Moonspear ^_________________________^

These allusions are made with the permission of his player!

She hadn’t gotten around to her bath yesterday, though that was for the best. It had rained overnight and halfway through her patrol, Pie was soaking wet and covered in flecks of mud. Once more, she fantasized about taking a dip in one of the mountain’s many natural springs. The water would be cold, though Tiuttuk knew she would emerge refreshed.

The smell of blood drove that thought right out of her mind. Her hackles prickled as she walked cautiously toward the scent, legs stiff. She found a tacky red puddle splashed over a small boulder sitting at the foot of the mountain. There were tufts of fur scattered about too, not to mention furrows in the muddy earth. This was the scene of some sort of violent altercation.

@Glaûkos had been involved, that much she could tell with a few investigative sniffs. Heart sinking in her chest, she followed his scent—and thick droplets of blood—away from Moonspear. The trail led her south, toward the Altar of Twilight, and abruptly vanished at a small brook cutting through the cradle of rocks. Treepie roved back and forth across its bank, then splashed across, but there was no further sign of him.

Who—or what—had he fought? And where had they gone? Tiuttuk spent half an hour trying to puzzle out clues, though this was a dead end. She had no choice but to retrace her steps to the proverbial crime scene, where she spent another hour studying the evidence. The only conclusion she could draw was that Glaukos had fought an intruder of some kind and then… well, she couldn’t be sure of anything else.

Her lips pursed, before forming a moue. Pie howled the news to @Alaric, Tikaani, @Pala and the boys, letting them know to be careful near the borders and keep an eye out for their injured comrade. She hoped aloud that he would turn up at some point, otherwise he would leave a gaping hole in their village’s ranks.

Pala had been a dedicated mother, but with her children growing older she found that she could more often leave them in the safety of the ulaq or in an area of tall grass. They were too big for the birds now.

At Treepie's call she found herself moving to the borders with a haste she had long been missing. However there was no excitement here; something had happened.

Appearing at the side of the regent after some time, she greeted her with a 'whuff'. Something's wrong? She asked, a frown painting her face. Pala had only picked up bits and pieces from the howl.

Treepie lingered at the scene, unsure what to do with herself. Just when she’d decided to head up the mountain and perhaps grab that bath she wanted—even though it felt strangely irreverent to do so now—Pala appeared at her side. The young Regent bobbed her head and touched her nose briefly to the woman’s muzzle.

It’s Glaukos, she said with a thoughtful frown. Something happened, she said, gesturing at the blood and other signs of a skirmish. I’ve spent the past few hours trying to figure out what, and where he went, but the trail led to a dead end.

And that was that, she realized. It was hard to accept. Slowly, Pie turned her head away from the locus in quo and focused on Pala’s face. She blew out a breath, then silently motioned for her pack mate to follow as she began ascending the nearby slope.

I’ve been meaning to come talk to you, she said as they climbed. Rather than explain she could use the advice of a more experienced woman, Pie eased into it by adding, I want to get to know you better. Especially after what happened at the borders the other day, I realize I don’t really know you or your story in any depth. Let’s change that.

She nipped at her lip, yellow eyes flicking over Pala’s face as she referenced the situation that had gone down several days prior. It had been tense, to say the least.

Treepie gestured towards the signs of skirmish, and the blood of their packmate that had come with it. Well, I suppose all we can do is wait then. She reaffirmed, her eyes narrowing for a moment as she looked on. You told me he was a strong man. I'm sure he'll turn up just fine. Though in truth, Pala knew that even the strongest of men could be defeated.

She was pulled from the sight by her companions gesture to follow after her, Pala lingering for a moment longer before complying. Not knowing was always the worst part of these things.

It seemed to her that the topic was changed rather quickly; and to Pala herself, of all things. She felt herself tense rather visibly. There isn't much to know. Or moreso, she was not inclined to share much after her confrontation with Alaric. It still made her blood boil.

Pie’s brows furrowed at Pala’s clipped reply, the immediate dismissal it implied. She had hoped it was clear that she only wanted to better understand the woman and her points of view. She one day hoped she could pick her brain about matters of the heart, given her experience, and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle being shut down without prejudice.

She said nothing for several moments, the two climbing in increasingly awkward silence. Treepie felt herself growing a little put out by Pala’s reaction. It was her right, especially as Regent, to push the issue. But this wasn’t about a leader sussing out a newcomer, not really, and she didn’t want to force Pala to disclose things in the name of cameraderie. The thought made her lip want to curl, though she tried to keep her feelings off her face.

They reached a plateau, the ground evening out underfoot. Tiuttuk paused to catch her breath, still not sure how to respond. Maybe she was on edge because of what had happened with Glaukos. Perhaps now was not the time to talk to anyone about anything, much less important matters.

I think I’m going to take a bath, she announced. It felt abrupt but there was no avoiding that. I’ll see you later, Pala, Pie added slightly less tersely, realizing even as she spoke that she wasn’t really irritated so much as hurt.