Reverie had been subdued since that terrible morning when
@Boone had spoken so harshly to her. She busied herself with their den, with her recovery, with her daughter and their future; not quite distant but quieter, contemplative. Guilt kept her awake at night, tucked in Boone's arms, wondering if she would be able to be the wife he needed — or if she would drive him away, too.
She was attentive to him when he was near; distracted by thoughts of him when he was not. It was this preoccupation that she blamed when, one evening, Reverie realized all at once that it had been too long since the last time she'd seen her daughter. She hadn't seen her since the night before. At first she tried to swallow the surge of panic, searching through the territory idly. But all her scent trails had turned stale, and soon the fear could not be stifled.
When she finally found the trail that led out of the territory, Reverie burst into frantic tears. She paced along the outskirts of the willows for a few moments, then called for
@Blossom. If she was near, surely she would hear it and come. Minutes passed, and she called again. If she didn't answer — well, Reverie didn't know what she would do. Find Boone, start the search; yet she was overcome with the feeling that something terrible had happened. Blossom was lost. Blossom was hurt. Blossom was leaving her. Or — or suppose Lestan had found her and finally made good on his threat to take her away?
Reverie was distraught.
The peace of the grove nestled in the shadows of stones reminded Massaraq of home. He found a knot in the trees, digging it out with his paws and nestling his pack there, he would return for it after hunting and resting, and perhaps gaining a better understanding of this place. The young wolf did his best to find a trail, fresh tracks, the scent, water and going from there. And yet though he turned and turned it felt as if he could not find what he was looking for.
About to give up and return to sleep beneath the willow hungry and wake the next morning with at least rest behind him enough for a fresh attempt he heard tears and frowned to himself. He was careful and cautious in his approach, and yet when he caught sight of a wolf with sunlight on her shoulders crying he found himself drawing nearer. "What's wrong?" His eyes scanned the horizon but he could not find that way the cause for her distress.
Blossom didn't come, and neither did Boone. Instead a young wolf appeared, a pale wolf; a blue-eyed boy who did not seem to understand that he was standing at the edge of a budding claim. Reverie was frustrated. But he was still just a child, and clearly concerned about her, so she softened as she turned to him.
I um - my daughter is - I don't know where she is,
Reverie confessed, eyes turning back to the direction Blossom's scent led. She knew that she should wait for Boone. But each passing moment meant a higher chance that Blossom would never return. She couldn't lose her. Not her, never her. She doesn't usually leave for so long. I - I guess I'm just worried something is wrong.
But her daughter was scarcely younger than this boy, and clearly he was capable of traveling by himself. Maybe she was overreacting?
She remembered then what had happened to Lestan when he'd left, and decided that she was not. Her gaze found the blue-eyed youth again in spite of her racing heart. I'm Reverie,
She added after a moment, pausing to let him introduce himself.
Worry clouded the wolf's words but he heard them nonetheless and the urgency in them too. Her daughter must have been very young for her to be this worried he thought, but at least that would make it easier to find her. He wished that he was a better tracker, but instead settled for taking a deep breath and centering himself. Frustration at his shortcomings and fear of failure would not serve him in that moment, in time he would face them, and yet they needed to take a step back. "I'll help you look. Is there somewhere or something I could pick up her scent to help you search?" Perhaps a den or something, he was not sure if this wolf kept furs but that would work. He had never searched for someone before, or not successfully anyways, but that was not important.
At her introduction he gave a polite smile, and nodded, realizing he had not introduced himself either. "My name's Massaraq." He wondered if he should introduce himself of his pack, perhaps his last name. But he doubted that it would mean much this far from Moonglow.
Reverie was charmed by his willingness to help, his gentle demeanor. As she calmed, she took note, belatedly, of the scent he carried. It was one she recognized. Thank you, Massaraq - but it - it's okay, she's probably alright... and my husband will help me find her,
She frowned slightly as she spoke, unable to let go of her misgivings entirely. But she couldn't let a child shoulder her burdens — and Blossom would be a young adult soon, nearly grown. Reverie had always planned to take a step back one day, to let her find her own path and make her own life without her fretful flighty mother hovering over her at every step. She just hadn't thought it would happen so soon. She didn't think she was ready.
You're from Moonglow, right? I've met Kukutux. She helped me once,
Reverie tried to distract and soothe herself with idle talk, not wanting to rush off so soon after finding a random boy wandering through her home. Besides — he was presumably of Moonglow, and Kukutux had been kind to her. It was her help Reverie would seek in preparation for the coming season and her plans with Boone, if she would give it.
He sensed her unease but did not push, he did not know her well and could not gauge the depths of her, what lay behind the shift in her speech and the change in tides of emotions so he only nodded in acceptance and listened as she resumed speaking once more. It seemed as if something in his scent had given away his origins, well woven into him despite the distance travelled, but he could only smile at the mention of home, at still being tied to it in some palpable way when he felt so unmoored otherwise. "Kukutux Moonwoman is my mother." He nodded his head in reply, voice warm. His anaa helped many wolves, knew many things.
Her name, that she knew his anaa, a memory sparked and he asked, suddenly intensely curious. "Did you teach Ajei how to hunt crabs? With Blossom?" It seemed so long ago, that time on the beach, before the tide had returned to wash everything away. He wondered if nuutuittuq would guide him towards the sea, did not know if he wanted to return, what he would find there.
His mother! Reverie was still processing that when he asked next about Ajei, the girl she'd met by the sea. Oh! Yes, I did. Blossom is my daughter,
Her cheeks heated slightly as it set in that she had been recognized. It felt odd, given she'd never visited the pack, but it made sense too; she'd met several members of Moonglow by now.
How are they? Kukutux and Ajei,
Reverie asked a little shyly, but with genuine interest. She'd taken a liking to Ajei, and she owed much to Kukutux, who had given her a few weeks of respite from the illness which had nearly killed her. Are either of them traveling with you?
There were no scents of them nearby, but she was hopeful nonetheless.
The familiarity tugged at something, a part of him felt warm, to recount how his family was faring, but another part of him felt adrift. Here he was trying to journey to find himself and all he could do was run into reminders that his family had already been there before, had already cleared the way. Still his words were soft, a bit subdued. "No. I'm journeying alone. They are well." Despite their health he could not forget the grief that was just beginning to slip away. She would always be gone, always be mourned, but the sharp edges of hurt would slice into the flesh less often.
It was difficult to know what to tell, but he tried. "We all mourn the death of Kukutux's daughter and Moontide's alpha." He offered since that was the simplest explanation. Mother, alpha, daughter, sister. Samani had been many things, left many gaps on her journey to Sedna. If she had gone there at all.
Oh. A death. Reverie's ears tilted back, and she lowered her muzzle slightly. Oh, I - I'm sorry to hear that. Give them my condolences, please,
She said softly, feeling awkward now because she didn't have much better to offer.
Um, would you like to stay for the night? I can bring you something from one of our caches...
Reverie offered next. It hadn't been her intention to allow the boy to stay, but now she felt like she should. He was grieving, after all. She knew how terrible that was, the toll it took. While traveling, too! Loneliness was no remedy for grief.
He did not know when he would be back, perhaps this wolf in front of him would see his anaa before he did and that thought made his chest clench. But he nodded and replied warm. "I will, thank you." He hoped that the words would help his anaa and tataa, that they were better. Somehow it felt like running away because he could not see if the edges of grief dulled for his family.
At her offer of a place to stay he felt awkwardness of his own. "I'm sorry, I have nothing to offer in exchange. But I could help you with hunting or tracking or gathering herbs if that would suit?" He asked, voice earnest.