Heron Lake Plateau Can't live without them, can't kill them with an axe

Okay I'm a day later getting this post up than I said, but whatever. XD

By the time he found the scene of the crime it was a few days old.  He'd walked farther from the borders today just to make sure Caiaphas wasn't lurking around waiting to try to pick off Raven if she stepped a foot outside.  Her actions had marked her down as a loose cannon, and so he wasn't about to go and take chances that she'd actually left for sure until he'd made a few checks and not found hide nor hair of her.

But this wasn't what Quixote had expected to find.  The blood was a slurry mess thanks to snows that had fallen then melted and mixed into an unsure blur that even the best CSI folks would have problems with.  There were a few things he could figure out without the aid of an electron microscope or a DNA sequencer -- it had been @Ambrose, and a cougar was involved.  But other than these shadows of recent history, there was no evidence of the present.  There was nothing that screamed either party was dead -- the cat of which being the largest concern for the health of the rest of the pack.  There were no bones, and by then there was no obvious fur.  The trails away from the spot were even more muddled and uncertain. Maybe they were just abducted by aliens.

Great. They'd barely had time to accept the fact that Ceara was still out there but hopefully escaped from immediate known danger and into the unknown and that they'd been housing someone who had proven to be a moral risk, and now someone else had gone and vanished.  Sigh.

Either way, he better tell @Niamh, even if he had no idea what he was going to say.  He trudged away from the scene -- it would be no point to show it to her -- and went back into the territory a distance before calling out for the beta.  It would be obvious he was somewhat uneasy, but part of that was he had no idea what to say when this kind of thing happened outside the uncouth warring of his past home.

All good- I’m still out in a hotel after a gig so phone posts it is, heh.
WC: 540

 

It had been a tumultuous few days- beginning with Caiaphas’ bid for leadership, followed by her tiff with Colt, and then the return of Tegan who had informed her and Towhee that (good news!) Ceara had escaped Blackfeather but (horrible news!) Screech was still alive. Of course, Niamh was trying to hold herself together- and by now she’d actually begun to feel like backing out of the fight with Rosalyn and Ezrulie had actually been a solid choice, for someone who had had such a terrible string of days. She still felt strange, having quarreled with her mate, but she knew things would settle and they’d laugh about it, eventually. That was the side of mateship that was often hidden from the public and even from family members- but she assured herself it was normal, and things weren’t going to fall apart. At least, not in that area of her life. With reference to Screech...She still didn’t know what to think, nor did she know how to feel until Ceara had actually returned to them. Tension was so high it was palpable in every relationship she had in the pack, it seemed. But she did her best to reassure herself- Tegan was safe, she and Colt would be fine, Ceara would return home at some point and as for Screech...Well, that was one subject that couldn’t be touched, not until a final decision was made amongst them. If he was with Blackfeather, it could mean war...And with the onset of winter bringing cold, snow and misery to them, she wondered if it was even worth it. 

When she heard Quixote call for her, she assumed that Screech would be the topic of the conversation and that he and Raven were both looking for her. She responded ao he would know she was on her way, but took her time so that she didn’t stres her hind leg too much. Rosalyn had delivered a fairly good bitw to the dense muscle above her knee and just below her flank, but ahe would recover seamlessly as long as she didn’t push it too hard during the healing process which she hoped wouldn’t take more than a week or two. She was able to hunt still, of course, but reserved her leg’s mobility for that and didn’t feel too bad making her way toward where Quixote had summoned her at a more relaxed pace than normal. 

Raven wasn’t with him, and he looked tense, as though he was reluctant to speak, and troubles. Immediately her thoughts went to the words that Colt had spoken and she assumed then that the topic wasn’t Screech, but Colt. Her ears turned back apologetically and she shrugged. ”Before you say anything...I’ve already spoken with him.” She began, and shook her head. ”He’s...Well you know how he is. Can’t keep his trap shut at the best of times- but I want you to know I’d never pull a Caiaphas- trust me.” She said earnestly. ”I’m sorry...How...How are you guys doing? You heard the news from Tegan I’m assuming?” She asked then, concerned they might have been rattled by the whole thing, and oblivious to the true reason Quixote had called her.

I have no idea how you do phone posts like that. XD I require at least a tablet's full keyboard.  Or just a real keyboard in general, haha.

