Porcupine Ridge All children, except one, grow up.

@Aditya
Here you go!

She had wandered far from the strange pale man that had slipped on the thawing ice. It had been a week or two since she had encountered another. Being sure to keep out of sight and away from curious eyes the young teenager had made her way back toward where she had encountered Dio. And now she found she was headed in the direction he had advised her not to go.

With a slight shrug of her shoulders the girl continued unperturbed. She wasn’t used to being told what to do, and it had only been advice, she was old enough to make up her own mind. Right? Anyway, she skirted around the thought of her parents, not wanting to think of the sore subject.

The reddish girl paused for a moment, this land was rocky. With huge bolders skattering the surroundings. Her intense amber eye, reminiscent of her father, analyzed the surrounding areas. Curiosity alight in her features.

they had stayed in the mountains since arriving several days prior, and aditya wasn't really keen on leaving anytime soon. he hadn't spent much time here, after all, so there weren't many memories attached to the sights and sounds. it was a peaceful place to regroup, to gather all the scattered thoughts and feelings since arriving back in the teekon wilds.

he was picking his way along the ridge now, admiring the scenery, when a young woman caught his attention—presumably doing the same. the combination of time away and an unfortunate unfamiliarity with pema's litter gave him no recognition, even as he approached her. only friendliness lit his features as he spoke.

do you live around here? adi asked casually. any places i should visit soon? not even her scent would help him remember; she smelled like a wanderer, which intrigued him.

A red tipped ear twitched at the sound of gravel shuffling, turning her head toward the sound she was face to face with an agouti male. She held no recognition in her gaze, their previous shared home a complete mystery to her. Padma had very little memory of the time she spent with her parents, only the overwhelming sense of lose remained.

“Um no I don’t live around here.” The girl shook her head, looking back at the rocks around the area. “I take it you’re not from around here either.” It was an assumption, not something she did often, but it made sense. Not many asked for directions in the area they lived. Curious eyes peaked back at the man.

a smile split his maw at her response. you're absolutely right, aditya said, and then added, well, mostly. i have lived in several places nearby, but never in the mountains. perhaps i'll make my home here now, though. the thought came, unbidden, to his mind. would he stay here? would dawn? the future was unclear, yet at the same time, it was limitless.

i'm aditya, he introduced himself, with a small bow of his head. i was hoping to meet a local, but i suppose i am meeting a fellow traveler instead. where are you headed? maybe he could accompany her to her destination. it would give him an excuse to keep moving, to not settle and wallow in memories.

would dawn come along?

dawn. the latest, greatest wrinkle in an already-complicated existence.

This drew her attention, ears perked in curiosity so as not to miss a detail. “You’re a wanderer then?” Just like her, and the only friendly lone wolf she had encountered so far since returning to the Wilds. “I’m Padma, pleasure to meet you.” She flashed him a small smile, relaxing at his kindness.

“I haven’t decided where to yet. I’m not much for concrete plans, it’s just easier to move around.” She shrugged her shoulders, “What do you need a local for, maybe I can help?” She hadn’t encountered much kindness in her life so far, but when she did she liked to reward it.

he was midway through an amicable nod when the name hit him like a smack in the face. everything else she said was lost. all he could do was stare at her and see her parents. one lost, one dead. both part of a past he'd irreparably ruined. 

a beat went by in silence before he came to his senses again, undoubtedly looking like a fool. ah, sorry, aditya muttered, eyes darting away. then back to her. god, shale, pema. his dear pal of yesteryear. 

you're padma morningside, right? he asked. no beating around the bush could save him now. i, ah. . .i was leader of that pack, once. your mother was one of the closest friends i've had.

Tilting her head, she tried to wait patiently for an answer to her question. Maybe she had said something wrong, suddenly she was worried that she might have lost a potential friend. Until he apologized, she opened her mouth to forgive the lapse in attention. Before she could he continued. The smile turned into a confused frown.

Swallowing nervously, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with that information. She took a step back, shock registering as she continued to contemplate their relation. “My mom?” Shaking her head she couldn’t believe it. Directing her gaze down to her paws, “Well at least I know she cared about someone.” The girl murmured, she had conflicting feelings about her mother, unable to sort through them at her young age. “If you were the leader of our pack, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with them?” She hadn’t stayed around long enough after the fire to know what had ultimately become of the Morningside pack.

