Northstar Vale Thysía

I beg of you to let me know when I’m making too many threads for you… because I don’t want to be overwhelming. *bows submissively to your astounding grace and patience for me, a gremlin* <3

It had been days of hunting the woods and the mountains. He had pushed himself to the canyon, expecting that Antigone might seek somewhere that would be close to home but far enough away to feel a sense of freedom.

Mereo was gone, though. He had stood at the edge of the land with a pensive stare at the familiar paths. The scents were faded. The grounds did not appear to have been patrolled. Arsenio had walked through his memory of the canyon until he had found the den where he and Tamar had lived. There was nobody there. The outpost was nothing but a series of bittersweet memories.

The redstone man stepped into Tamar’s den in the vale and heaved a tired sigh.

I do not know where he has gone, Tamar, the father croaked wearily.

hope you two don't mind ^^

If anything, Zulema was confused. Part of her wanted to be angry, Antigone had left with no goodbye to her. The girl just wanted him to come home, she wondered if he was planning on it. Zulema wondered if it was a small burst of anger, was her stress for no reason? Though she had seen the injury to her father's nose, heard her mother's irate yell for Antigone, she was still out of the loop on why.

The day since Antigone's disappearance were spent searching. Outside of that, Zulema had tried to bring back rabbits for her mother after Ethan's teaching, but she was far to disordered to succeed. After her failed attempt, she was headed back to Tamar's den with a damaged ego. Her ears perked as she watched her father step into the den from a distance.

❝Dad,❞ She panted after her short sprint to cut the distance. ❝Where did he go?❞

Her voice shook, eyes fixed on him with a demanding stare as she fought back the rising tears.

I never mind! <3

Zulema was there, breathless and wondering where her brother was. Arsenio looked at her without speaking. He did not know how he might tell her that he did not know where Antigone had gone. He did not know if his son would return, if he was safe. The sharpness in this loss had cut deep. The father could feel it in his muscle, in the bones that held him together.

I do not know, Zulema, he said to her.

Arsenio stepped toward his daughter, pulling her to his chest in a hug.

It did not make sense that Antigone would leave Epoch. They had built a good home for their children. They had made family in the vale. The boy had always showed signs of being different, but Arsenio never imagined that his son would have grown into this stranger.