Maybe the fact it was a few days old was a good thing.  No rotting corpse, after all.  Maybe he'd just wandered back some other way and was camping out somewhere on the plateau where he hadn't been recently.  Maybe the snow had faded his scent from where he did so.  This whole thing could be for nothing -- yeah, nothing sounded good.  Yeah, Quixote wasn't really convincing himself, because he really didn't remember smelling Ambrose recently on patrol.  Dammit.

Quixote was actually thankful she didn't come sprinting on up.  By the time she arrived, he'd realized his initial approach would probably be a little too harsh, a little too much like dropping a giant freaking bomb.  He sort of had a plan.  He wasn't Raven so it wasn't the greatest and most sympathetic one, but hell.  Again, better than his first thought.

Her words were more like a buzz to him, just this weird fuzz his brain wanted to fast-forward through to get to the point.  Sure, he probably did need to go talk to Colt and stuff and make sure they were on the same page, but not right now.  Colt theoretically knew what Quixote thought on the whole thing of dealing with leadership, but if it needed a little clarification, it wasn't a giant flailing emergency yet.  He shook his head, No, no.  It's not that.  --  When was the last time you saw Ambrose? Was it in the last couple of days?  First thing was first.  If she said that he was totally just out harassing local birds around the lake, then that'd be a weight off his shoulders and he could say it was nothing.  Sure, they'd want to go ask him about the cougar, but at least that wouldn't be a bad result.

WC:180

As soon as she was dismissed, Niamh immediately assumed that the topic was Screech so she opened her mouth- and clapped it shut with a click when he asked about Ambrose. She arched her neck slightly in surprise, regarding Quixote with a furrowed brow. Why would he ask about Ambrose? She shrugged off-handedly and shook her head. ”Not in the past few days,” She remarked. It was unusual for him to have not crossed her path in that amount of time, and even more unusual for him not to tell her where he was going. He’d been fairly home-bound the past little while she’d noticed, rather than venturing too far from the pack.

She studied Quixote’s features then, and saw what one might have seen in a parent who was about to explain to their child that their pet was gone- and never coming back. She steadied herself but couldn’t help but feel shaken, with a restlessness that only animals felt in the advent of an earthquake. ”Why,” She demanded then, her voice low and almost guttural, as though she were about to choke on the monosyllabic utterance.

Hell.  If he hasn't come back...  Quixote really wasn't going to have good news, then.  It could be worse, of course, but he was pretty sure that just the unknown was going to be enough of a weight by itself.  And yeah, he'd pretty much given away something being wrong -- Quixote was not a good actor.

At the very least Quixote was honest.  This wasn't a situation where lying would make anything better, where being too optimistic would help more than hurt if it turned worse in the end.  It looked bad, but there was no confirmation that the worst had happened.  It was possible that they'd fought to a bit of a stalemate, then crawled off in different directions.  The stupid goddamn snow and rain..!  It just left more questions.  At least there was one thing that he could confirm that maybe would help a tiny bit -- that he'd not found a body.  Sigh.  Found a scene over in the thicket.  He's not there, but I think he got attacked.  It was a few days ago and with this weather we've had I can't tell exactly what happened, but there's no Ambrose, no cat.  I've seen enough in the past that I don't think it's enough to be-- well -- fatal, but water's messed it up bad.  Really he also couldn't be sure there wasn't a second scene farther away in some random direction where maybe there was a body, but he wasn't going to say that.  What he'd found was bad enough on its own.  The alpha was sympathetic, but didn't know what really to do to make any of this better.  It wasn't something that would be easily fixed unless her brother wandered back on his own.  I don't know where he went, Niamh.

WC: 257

Quixote had found a scene...The mere word made her shudder. He hadn’t said he’d found a body, but the inplication was there, and he went on to explain that it was Ambrose who had been involved. Her eyes widened and she looked past him as though she was about tondart away and investigate it for herself. Not that she doubted Quixote’s abilities, but it wasn’t something she could just not check out for herself. She made a strangled noise when he said that Ambrose had been attacked- and that there was enough blood after all the precipitation to leave him doubtful...And then he mentioned the culprit.

”A cat? What do you mean, a cat?” She asked, but she already knew. A bobcat was one thing- and a lynx was in the same category, more or less. She’d seen both- neither were pleasant, but both should have been outmatched by a wolf, and both were solitary creatures. What Quixote meant was a cougar. She shook her head almost angrily. ”I have to find him, Quixote. It could have chased him off, followed him,” She said desperately. But as much as she wanted to take off- she knew there was a certain amount of permission she needed. Now was not the time to send another wolf- let alone another leader- off on a mad search, especially when Quixote had already specified that there was no trace left of either the cougar or Ambrose. ”Please,” She begged, her voice a mix between a choking sob and a whine.

