Lost Creek Hollow i hope every soda you drink already shaken up

for @Arbiter <3 set for wednesday

terance certainly wasn't ready for this journey. inside, he felt like he could've slept for another 2 months without waking up. or, maybe he just wanted to do that. either way, with all eyes on him, terance knew that this was no time for moping. so he stood up straight, laid down his fur, and headed towards the border with his mate, mostly quiet. he'd eaten a big meal that morning, which wasn't helping his desire to sleep, but he knew he needed all the sustenance he could take to make this journey. 

he sighed, glancing to his mate with a deep green gaze, looking over her quietly. alright, he began with a flick of his ears, and then began to outline his journey... for both her sake and his, i'll be back in a week and a half -- maybe two. i'm going to moonspear to find hydra. i don't know what i expect from the conversation, but i think she'd help us. i'll come home with a plan. his teeth gritted as he thought about their future. what would he even ask of hydra? come join my pack? let us into moonspear? come run away with me and my family to start a new pack? he had no idea. and he certainly had no idea of what brewed at the mountain as he prepared to leave. anything else? he asked her.

It had seemed like a perfectly fine idea up until now -- now that he was leaving, she was quickly realizing she didn't actually want him to head off on this adventure.  Little late for that.  She did her best to bury that thought and seem as stoic as usual, as this was probably necessary, even if she wished it wasn't.  Arbiter wished she could come along as well, but it would be particularly silly for a pack's entire leadership to wander off on a trip -- along with the whole leaving the kids behind thing.  Speaking of which, Terance alone leaving forced other changes, even if she didn't want them -- the pups were with someone other than the pair of them at the moment, and being a control freak she wasn't particularly fond of it.  But it was necessary.

Bring anyone home with you who seems like a good match along the way? she said with a shrug.  Arbiter was glad this hadn't turned into a dire emergency.  There was hope that the pack could continue on, repair itself and thrive, and she'd hold on to the idea as long as she could.  Just make sure that whatever they suggest, it's not just replacing one Rannoch with another.  That was the best way she could think of to phrase her worries.  That somehow instead of the independence they'd been given, they'd end up beholden to someone else, and end up treated the same way when they decide to yank the rug out from under everyone again.  They deserved more than that -- the pack deserved more than that.

Arbiter reached out to nuzzle his cheek, And don't forget I need you back in one piece.  Well, all of them did, technically.

i'll try, returned terance, trying to think of where he might be able to pick up a straggler. so far? no ideas, but he'd do his best. he gave a gentle sigh at her next comment, nodding with a wry smile. i'll remember, i promise, he added, reaching to give her a sharp nudge to the shoulder, i think we'll be okay... even without them, and i'll remember that. it would help, anyway.

and then, as she reached to nuzzle his cheek, terance reached to press his chin to the back of her neck, pulling her into an embrace of sorts. i'll come back in one piece, he murmured in quiet promise, and as fast as i can. 

but he'd need to leave soon -- and as he pulled apart from his mate, he glanced over his shoulder, and then back at her, ears flicking, and shooting her another wry smile. i'll see you in a while?

She sighed into his fur. Good  Hopefully some sort of luck would go their way. They could use a bit.  Get a few new faces in so that if things went wrong for Rannoch and Liffey and they came back, they could laugh and say there was no longer any room at the Hollow.  That'd be fun to have happen.  If only, if only.

But then he pulled away.  Had to go.  Great.  Yeah.  We'll be here.  She'd rather he stay, but Arbiter being Arbiter wasn't gonna say anything.  This time, at least.  She tipped her ears back slightly.  Arbiter wondered just what Moonspear might come up with, but she wasn't going to go out of her way to speculate too much.  Better to be a pessimist, after all -- it meant she'd be less likely to expect something fantastic out of this meeting.  Better to stay realistic and put her hopes on nothing but what could be found right in front of her nose.

good, terance murmured, reaching to press his forehead against hers. and when he pulled apart, the leader gave one more sigh before shaking out his fur and standing up a little straighter. i'll see you when i return, he told her, green gaze searching her features for a moment before he turned to leave.

and thus, his journey began. he felt hopeful, despite the fears that plagued him. though, hindsight would tell us that even this was fruitless.