Northstar Vale It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place

She woke where she slept, curled against @Akavir, her mother's missing presence noticed immediately; and soon after that realization, came another—that her sister was also gone. She yawned and looked around, her face scrunching in confusion. Where could they have gone? Maybe they went to do something fun and hadn't woken her. That thought made her chest tighten with sadness; she would have liked to explore with mom too. 

Oh well. Whatever she had felt about being left out quickly faded—she wasn't the type to hold a grudge or dwell too much on things. Instead, she would find something else to do. She looked over at her sleeping father and then quietly stood and trotted off to find something interesting. 

The days were warm still, not like the chilly nights where she was thankful to have a family to curl up with. Arielle moved slowly without much obvious purpose except for her searching gaze that moved along the ground and the trees around her. When she found a smooth rock the size of her paw, she pounced on it and clasped it between her teeth. Then she found a patch of sun and settled down, dropping the stone and holding it between her paws so that she could chew on it.

Akavir has rested, though the missing presence of omboth his daughters had soon startled the man to sleep. Without their warmth pressed between he and Ibis, something felt amiss-- little did he know just how much, just yet. 

Blinking his amber eyes to the morning sun, the swarthy wolf stretched, pacing outside to greet the day quickly--and expecting to see both his daughters within sight, given Ibis' announced trip.

They were not, and the father felt a flicker of worry in his chest as he looked forward, aiming to track them. He didn't trust the Empire, and he hoped to squirrel his family away elsewhere before the onslaught of winter came. Their time was running out. 

Only coming upon Arielle, Akavir looked fondly upon his daughter, quirking a brow as she gnawed at a rock. He pressed a kiss to her brow in way of greeting, trying to keep the sleepiness from his facade. "Morning, little dove. Where's your sister?"

Her tail wagged at the sudden appearance of dad, and she lifted her head from the rock to lean into the affection he offered. She stared up at her father with concern, shrugging her small shoulders. Um, not sure, she answered, clearly thinking hard about the last time she had seen them. They gone when I woke up, she finally said. 

Arielle offered a few licks to the stone still held between her little paws. Then she got up, her tail wagging again as she stood up on hind legs to gently press her front paws to her dad's chest. It's okay, Papa, she said softly. We can still play. She was oblivious to any worry he might have now; she just assumed Mom had taken sister on an adventure, so now she and dad could have their own adventure. She smiled up at him, her tail swaying against her back legs as she waited for his reassurance.

fade?

Her words held a grim reality for them both, though she didn’t seem to realize. The twitch of his lips offset his usual good natured grin, though the Mayfair attempted to maintain his emotions and worry. “Sure,” he replied smoothly, giving the girl a nudge and beginning to lead her in what the scent trail of his disappeared mate and daughter had gone—likely not far.

Never far, he hoped. His parents might have failed to maintain a happier relationship, but he was determined to keep his family together.

Hell or high water.

So he lured Arielle after him in a playful romp and exploration, all the while his eyes scoured the lands to keep an eye and ear for the other half of their souls.

Arielle was a sensitive child, even at this age, and she closely studied the moods and facial expressions of those close to her; her father's worry did not go unnoticed, although she was too young to really understand what was different about his smile. She knew something was off, but as he invited her to play, she quickly forgot about it. Of course, should she see the look again, she would connect the two moments, eventually working to figure out what it all meant. Today, she was content to be sole recipient of papa's attention. 

She giggled and followed Akavir as he playfully moved ahead of her. She would follow him wherever he went, oblivious to the real reason he chose to go the way he did.