It was weird.  There were certain aspects of this that did match up with war.  Maybe just the futility that he felt?  It was a cougar. Practically a force of nature in comparison to a single wolf.  This was a hell of a lot to have happen in one short period of time, too.  They needed a break.  Maybe this was the last time they'd get hit by something awful for a while...  Or not.  But either way recent events still left family in the same state.  Seriously, fate, leave his damn pack alone for a while!  The only thing he could really do was keep a level head and hope that they could stop anything else from happening before it did.

He shook his head. Not yet.  Not a good idea for you to run out there in a panic.  I looked, didn't see any hints for where to keep searching, but if there's a cougar out there attacking people, you have to be on alert, not frantic.  We're down two members now whose fates are unknown.  Unknown means there's some hope.  Let's not be down one where there's certainty.  He gave her a pretty firm look.  She shouldn't be out there quite yet.  To a certain point neither should he if there was some crazy wolf chick bent on grabbing power and a giant homicidal cat, but whatever.  He still saw himself as more expendable.

Just the same, he didn't think it was okay to entirely stop her.  She wasn't defenseless, and it was probably going to drive her up the walls if she didn't get to see for herself.  I get it's not easy to hear, but go back to your den, rest. I'll poke around a little more just in case I missed something for now.  When you're actually ready to go out there and confirm for yourself, don't go alone and don't go too far.  Partially for safety, partially for sanity.  If she found the worst, someone should be there with her.  If she found trouble, she'd need the backup if the cougar found her.  They didn't know where Ceara had been stolen away either.  If Blackfeather had followed them across the damn planet, he didn't want to give them any more captives, especially not when the distance made it almost impossible to get vengeance for any damage done.

WC: 300

As soon as Quixote said a very distinct ‘no’, she hissed through her teeth in frustration and grief and began to pace like a caged animal. One ear was turned toward him as he spoke, but she couldn’t stand still. Her breaths were slow and deep, as though at any minute she was about to roar as loud as a lion, and her muscles were pulled taught, ready to spring at an instant. But Quixote did not pull the trigger that would release her- instead, he told her to go home so that he could “poke around.” Even the wording suggested negligence.  

She shook her head. She didn’t want to go against him, as he was the alpha- but Colt’s words rang in her head...And she understood what he meant, then. She had an opinion and it was one that was too stiff and sharp to choke down. 

”Ceara went missing without a trace and we sent four wolves out looking for her. All four of them are back now,” She said, referring to Colt, Raven, Rory and Tegan. She was trying to be as reasonable as possible, even though her nerves were begging her to get hysteric. She swallowed audibly. ”We know Ambrose is injured, possibly dying. Why is it you were fine with sending four wolves out for Ceara who’d just disappeared, and you won’t even allow one to go searching for Ambrose? What makes her life worth so much more than Ambrose’s? Tegan even went to Blackfeather for fuck’s sake. If that’s not more risky than a cougar, then I don’t know what is.” She said. She felt she had a solid defense. ”I’ll take someone if you want. I won’t go farther than I can travel in a day. But I can not do nothing.”

Quixote had been part of those that thought maybe the search for Ceara was overblown.  Okay, now in hindsight all the searching was a good idea, but honestly...  How often could the pack afford to do this?  Would every time someone left and got distracted by the grass being greener on the other side now result in the pack pulling out the stops to search for them?  At least this time foul play really was obviously involved, but still.  Was everyone ready to start this whole hellish process again?  What happened if they found nothing this time?

Ceara's disappearance didn't have any clues.  It was a complete mystery, but this time we know there is a danger. And close.  And hell, Tegan went crashing over into Blackfeather without any of us having a word about it or being able to help, which definitely wouldn't have been my choice, and we still don't know what actually happened to her.  He could have just vanished and died and we'd be none the wiser if it was them or an act of nature!  If we're doing this again so soon, we're doing it right, we're doing it safe.  If Ambrose is injured out there, he probably hasn't gone too far.  As I said, I'm going back to go look for now.  When I get back, if there's still no clues, we can figure out a methodical way to search things that isn't people running off chasing leads that could get them killed.  She was allowed to be irritated, but really, if the way Ceara had been searched for was now coloring every potentially missing wolf, it had been too much. There had to be limits sometime, and perhaps he should have argued for Raven to not put so much into searching for a wolf they didn't know was actually in trouble... But then he would have looked awful when it turned out she was kidnapped.  The whole thing was a disaster.

