She had, in a way, failed. No degree of searching could turn up any hint of her sisters from the Malkaria, let alone sign of Eshamun. Ragna returned to the Wilds frustrated, angry, hurt. This felt like a betrayal. How could Eshamun have left them, and for the love of a man? Wasn't the love of the Malkaria enough? (Wasn't her love enough?)
The copse was empty when she came back. So, too, was the bay. Who was she without the Malkaria? Szymon was gone, she didn't think he and his would evacuate the bay so easily. Who could promise her family still lingered?
Desperation drove her inland, where she might find her brothers. Last she knew, Charon and Floki still ruled Moonspear. Perhaps there she could find rest.
It was night when she reached the base of the mountain, and she was tired, and afraid of what she might (not) find. So she lay down on the terrace, rest her head upon her paws, and slept.
Hydra rarely left Moonspear. She had done so twice in her life, once with her father and once without. There was never a reason to go without him when he was so willing to join her if she asked, but in entering the beginnings of her teenaged years Hydra felt a rare streak of independence. Not from Alya or Lyra, of course—and though they knew of her planned excursion, she needed them to stay to cover for her if need be. They both understood the necessity of that, and two was needed in the beginnings of their striking into the world beyond Moonspear. But she had promised to not go too far, and truly she had not.
The first time she had went on a journey alone she had met the dashing Rian, a male that never really left her mind. There was a large part of her that struck out in hopes to see him, though she went in the opposite direction that they had met. Maybe he would come to her, she fantasized; he knew she lived upon the mountain, and Lyra had said that would be a very chivalrous thing for him to do. Prince or no prince, Hydra realized that she did desire someone who would go out of their way to see her... it just sounded nice. And if someone could do that for her, she could do that for them. But she was a go-getter; if she could cause the timeline of the in-between of their reunion to shorten, she would try to.
But the wolf she came across looked nothing like him. She had meandered a while, sniffed around, and tracked a scent all the way to a snoozing wolf. Hydra was not too close to them, and without a hint of remorse yelled: Hey, wake up!
A rude shout woke them from their fitful sleep with a start, a full-body jolt that ended with them scrambling to their feet, hackles raised. They searched for their would-be assailant, but found only one such aggressor, a pretty young woman. Ragna immediately settled, though their heart rate took longer to slow. They frowned at the girl, disapproval writ in every inch of their expression as they settled back down on their haunches. The girl was young, young enough that Ragna could safely guess that there was a pack nearby still. Young enough that Ragna's ears pricked, swiveling in search of any sign that an adult was nearby.
Finally, she fixed her gaze on the girl again. What?
The others reaction caused Hydra to step backwards, some, and her ears to prick forward. The other initially looked poised to attack though refrained, and soon enough the eyes of the pale wolf settled upon her. The question asked was supplied with a: you shouldn't sleep in the open like that,
with a squint, and a headtilt. There are caves on mountains that would be safer,
she advised. Hydra was no guardian of the mountain, but she felt that there was no reason not to share the advice with the other. In any case, Hydra didn't really care—she had done this out of the product of her boredom, and since Rian was evidently not on this mountain... she figured she should just go ahead and go home.
But there was a more pressing issue here. Why are you sleeping out in the open? Do you have a pack?
Hydra knew she was on free land now—and wouldn't trespass, not after her fathers warning.
Ragna regarded the youth warily as she spoke, then shrugged. Mountain caves are seldom unoccupied,
they replied sagely. Even if all they found was a handful of bats, Ragna preferred skipping the bother. There was much to be said for sleeping in the open, and nothing for them to fear. If the weather turned south, they were capable of finding shelter. And Ragna had nothing to fear from those desperate enough to attack travelers in neutral territory.
They shook their head. I am traveling,
they said. I am only waiting until morning.
Morning, they would go to see if they still had family nearby, and then they would move on to find a new pack. The Shieldmaiden gestured to the towering mountain behind them Tell me, do you come from the mountain?
If she did, there was surely still a pack there. And if there was a pack, maybe Charon was still there.
Hydra felt the key word within there that Ragna had missed was seldom. But if the other could not be bothered, Hydra found little reason to argue the point. Her duty was not to strangers sleeping in the open, and her effort to rouse the other was more to see what might happen than it was to assist her. Her character was not built on her golden heart, but rather her hearts desires. She did what she wanted, when she wanted.
The other answered her question and went so far as to elaborate. Scouting?
Hydra pressed, interested on her sisters behalf. Alya liked to scout. I do,
Hydra responded. You know of it?
She assumed so, because Hydra could have come from anywhere... but Hydra would not pretend to know the others thoughts.
Hydra and the other chatted for the duration of the day before the youth departed home, before her father or mother would notice her missing.