Overture Downs I fell for an email scam and cost my company money

For @Mona if she would come out of LCH, if not just let me know!

It was hard to get out from under Moorhen's watchful eye, but Lucas managed it. It wasn't by his own skill, but a stroke of fortune that she was preoccupied with someone or something else. No one else accompanied him as he left their little camp, headed out to refamiliarize himself with lands he'd long ago left behind. Even with winter's tight grip on the place, he recognized the spindly trees that dotted the snowy downs, and he could imagine the wildflowers blooming in the spring.

He recalled meeting Dancer here and knew that Bearclaw Valley was nearby, but he didn't have any designs to go there without his cohorts. He wanted his family to see he had friends he could rely on, that he wasn't alone in the world. He didn't know what to expect as far as reactions went, but he was well aware they were probably worried about him in the same way he worried about them.

Turning his broad snout upward, Lucas loosed a quiet, crooning howl as though to softly say, 'I'm home!'

<3!!!

with no one to tell her otherwise, or scold her for leaving, mona departed the hollow and headed for the hills beyond. it was good to stretch her legs after keeping to her den for so long; the stalwart had yet to contact the leadership and tell them of what had transpired. but no one had sought her out, and the girl did not wish to seek out a punishment.
the thin trees called to her, for they were rooted in a wild place she could not remember visiting for some time. with each step she took from the borders, mona's heart lightened, until she found a tune in her throat, and hummed it in time with her gait.
however, the little cardinal drew up at the sound of a howl purling through the air, one distinctively familiar. though time had deepened his tones, mona knew she recognized the voice, and began to search the downs wildly for any sign of the boy who had called.
a distant figure, but the redbird dashed toward it all the same, her legs weighed down by the depth of the snow and the ungainly new roundness of her belly. "lucas?" mona shouted, incredulity colouring her voice.

As he lowered his muzzle, he wasn't really expecting anyone to answer. Maybe a howl in return so he knew they were there and he could bring his friends to meet them, as he intended to do shortly. Certainly not a voice calling his name from across the field. As he turned his head and cupped his ears, he thought for a moment that the tone had seemed skeptical. Well, he couldn't really blame anyone for being unsure if it was him or not. He had been away a lot longer than he wanted to.

He initially thought the scarlet wolf streaking toward him was Indra, and his tail lifted into a lofty wag. It didn't dip when he realized his mistake, though, but beat harder. This wolf had too much rust in her fur to be Indra, whose coat was more a stunning mahogany variety, and as she drew nearer, aided by Lucas running toward her as well, he realized her eyes were a deep shade. Not his aunt's brilliant crimson. Luckily, he never forgot a face. Mona! he cried joyously, rushing forward with soft whines to greet the magical woman he once played hide and seek with.

lucas — he was still so round! laughter burst from mona as she returned his gentle sounds, reaching up to kiss his face as her red plume swept behind her hips. where lucas was round, however, he was also tall, with a new grace to his movements that did not go unnoticed. a spry bearcub, the mayfair thought delightedly to herself.
"it's so good to see you, lucas," mona sighed joyously, smiling up into the boy's adorable features. "you look well. and laurel —! your mother and indra will be so relieved you're okay," she added. 
there was much to tell him, about bearclaw, about the departure of the two sisters, and piper's disappearance. but for now, mona only wanted to look at lucas, reassure herself that he was truly here.

He almost didn't believe Mona was real before her tongue washed over his face and he giggled wildly. He returned the gesture with a brief series of frantic licks, lowering his head to better reach her cheeks, and then he stepped back to sweep her figure with a fond gaze. He'd been so focused on seeing his family again that he had forgotten the other denizens of Bearclaw Valley: Mona, Stigmata, Xan whom he didn't know was family. There had always been other wolves there and Lucas had loved each and every one of them in his way, even if he only knew them briefly and without any depth.