You want to get things rolling early for the rest of the pack?  Go talk to Towhee, get her to send X out again.  But you specifically shouldn't be out there until you're in the right frame of mind, and I don't want you to goddamn find the opposite of what you're looking for on your own, too far for the rest of us to be there for you.  Maybe he was being a little bit too sharp, but whatever.  He needed to get that point across.

WC: 224

He chose to use different language the second time he said he’d go looking, but it still wasn’t enough for Niamh. She had the energy, and she knew Ambrose better than any other wolf in the pack. She had admitted him, and she was his sister- that made her feel as though she was more responsible for him than any other wolf. It was like Quixote didn’t think she could handle it, and as though he didn’t trust that she wouldn’t just run off like Tegan had. 

”Let me come with you; I just...I just need to see. And as soon as you want to come back, I’ll come back with you, I promise. A second pair of eyes...A second nose...We’ll cover ground more quickly and then you won’t be out there on your own.” Maybe she was now using his logic against her- but she felt that she made sense. ”Then once...Once we both know more, we can split up and warn everyone about the potential danger of a cougar in the area.” She said. ”Please. I’ll be of no use to anyone until I’ve gone there. If I just hang back and worry...I’ll just be a nuisance. And I’ll piss the ever-loving shit out of Colt if I go back right now.” She said. ”Nobody wants that.”

I forget what I originally was planning for this post. o well shrug emoji here

Seriously, why did it always seem like when you say "No, you don't really want to do that" it always made people more determined to do whatever it was?  Why did nobody ever seem to want to trust the bearer of bad news?  Did they want the nightmares?  Did it somehow make it more real?  Or less real?  God, if he could've seen less he'd be quite the happy camper, maybe he'd be less screwed up.

A strained sigh.  Honestly, the thing that he was more worried about was her just going out there anyway and having some sort of breakdown on her own and calling the cougar back.  His own safety?  Hah.  Again, he was pretty expendable.  Is that really the only way I'll then be able to get you to stay home and let others search for a bit?  He wasn't asking for much, he didn't think.  He just wanted her to take the time to regroup so she wasn't going to be running on adrenaline.  Because I still don't think it's a good idea.  At all.  Why did she want to see what might be the last hints of her brother?  Again, why did she want that memory?

wc:431
Feel free to reply again or archive if you want :)

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The lack of faith that Quixote had in her was beginning to wear on Niamh. She was getting impatient with the whole business of convincing him over and over again that she could handle it, and that she wasn’t going to roll over and let him tell her what to do on this one. She regarded him levelly, and did quite well to hold her tongue though she wanted to simply shout at him and run off, as he was trying every thin fibre of her patience. Instead, she told herself to cool it, knowing that the only way he’d agree to the whole situation was if she kept herself calm. She was still worked up about Ambrose being injured and possibly dead somewhere- but the fact that Quixote was trying to control her just then was becoming more frustrating than anything else.

To his question, she nodded firmly, jaws clenched shut. She’d already made that perfectly clear, and silently stared at the ground, hoping he would finally, finally get the point and just let her do what she wanted to do without interrogating her or telling her she was insane for wanting to do that. She didn’t care if it wasn’t what he’d want for himself- she knew herself perfectly well, and knew that this was the only way she would be able to handle the situation and eventually be able to move forward. If she simply let her brother drift further away without even trying to catch a sign that Quixote might have missed, she’d never forgive herself. He tried to dissuade her by offering his opinion, but she’d already made it perfectly clear that their opinions differed.

”I need it.” She said firmly, but calmly. ”Might not be the decision you’d make in my place, but it’s the decision I’m making. I know what I need to do in order to get through this.” She said. Her voice was still calm, though it was fairly clear she was restraining herself a bit. She was becoming irritated that Quixote wouldn’t simply believe her...If he’d allowed her to be Beta, then why doubt and question what seemed like every single step she took? She gestured and started moving, as she’d come to the conclusion that he’d allow her to move forward if she simply reiterated one final time that she’d be OK, and that she was absolutely 100% certain that she needed to do this. ”Let’s go.” She said, hoping he would just buck up, shut up and lead the way.

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