forward dated to june 26th
he didn’t stop running. there needed to be as much distance between him and the valley as possible. if any of the bearclaw wolves found him out here, he wouldn’t no what to do or say. there was no excuse for what he did.
a mountain blocked his path. he wanted to go around it, but figured cutting through would be the best option. so that’s what he did and he ended up in a quiet meadow. the fox smell was pungent and he wasn’t in the mood with dealing with any so he quickened his pace.
First part is only for me to set up a timeline... Can ignore if ya want
Once more Shiori found herself delving deep into the Teekon Wilds to take visit the Lair. It was simply too big a load of peace and good memories of Ryujin that she couldn't simply leave it behind and, for the second time in her lifetime, she spent a night within its lush caves alone, in peace. The next morning she felt complete.
Many times it had crossed her head that she could make her own home here even if she had to do it alone. It could be some sort of outpost for her family to find if it was ever needed. Shiori hadn't given up hope of finding her lost sister, but the chances she was the same Airi she remembered were slim. After a whole year of searching it was perhaps obvious that her quest to find her had gone to failure, but Shiori's code of honor wouldn't allow her to come back to Asterr without her firstborn daughter. She had to stay in the Teekon Wilds, and although it didn't seem like such a terrible fate staying meant being away from her family indefinitely, which hurt deeply.
No matter how much of a paradise the Lair was, it didn't have everything. Shiori relied on lavender to sooth the occasional headaches, and lavender did not grow at such heights. More often than not she only had to come down to the Arrow lake to find enough herbs for a couple days but today wasn't one of those days. Her usual go-to meadow had nothing usable left, and a pound had started growing up her cervical spine, and so she saw herself forced to come down to a nearby hollow in hopes that she could find there what she needed.
She followed a small creek to a peaceful meadow haunted by the occasional fox cry of which there seemed to be a very healthy population. She knew she could find lavender in plains and dryer lands, and with enough determination she eventually found a healthy plant with plenty of beautiful flowers to pick from. By this time the pounding had reached the core of her head and it was painful.
She was halfway through harvesting the herb when she picked up a distant rustling noise approaching her. It was an animal, most likely a wolf, and he was moving at a considerable speed. Shiori dropped the lavender flowers close to he bush where she knew she would find them again easily and readied herself to confront whatever danger was on its way to her, but when his image materialized from behind a copse of maple trees Shiori realized there was nothing to worry about. She distinguished him to be a large wolf of dark pelage whose attention was directed anywhere but her. The runner seemed troubled by his expression, and Shiori allowed a gentle bark to fall from her lips to catch his attention. What was he running away from?
mobile post 4 u!
A nostalgic smile crept upon her lips as Shiori looked away from the mountains and down to her toes. She toyed with the remaining flowers absentmindedly and almost did not hear Issun's proposal, but the implication of it whacked the young Draconid back into reality.
She froze, looking back at her new friend with wide eyes as she considered the option. Her outpost at the mountains was as hopeful as any other effort to find her sisters, and she honestly doubted she could stay there alone for too long.
She stuttered for a moment, nothing coherent came from her voice until she held her tongue and took a deep breath to say
I'm sorry but... I can't,
with dubious resolve. Would she ever find her sisters? The least she could do to uphold her dignity was try.