Of course I'm okay! he said with a shining grin, my friends keep me well. But how are you? I've missed you! He wanted to ask after his parent and his aunt, too, of course... but he was going to see them soon, once he collected the Undersea wolves and brought them down into the valley.

his giggle was almost how she remembered it, if a bit deeper now. "i've missed you too," mona mirrored joyously. seeing him again after the despair that had laid over his mother and his aunt was a welcome breath of cool air. to his question, she paused, looking aside for a moment.
lucas was older; she was not entirely sure what he had learned in his travels, but surely he would know what it meant when she told him. and so mona sighed, smiling back into his friendly face. "i — well, i'm going to be a mother, lucas, and soon." it was the most significant event in her life to date, and even as she spoke it aloud, she felt a glissade of fear trace her heart. "won't you tell me about your friends?" the mayfair inquired, wanting to hear what lucas had been up to in his absence.

A soft gasp met Mona's news and he ducked his head to peer speculatively at her belly. Oh, Mona, that's so exciting! he breathed, his tail kicking up to a windmilling wag. He couldn't wait to meet them! Because, duh, he was definitely going to visit now. He'd never been around young pups but he was nevertheless excited for it, even if he really had no right to be. Bearclaw Valley was such a small pack that it was hard not to think of every member of it as part of his family, even though it had been many long months since he'd last seen Mona.

Everyone must be so excited! he gushed, beaming. She asked about his friends and Lucas was more than glad to spill the beans. Well there's Koi, she's really funny, she met me when I first got to Undersea. Then there's Currituck, she came from the north. They're both really pretty. Koi's almost as pretty as you and mom! But not quite, his tone implied. Mona was one of the most beautiful wolves he'd ever met, eclipsed only by Laurel, who was indeed the most lovely wolf. Who didn't think their mom was the most beautiful of all women, after all!

There's Moorhen too, she kind of protects us. She's a bit mean though, he admitted, although what he really meant was callous and blunt. He didn't deal well with her criticisms, which came off as unkind to him. She used to live in Bearclaw Valley too! And I had other friends named Io and Govinda but they're gone now, I think.

lucas' excitement was infectious, dispelling many of mona's anxieties as she beamed at the boy. "i'm not sure about everyone, but i certainly am." remembering how the three leaders had looked at her when she had told them was bitter — she would rather not recall such things at this time, and set the recollection aside firmly.
undersea; koi, currituck, moorhen, io, govinda — "those are all such splendid names," she breathed, looking at the boy with a new sense of where he had traveled. all the way to the ocean, from the sounds of it. "and i am sure koi is very pretty," mona demurred, though some secret part of her was flattered by lucas and his insistence upon her own looks.
bearclaw valley; she frowned briefly, before her brow smoothed and she smiled toward the young wolf. "the bearclaw valley wolves moved a little ways away, and joined lost creek hollow. it's very nice there," she reassured him, even if it felt that few were truly welcoming of the former refugees.

He was puzzled by her response, but chose not to comment further on it. He couldn't imagine any member of Bearclaw Valley not being thrilled by Mona's news. At least she was happily anticipating the arrival of her cubs, and Lucas was right there with her. When will they be born? Can I visit when they are?

He beamed at her compliments; they weren't for him but he was certain his friends would be thrilled by them, and graciously accepted them in their stead. He agreed, of course. All of Undersea's residents had such interesting names. It must be a cultural thing, he thought, for most of Bearclaw's wolves had relatively short names in comparison. Then again, Koi wasn't very long either. Maybe that was why she shone above the rest for him, a subliminal reminder of home.

Speaking of which. What? But why? She had to be mistaken, there was no way his family would leave the Valley. So he thought anyway.

"of course you can!" she exclaimed. "they should be coming early next month." and speaking it aloud, though she had much time to prepare — speaking it aloud caused a bolt of worry and realization to rush through mona. how much there was still to be done! some irrational part of the girl wanted to dash away and be productive right away, but she was enjoying herself now, enjoying how happy lucas seemed, and how caring he was toward her well-being.
"we lost a lot of members, and were not going to be able to survive the winter alone," mona answered quietly, "but your aunt indra knew a leader in lost creek hollow, and so we went there. i think a bear may have settled into the valley after we left." so merrick had said.
she wanted to ask lucas if he was coming back, but did not know how, or if the boy would even regard a new place as home. "soon after we settled there, your mother and indra decided to leave, to look for you and piper and wyatt. they've been gone a couple of months, but i expect they'll be back soon."

