Redtail Rise XLI

@Relic @Ancelin @Lilia @Redd @Ashlar @Masquerade @Redsky @Mulherin @Saturdays Sunrise @Saturdays Sunset

it was unlike red woman to not return as her pups were still young.

the younger hunters jostled.

the tension filled the rise.

augur scented the air and kept his patrols, but red woman did not come back. he kept his vigil, trusting that she would, though he did not sleep.

the night passed. the morning came. the huntleader chuffed to @New Snow and went out, following what was left of a trail gone too far from the rise.

onward, onward, the blood from her cheek already lifted by the industrious work of insects in that first hot june afternoon.

once, twice, he lost his way, knowing how it went only for he knew her.

and in the dampness of wet earth the track ended, swallowed, with no further sign, almost a days' worth of time between her departure and augur's own.

he spent an hour rooting through the swamp like a grim boar, searching for blood, for a print, for a single tuft of brilliant red fur.

but it was in emptiness he returned to the rise, and in the heat of the second noonday, his call rode the electricity of their ranks: red woman is gone.

and when they came, he would be still; he would let them draw the truth from the scents upon his fur, the fetid mud caking his limbs, of where he had traveled and what he had not found.

eyes mournful, augur cried another long dirge that fell in cowling sorrow.

Since the absence of Red Woman, New Snow—along with Blood Spot—cared for the young. Should they need any mothers milk, she would be there. Mutely New Snow cared for each, teaching them also, only when it was needed, manners with her smaller (growing!) girls. 

Concern mounted the longer Red Woman was away. Mountain Boulder felt it too. And when he went to search, New Snow sent him off with several kisses (as was her way). 

When he returned, she mirrored his mood upon seeing it. Could it be? New Snow sniffed at his furs, coming to understand all of the things that it revealed.

Red Woman was… gone? New Snow felt a great hole in her heart for this, and pressed alongside her mate whining lowly. When his call went up, hers followed afterward, a dirge of their shared pain.

When Avicus left and did not reappear in a timely fashion, Masquerade worried but went about their duties, which primarily included minding the pups at the rendezvous site. New Snow also lingered there and the Caru found her continued presence concerning and reassuring in equal measure.

When Augur’s call sounded, Masque’s first thought was to comfort their younger siblings. But they went to the far edge of the rendezvous site and vomited. If they had thought things were tumultuous before, it now felt as though the earth crumbled beneath their feet.

On shaky legs, they returned to New Snow’s side. They were the Caru, so they knew they should look out for the pups now. But they were also a tracker and they knew the best possible thing they could do for their younger siblings was find their mother. Augur had tried, yet Masque could not rest until they had tried too.

Look after them, Masque said quietly to the pale she-wolf, turning to their brothers and sisters to offer each of them a comforting nudge before striding away from the rise.

The call came to Lilia as a surprise, and with concern she moved to find Augur, to read him for herself, and parse from his scent and expression some kind of explanation. 

The scent of Avicus had not been renewed upon the borders and to Lilia, its absence made the entire Rise feel different. The perfume that she knew now lacked its most key, and beloved ingredient. 

Denial came to her first. She assured herself perhaps the Wealda had some business she’d not discussed with Lilia. Perhaps someone else knew- surely, she thought, someone did. 

She brought a rabbit with her knowing there would be mouths to feed. She could catch a hint of Masquerade’s scent in the area, but moved forward to sniff Augur, her gaze questioning, disbelieving. 

Still, denial.

Avicus wouldn’t voluntarily leave them, she felt sure of it. And if Augur didn’t know where she went, then something had possibly happened to her. Like Masque, she could not simply wait. She, too, would search, to try and quell the deepening pit of dread within her.

Sunrise had moved when she heard her father, keeping close to Sunset and Mother through all the commotion. Her favorite Caru was present, along with Wolverine too. But the air was different this day, and there was a choking somberness that Sunrise could feel, even in her naive youth.

She could see that Mother pressed herself against her father to bring comfort. Sunrise would do the same, not worried if the mud would stain her. A pale pink tongue comes to brush against his silvery coat and a slight whine escapes coal lips. She did not know why there was such a sense of pain in the air, but she did know that seeing both her parents so distraught was something she did not wish to see again.

Her eyes would come to look over the others, wondering what everyone made of this news.

Father had returned. There was a commotion. A call.

Saturday’s Sunset followed her Mother, but never left the safety of her side. Instead, she placed herself between New Snow’s forelegs and observed the crowd from between the twin pillars of white.

She was too young to grasp the events, but even a babe so young could read the room. She was two months old, and the sense of sadness and distress ebbed into her.

A sad thing, the spirit said.

Then, their Caru turned to leave. Sunset’s body moved a little as if she did not want them to go.

If anything needs to be changed, let me know!

Fuck this. Fuck all of it.

Bitterness and resentment consumed Sunjaw. First competition and jealousy, all from his asshat of a cousin. Then Wealda's injury, leading to the miscommunication between the youth of the Rise. He had taken the Beserker rank because it was her will. Nothing more. Perhaps she may have been delusional when she insisted.

Lilia had turned her back to him. Maybe even against him. Redd, his own sister, turned accusatory. Ancelin, all the more spiteful. And for what? Following orders.

When Augur called the wolves, the tone in his voice could only meant one thing. Wealda was gone. He raced towards them in a fury, hackles arise. He didn't want to believe it. He circled Augur, sniffing closely. Nothing. Not a trace. 

Hard eyes turned on Lilia. "I am done here. Take your rank." His lips quivered. Without Avicus the Rise meant nothing to him. He spat out a snarl of defiance, turning to leave. To search. Have mercy on the fool who tried to stop him.

The commotion greatly distressed the boy. 

Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Augur’s call sent his heart into his stomach. Frantic eyes watched as his family assembled to receive the news of his mother’s disappearance. 

When Masque bid him and the other pups goodbye and he whimpered incessantly, finally clinging to the sides of New Snow and her daughters for comfort.

Inconsolable.

Redsky pressed himself against his brother. He wasn't fully sure what was going on but he felt the sadness and he too was scared. And mama was gone and now Masque was saying bye. Confusion made his head spin and the little boy cried out slightly.

this wasn't how it was supposed to be.
not at all.
not ever.
ancelin felt sick; he snapped to attention when relic's hard voice addressed lilia; his lip curled and he took a step forward, intending to flashfire once more in this tense moment.
but it passed. the children cried.
lilia, bersekr?
but a glance toward her said this would not be the way she had wanted to earn it. her honor; it mattered more to her than his ever had to him.
he approached the little ones as masque headed off. "hey. it's okay," ancelin said gruffly, trying to reassure them. "they're all gonna go look for your mom."
their mom. his aunt. it felt like the final bit of his blood was gone, and suddenly his own childish tears angrily stung his eyes.

my only post here <3

Redd was inwardly shaken but stood firm.  She remained thus as others went to search, as she felt the ground shift beneath her feet, as the pack’s previously firm bonds seemed to crack with the pressure on the air.  All could not go.  She would remain.

The children needed feeding.  The pack lands protecting.  Wealda’s reign did not end with her disappearance, but followed in those who would see her foundation through until her return. 

Redd looked to her brother but did not stop him.  She could not fix this for him, this thing he had broken himself.  Instead she moved to stand silently with Augur, knowing he too would not leave again with children so young.  He commanded her still and she would follow.