Jade Fern Grove the source of terror

Hydra moved through the Grove with Lyra at her side. Not for a moment had she given up hope, and here and now she felt close. There was peaks ahead to scale, and it was toward them the sisters moved now. Despite the lack of Alya’s scent here, Hydra felt it in her bones–this was the right way. 

Her step was confident, proud. There was no explanation for what she felt within, she simply knew to keep going. And Hydra abided by that, and that alone, determined to find what she was looking for.

Though he did not know it, since he didn't keep a calendar, today marked a whole year that Whiskers had been alive on this godforsaken planet. He, like so many other wolves, had been born a blank slate, and now he was what he was today. He had been shaped by either the world around him or by the stuff that made up his blood and bones. These weren't thinks that he pondered, but his author certainly did.

Whisker meandered with no real destination in mind. For now, he was living day-by-day, not really looking for anything in particular or hoping for anything. If he had no expectations, he couldn't possibly be disappointed, right?

The telltale scent of another wolf eased into his nostrils... wait, two wolves! The easily distracted yearling immediately made a beeline toward them, golden eyes wide and cheerful as he approached.

Ever since their run-in with Terance, Lyra's rage from the encounter had turned into a simmer. She knew Hydra could feel it too, though despite the sullen mood of her sister, the Beta would not deviate from her course on finding Alya. Of course, Lyra was determined, too, but her mind was elsewhere as they travelled on in silence. Foreign mountain peaks stretched before them, bringing with them cooler air that smelt like pine and snow and...something else.

Drawing confidence from Hydra's own staunch belief this was the right way — when was her sister ever wrong? — Lyra dutifully trailed alongside her, ears twisting towards each and every sound that rang out beneath the chirping of crickets. The distant thrum of sudden footfalls caused her to stop, head twisting in the direction of a sudden pair of conspicuous, sunflower yellow eyes belonging to a dark form that was rapidly heading towards them. She bristled, releasing a preemptive warning snarl despite the friendliness the male exuded.

Hydra heard the approach of the other, and sensed Lyra's immediate reaction. On the other hand, Hydra in comparison was far more aloof. She knew Lyra's response had her mood to thank for it, and though Hydra felt similarly to her twin it did not show. The others moved in a way that was not at all unlike the wolf Alya had tempted, and for this Hydra did not echo her sisters reaction. While they vented their frustrations in the same, terrible way, there was something far more important than that. 

And it was their sister. 

Hydra moved toward Lyra, her nose moving to brush in a manner meant to comfort against her shoulder. It's alright, she spoke, loud enough for the stranger to hear, he did not mean to startle you. He might have thought you were someone else, her blue eyes moved from the pair that mirrored her own to the shocking yellow of their inky counterpart. She was reminded of Arcturus, and the thought of him was enough to make her reception of him genuine, and not unkind in this moment. I do not think we are who you may be seeking, she said with a soft laugh, having mistaken his own approach for something else. We have another, that looks exactly the same as us. I am sorry if you thought you might be seeing her again, now—ah, perhaps it is her you intended to greet? She wonders aloud, hoping he might admit to her that yes, this was, in fact, the case.

Perhaps he should have known better than to rush up to strangers... but Whisker was still relatively young in the grand scheme of things. Like an eighteen-year-old off to college, he had an awful lot to learn that even the best parents couldn't teach their children. So when one of the two black wolves bristled and snarled at him, he balked. Skidding in his tracks, he nearly did a one-eighty and ran in the opposite direction. Before his body could catch up with his mental plan, the other one was talking in a much calmer tone, and he continued his approach, albeit more cautiously.

"Seeking?" he asked, confused. "I ain't seeking nobody. Just trying to make friends, y'know?" Whisker was the new guy in town, and he knew making friends was one of the best ways to transition into a more socially-acceptable status.

The fur along her shoulders smoothed at Hydra's touch, and Lyra let out a soft exhale as she calmed, though her heart still thrummed in her chest. Her blue eyes met her sister's own, and instantly she realised what she had meant by her words. Had this stranger mistaken them for Alya? Lyra had no doubts that their sister could have charmed more than one lucky soul on her way to Easthollow. The boy seemed too young, however, and this was only confirmed when he spoke.

She peered at him over Hydra's back, displeased by his answer. She almost made to turn, about to write the stranger off as a waste of time before she just as quickly changed her mind. "If you want to make friends," she said in a quiet voice. "You can start by helping us." Their friendship in return was reward enough if he happened to find their missing piece, she believed, however Hydra was the more diplomatic one here, and so Lyra turned to her with a slight tilt of her head. More eyes out there the better, right?

"Help?" he asked, then Whisker put two and two together and realized what they were asking. "Oh, duh. Yeah, you said she looks just you two?"

He did find it odd that the two girls looked exactly the same, but he figured that would make spotting the third one easier. He wouldn't have to rely on a spoken description.

"I can keep an eye out. Any idea which direction she might've gone?"

When he put one and two together, he got the end result she desired but had yet to achieve in discovering: three. In plain English, to find their third piece. She was certain that Alya felt as incomplete without them as they felt now, and it was not one Hydra wanted to endure any longer. At his inquiry, Hydra gestured toward the opposite direction that they were heading. After all, if Alya was not where they went, perhaps she would be where he did. They needed the ground to be covered. 

She is scouting, but does not take well to being caught by surprise. If you see her, approach with caution, she advised. Even if Alya was injured, Hydra would think that would make her all the more hostile to strangers... and it would be best if Alya was aware of her company in any case. We're heading that way— Hydra gestured toward the path they would be taking. Just to be certain she did not get turned around.

Hydra's warning coaxed a small, almost malicious laugh from Lyra. Woe be to any who thought their sister — or any of them — were an easy target. The boy seemed harmless enough, though, and like he genuinely just wanted to help and make friends. He was bright, young, and eager — it wasn't likely he'd live long here.

Lyra remained silent as the lead head spoke, giving him directions that were wisely in the exact opposite direction to where they were heading. They had had an initial destination, Easthollow, but who knows if Alya had chosen a different path, or her presumed wound had somehow redirected her course. She appraised the whiskered boy with a slight tilt of her head, wondering how he would fair with the task.

Her hopes for him were not high, but she was open to being pleasantly surprised.

"Approach with caution" sounded ominous, but he would do his best. Which... well... his best wasn't very good in comparison to everybody else's average. Whether or not that was helpful was yet to be seen.

Where should I report back if I spot her? he asked as an obvious follow-up. Considering they were going one way and he was going another, they'd need a rendezvous point if he ever wanted to pass along information he gathered along the way. Or he'd need to know where to avoid if he failed his little quest.

Unfortunately, he would never come across their sister, so their eventual answer mattered little. Whisker would end up dying alone, not to be discovered until spring.