Early next month. That seemed so incredibly soon... Lucas wasn't sure if the leaders of Undersea would let him visit again so soon, but he made a mental note to ask them. Surely they would understand. Mona was like family, even if the reality was that they didn't know one another all that well. As far as Lucas was concerned, all of Bearclaw Valley was his family, even the ones he'd hardly met.

Oh, he said pensively, wondering if bringing his friends here was a bad idea. If there was a bear then there was the possibility of danger... but naively he believed they would be just fine. Surely not everyone in the pack left. There had to be someone there guarding the place against the bear. He wanted to believe this so fervently that he put Mona's words from his mind; an hour from now when he led his companions into the valley he would be as disappointed to find no one there as if he hadn't been warned at all. He did hear that his mother and aunt Indra were traveling, but he would be disappointed about their absences most of all.

Aren't Piper and Wyatt with them? he wondered, feeling rather out of the loop. His brother had always been a flighty and strange bean, but he couldn't see Piper leaving her family.

she blinked, wondering if lucas had understood what she had told him. "no, piper and wyatt disappeared some time after you did, and so your mother decided to go look for all of you." and with no word having been sent back, mona was unsure if laurel and indra would ever return, or what that would look like if they did not succeed in their quest.
"i'm sure they'll be found," she continued lightly, pressing encouragement into her tone. "after all, you came back." and there was hope in that, yes? hope that the siblings would be reunited once more, and that indra's family would be complete again. "if you do come visit, i would love to show you around the hollow. it really is very beautiful."

He knew it wasn't Mona's intention, but Lucas felt guilty all the same. He didn't know why his brother and sister had left their home pack, but assumed it was something like his disappearance: a bit of a mistake and a bit of a regret. Mona was quick to reassure him and Lucas offered a slightly pained smile. He knew it wasn't really his fault, but he couldn't help blaming himself for Laurel and Indra's disappearance. How alone his mama must feel! Whatever reasons Piper and Wyatt had, he felt they weren't as inexcusable as his abrupt disappearance.

Still, a part of him held out hope that he would venture into the valley and his family would be there waiting. Lucas allowed Mona to change the subject, his smile broadening at mention of how lovely her new home was. I'd like that, he confessed. It would be nice to walk among trees again without the smell and sound of the surf all around, even if it was only a visit. I'll definitely come visit some day, he promised. It wouldn't necessarily be soon, but some day.

Well, I better go, he said, glancing at the sun and marking the passing of time. My friends will be waiting for me. It was really good to see you, Mona... I'm really glad you're doing okay! He wished he could say the same for his family.

thank you for the lovely thread! <3 i hope these two meet again

truly hoping that lucas would make a return, mona felt the sting of loneliness bud in her breast again as the boy gave his leave. first indra and laurel, and now the young wolf, returned only briefly. would she be alone for all time? but this was not about her. "of course! it was excellent to see you, too, lucas," the firebrand murmured, leaning forward on impulse to press her lips against his cheek if allowed. "i'll see you again soon." 
glancing skyward as he did, the girl cast the child with whom she had once played a lifetime ago a final, fond glance, and, if he did not seek to stop her, would turn and began her arduous journey back to the hollow. before, it would have cost mona little to travel; now the extra weight upon her body dragged at her, made her steps heavier. but it had all been worth it, and she wore a smile as she moved in the direction of home.

I hope so, Lucas agreed, not knowing where his journey would take him next, but truly wishing he would be able to come back here and meet Mona's little ones. For now he wasn't willing to let go his slim hope that his mother and aunt were in the vale. Maybe they'd returned too. He offered her his broadest grin before he, too, turned and left with a light bounce to his step and a wag in his tail.