Her stubborn gaze remained on the ground before her paws. Her emotions flipped dangerously, she couldn’t decide whether to settle on sadness or anger. Caught in her own world, Padma hadn’t thought about the potential sensitivity of her questions, and the pain that might present.

this subject was just as much of a minefield—perhaps more—to her as it was to him. he shouldn't have brought it up. he shouldn't have said anything. he shifted uneasily at the words regarding pema, remembering that dawn had said she'd vanished. dead, or gone? his own mother had done the same; only a spirit had given him the actual truth of the matter.

then she questioned him, and aditya drew in a tremulous breath, shaking his head. they disbanded, a few moons after the fire, he replied, wondering if she even remembered the blaze and the events of that horrible day. it had claimed her father, after all. he also conveniently omitted the part where he, you know, left them before they fell apart.

she didn't need to know everything. it would be nice not to be seen as a total fuck-up by at least one former morningsider.

your mother cared about you, adi added, feeling a compulsion to defend his friend. things just went wrong. who knows what happened. i don't even know where she is. and it left a hollowness in his stomach to even contemplate the possibilities.

She hadn’t stayed for long after the fire, but she wasn’t surprised to hear that her birth pack had disbanded. Even though there was no surprise to be had, the young girl was still saddened by the news, her ears fell back and her head dropped slightly. She refused to raise it even as Aditya continued to speak, trying to convincer her of her mother’s love.

“No one knows where she is, I haven’t even found anyone else who knew her. Let alone someone who could tell me where she went.” Despite trying to put on a brave face, at some point every girl needed her mother, and sometimes the ache of her losing bother her parents throbbed so furiously that Padma was lost. “If she loved me wouldn’t she had even tried to find me? Or at least leave some sign that I could find her with?” Padma looked up at Aditya with a tear hovering in her amber gaze. All she wanted was answers, and she practically begged the man to give her something.

“I didn’t know that running away would be so lonely.” The girl murmured once again diverting her gaze.

too much reminiscent of his own mother. at her tears, his own gaze blurred, and he blinked, swallowing hard. it took a few moments for his throat to relax before he could speak again. i don't know, bachchi, aditya whispered, shaking his head. you would think so, but. . .things often don't turn out like they should. i don't know why she left you with no way to find her.

for pema's sake, he hoped the woman was alive—but for her daughter's, as terrible a thought it was, he hoped she was not.

her sentiment brought a small, sad smile to his mouth. being on your own is often very lonely, adi murmured. you make friends where you can, and try to stay close to them. without a home base, though, you have no roots. he tilted his head slightly in query, for he had realized there was a place with roots for her, at least.

your old family lives in a place called elysium, down in the willows at the foot of the mountains, he said, nodding in that direction. your cousin, sunny, and some others from morningside are there. they would be happy to see you—will you join them? even if he couldn't—wouldn't—he hoped she did.

His words and advice were taken to heart. She peeked back at the man, she didn’t want to think of her mother any longer, and so simply ignored what he had to say about her. But, that didn’t stop her from hearing and learning from his experience as a lone wolf. Having been on her own for a few months now she couldn’t help but agree with what he had to say.

She needed roots, but the thought of trying to return to what little family she had left was yet another thing she was ready to face. “I — I can’t. The teenager knew she had messed up in leaving, in running away. “I abandoned them, they would never want me back.” It was a miracle that she had even survived after leaving, she had no hope that she was lucky enough for her family to take her back. Especially extended family.

Padma knew he decision to be selfish, and childish, but that was her only defense in this world. She was lucky enough to have survived without much violence or darkness invading, but she knew what was lingering on the edges, just out of sight. Padma had learned more than most during her time away. “Besides, I wasn’t any good at the whole pack thing last time I tried.” Another defense mechanism, the self-deprecation displayed a weakness that his an intelligent eye.

adi shook his head at her reasoning, gentle but firm. do you know how many left for whatever reason, only to return and be welcomed with nothing but love? he asked rhetorically, his gaze warm. your family is loving, bachchi, the most loving i know. they'll be thrilled to see you return, i can promise you that.

sunny himself had taken leave several times and come back. he had never been turned away, not even in the worst of circumstances. there was no way he wouldn't offer the same treatment to padma, who had done nothing wrong.

pack life is difficult, he agreed, head dipping slightly in a nod. it's hard to get used to, when you're accustomed to being on your own. ultimately, you will have to make the decision for yourself. his lips curved in a small smile. but your family lives, padma, at least in part. if you ever want to go to them, they'll be there. he only wished he could say the same for himself.

eventually, they parted ways, and he wondered whether she would take him up on that. wondered if she would go back. he hoped she did.