neverwinter would place their due diligence in an attempt to find her family, and if nothing came of it, she would be raised with the boys, who were quite taken with her. She would not be the first puppy the Frostfur family had taken in without knowing where they had come from.
“She won’t speak much of it.” And he didn’t like to press her too much. With a glancing look, he gave a gentle shake of his head.
"I see," he said, head bowing slightly in thought. It was a troubling sort of thing, though in what way Pasha had yet to decide for himself. There was the sense to protect the wayward youth that had ended up in their forest, but the mystery that lay ahead also tempted him. Still, he was of the mind that this was something that needed to stay hushed—Pasha was not keen on bringing trouble back to their doorstep if he could avoid it.
"I'll be sure to find out what I can without letting on too much then." His resolve solidified and for a moment, he leveled off his gaze with his father. It soon swept out towards the evergreens beyond them. He was tempted to set off then, but still had a question left on his mind before he would. "Is there anything else?"
Scimitar gave a nod of agreement toward his son’s proposed plan – he could appreciate realization that perhaps Lucy’s previous situation had not been ideal – and that the pack would not be so quick to send her home to a place she was unwilling to go to. Children perception could be tricky at times – but they could often see things adults could not.
“No,” he noted, giving his muzzle a quick shake as his eyes studied his son before him. “Stay safe.” Pasha and Allure were all he had left now from his first litter from Bazi – Swift, surely was still alive – but the boy had long since grown distant, and remained with his mother given his limitations. His heart ached once more at the thought of Whittier.