In the end, she decided to return to Duskfire Glacier. She needed to speak with
@Heda. Druid knew she owed
@Lane an apology too. The medic had saved her life and she’d just run off without a word of thanks. She still felt the duress of Rivenwood’s uncertain fate, though a few days at the seaside with Mireille had put Druid back in control of her emotions.
When she arrived in the shadow of the great, icy bulwark, she howled softly for her sister. Uncertain whether Heda would want to obey her summons, she included an apology in her call.
“I’m sorry I ran off without saying anything… I just needed some time…” Would her sister understand? Would she come?
Druid was back, from the sound of it. Lane made her way to the foot of the glacier swiftly, wondering if her wayward patient brought news of Rivenwood, or possibly the lost scouting party.
As she approached Druid, Lane was surprised that Heda hadn't answered the call as well. The apology woven in the lilting song seemed to be mostly intended for her, after all.
"Druid, hey! I'm so glad to see you. How are you healing?" Lane wouldn't be surprised if she'd torn open the scab on her side, but what she was really concerned about was that foot infection. It wouldn't heal if she kept running off and stomping it through the dirt. It needed to be kept clean, dry, and still.
When her sister neither appeared nor replied, Druid’s heart clenched in her chest. Either Heda hadn’t heard her because she was out of earshot or she’d heard but refused to acknowledge Druid. The latter felt impossible, so she firmly decided her sister was merely absent.
She didn’t know what to do with herself. She continued standing there until Lane materialized and strode toward her. Druid quickly bowed her head and lowered her posture deferentially. She lowered her eyes, though they lifted in slight surprise at the medic’s warm greeting.
I’m sorry I left like that,
the young woman said. It went without saying that it had been rude and ungrateful in equal measure. I feel okay,
she added in reference to her wounds, thanks to you.
She paused before wondering, Have the scouts returned with news?
Lane dipped her muzzle in acceptance of the girl's apology, which was polite but unnecessary. Lane had not helped her because she was expecting anything in return. She only worried that Druid would push herself too hard and wind up in a bad spot all over again.
"Okay, good," Lane replied, relieved that Druid still felt okay. "I'd still like to take a look, when you have a minute." Many wolves would insist that they were fine until they were so far gone that they were difficult to treat. Lane expected this; it was in the nature of a wolf to mask illness and injury.
Druid asked about the scouts, and Lane visibly deflated.
"Oh.. I thought that you and Heda had gone after them. They haven't returned. So.. I guess that means you didn't find them, either...?" Lane had been hoping that Druid would have news. "Did you make it back to Rivenwood?" Lane assumed that had been Druid's destination.
Druid was about to offer herself up for examination right now, if Lane desired, when the woman said something that made the young girl stiffen. Had Heda gone after the scouts to Rivenwood, even after the awful things she’d said to Druid? No, that didn’t make any sense at all. But it ratcheted up her concern for her sister significantly. Where are you, Heda?
No,
she said through trembling lips, Heda said it would be too dangerous. I went to spend some time with my best friend, Mireille. She lives in Sapphique. If Heda’s not here, I don’t know where she is.
Her mismatched eyes began to glisten with tears.
But Druid did her best to sniff them back, taking a few deep, slow breaths. I’ll stay here and wait for her,
she decided in a soft voice. Lane was anticipating the return of the scouting party, so the two of them could keep one another company and wait here together.
Druid had a best friend in Sapphique? The name rang a bell.
"Mireille.. she's visited here before." The Sapphique girl must have been bitten by the travelling bug-- like Wayfarer-- if she had traveled as far as Rivenwood frequently enough to become Druid's best friend.
Druid wanted to wait here at the border, with Lane. That did not surprise her, given Heda's unknown whereabouts.
"Okay," Lane conceded. She thought it might be a comfort to Druid, so she added, "Issorartuyok has gone out to search for our wolves. If Heda is out there too, she'll be found." With a wave of her tail, she settled in to wait. Eventually, when Druid allowed it, she would check over the girl's injury to make sure it was healing cleanly.