She was hungry, tired, lost, and terrified. It had been the longest few days of her young life and, for the first time since daddy left, she openly missed home. But she didn't know how to get back, so she continued to get more and more lost, wandering and crying for mommy - daddy - anyone to find her.
MOMMMMMAAAA.
Her voice was nearly gone, so the wail didn't carry the way it had yesterday. Her tail tucked and she sat down heavily, stomach pinched. She wanted food almost as much as she wanted to just see them. Mommy, daddy, Sphyra, even Caracal.
Tierra whimpered hoarsely as she looked around. She didn't recognize anything. There was an unfamiliar rushing noise somewhere off in the distance and open space all around. The mountains in the distance barely registered.
Daddy.
She snuffled, then slid down, pressing her belly to the cooler earth.
She heard it, over in the hot springs, rising even above the nearby rushing river.
Her heart stopped for an instant, then resumed at an increasingly rapid pace.
PREVOST!!
she called out, thinking it just might be—even though it sounded slightly off—but perhaps that had been the time away—
Maegi was ashamed to feel an utter, crushing disappointment as she came upon the very not-Prevost girl, flattened upon the ground, looking miserable. Then her motherly instincts kicked in.
Hello sweetheart,
she crooned, making sure to keep both sides of her face visible. Wouldn't do to soothe the child, only to frighten her with her tattered left cheek. She approached slowly, trying to get a read on the girl's scent. You must be lost. . .where's your mama and daddy?
She didn't feel well, and now that she was lying down, Tierra didn't want to get up. She was tired. When the stranger came, she looked at her somewhat blearily from her spot, but while she showed her little teeth, she didn't move to get away.
I don know.
The answer was kind of aggressive compared to the friendliness Maegi came at her with, but anyone who wasn't mom or dad or one of her siblings wasn't who she wanted right now. She knew where she came from, but she didn't think to say it. Instead, she let out a whine. I want my daddy.
Naturally, the girl was wary, and Maegi kept a respectable distance at those small but fierce fangs. She nodded, slowly, in grave understanding. She'd have to lure her away somehow; they were much too close to the rapids for her liking.
But earning her trust was paramount.
I'm sure you do,
she sympathized softly. What are their names? Where do you live?
Were Phox and Meerkat more bound to the Caldera, she would have recognized the girl by scent as a Redhawk. As it was, this was, for now, some random lost pup, so she was treating the situation like any other, rather than the kid gloves she might have employed had she known this was Towhee's child.
She still had an incredibly petulant look on her face, but she wanted to trust adults. Especially nice ones like this woman, who despite her face, sounded reassuring. Tierra wasn't (yet) shallow enough to be put off by appearances but there was definitely something unsettlingly different about her that added something to her bias.
Reyes.
She answered, then almost immediately, 'n Towhee.
She wanted her daddy or her mommy at this point and it hardly mattered which. She just wanted to go home.
Whether she completely missed the second part or just didn't feel like answering wasn't apparent, but instead she just whined. I'm hungry.
Her ears laid back and she stared unashamedly at Maegi. She didn't trust her, but she was an adult, and adults knew where food was.
Of. Course.
The name Reyes didn't ring a bell, but Towhee did—Phox's sister, with whom Niamh had quarreled. She felt added weight upon her shoulders, the frustrated furrow in her brow deepening, but she tried not to let it show beyond that, giving the girl a reassuring smile.
I'm hungry. At least that was a problem she could solve. I live nearby. There's food,
she assured the girl. Maegi gave her a quick once-over, trying to determine whether or not the pup had been weaned off milk. She assumed so. . .didn't look much older than her own trio—
Follow me?
she offered, turning slowly, though keeping her eyes trained on the girl. My name is Maegi, by the way. Watch your step, sweetheart—you don't want to fall into the river.
In fact, until they reached the plateau, she would more or less glue herself to the youth's side, unwilling to lose yet another Redhawk child.
She didn't want to get up. Everything felt heavy and bad. How far?
She asked plaintively. Food was a powerful motivator right now, so she did reluctantly stand up.
It's been a good number of days since she'd had anything, so as they traveled, she'd slow them down considerably. But she followed willingly wherever the woman led.
Not very far at all,
she replied, letting the smile pierce through everything else upon her face. I promise.
She was okay with going slow; her crooked foot necessitated it. It would hardly be different from her usual travel, and probably more of a blessing, given that she often felt rushed.
No, she took her time with the girl, mindful of her hunger (and the hours slipping by, too—she didn't like to be away from the plateau for long). Eventually, the two made it there. . .
. . .and as to what would happen next was anyone's guess.