Stone Circle It was like a burning candle before a wind

Border work was never quite his thing; in the valley he did it out of necessity but, if he had to choose, he’d much rather not even consider it. But a restless body often wandered and, for Xan, that wandering took him towards the outskirts of the pack. He looked towards the valley, wondered if he might ever return there, then turned and began moving in the direction opposite; the negative memories it held were stronger now than the positive, he realised. So, with little else to do, the albino began a half-assed patrol. At least it would be better than sitting around, doing nothing.

Arlette couldn't find Oryx. The dark female had been keeping to the background ever since the attack but now Arlette was unable to find her friend. She had been looking in all the usual places. Now she thought about it she had not seen the female after Ursus attacked... So she decided to at least check the borders for any recent scents. She had been almost round and her hope was starting to dim. No scent of her friend. When she was almost round she noticed someone approach. The girl lifted her head and noticed it was her uncle Xan. Great. "Hi," she shortly commented. "Have you seen Oryx recently?"

Onward he continued, damn near dragging his feet at some moments. Every so often he’d lift his leg against some brush, although the task hardly held his attention—which showed in how easily it was diverted from the path ahead to the approach of his niece.

“Who?” came his reply, brows pinching together. Should he know this Oryx wolf? “I don’t think I have,” he answered, not having a concrete answer really. Even if he’d just passed her by, Alexander wouldn’t have been able to say so.

Arlette looked at him with a scowl and then shook her head. "Forget it, you are useless," she huffed to the male. "Like, you would ever be there for your family," she added, ready to just walk away. She didn't need al his excuses. He always kept to himself and never really was there for the family. How come her mother had been so unbearable to her but let wolves like her uncle just lurk in the background she didn't understand. "Oryx is a female, black in color. But your reply tells me enough."

You are useless.

The man scowled and clenched his jaw, yet said nothing—initially. But when his family was mentioned, his lips twitched and a snarl attempted to break through. “I was there for my family,” he shot back, former neutrality but a distant thought. “Why the hell are you looking for the Oryx girl anyways? What’s it matter?”

Arlette could tell that he hadn't liked what she called him, but for the female she never saw the male that much. So she didn't feel like she was prejudiced in any way. Still, she could have been kinder to him but lately she didn't feel like being kind. "Oryx is my friend and was there for me when I was struggling with the loss of my mate and children," she stated. "I want to return the favor and be there for her. If she is so upset she fled it is important to know so we can find her. Help her," she explained, feeling like such a thing shouldn't be explained. It was logical. "She means a lot to me."

The girl explained herself and although he, in a way, understood her dilemma, that did not necessarily mean that he felt for her. “Why?” he asked after a short pause. “If she fled, maybe she doesn’t want to be found.” It made the most sense to him—people don’t just up and leave unless they plan on staying away.

Arlette huffed at the male. "Is that all you can say?," she sounded annoyed at the why. "I just told you my reasons," she returned to her uncle. Arlette shot a glare towards him. "You don't even know her. If she doesn't want to be found, then that is a pretty shitty move. I'd like to think she is better than that," she commented. Arlette shook her head. She wouldn't find the female talking to Xan. "Thanks for the advice," she commented before just trotting off, having a very low tolerance at the moment for him.

- last post for me -

Despite her tone and how badly he wanted to snap back, Alexander restrained himself. He found the entire situation to be a waste of time—when someone disappears without warning, without telling anyone where they’re going, it’s because they don’t want to be found. He knew this and he thought it wise to tell his niece, too—but clearly she did not see things the same way as himself. No matter, he didn’t bother with trying to further explain the workings of life and, instead, carried on with his previous task following her departure.