Hushed Willows I had only just found you, why have you left me?

“Dottie.” He shook his sister to rouse, having noticed that Reina had not returned. It was already well into the night, later than when she promised she would be back. Something about going for a walk to clear her head, though he hadn’t been listening nearly as well as he should have. Silently berating himself, he shook his sister, again, this time with more force.

“Dottie! Will you get up—Reina didn’t come back.” The mouse of a girl swatted at him, her face pinched in annoyance. “Seriously, get up. She isn’t here. We need to go.” She seemed to have heard the urgency in his voice for she finally cracked her eyes open, yawning as she stood. She would stumble after him, tears in her eyes, following his lead on their search for their caregiver.

Caregiver turned Mother, if he were to be honest. The siblings had been young when they were separated from Opal; the time spent on their own had been longer than the length of time knowing her as their mother. Since the time they were found outside of Moonspear, Reina had been there for them, caring for their needs, and making sure that they thrived. She had loved them as a mother should. He would tell her how he felt when they found her.

If they found her.

Before leaving the den, he had sniffed the fox pelt gifted to her by Reverie, something she frequently wore and would certainly carry her scent the strongest. He lifted his nose to the subtle breeze, not a hint of her scent to indicate a possible direction. With a huff, he dropped his nose to the ground, scenting hard and long, deciphering between the different scents of those that have recently come and gone in the surrounding area of their den.

The boy kept his head down, nose to the ground as he perused the area more. There! He found her scent, its trail leading north. Dottie had dutifully followed him, her own nose wrinkling as she scented it, too. He followed her gaze to their borders, his eyebrows wrinkling in confusion.

“Reina doesn’t go to the borders, so why is her scent leading that way?” It didn’t make any sense, but Reina had been off lately. 

“Let’s go, Dot. Maybe she’s just looking for herbs.” It wouldn’t be out of character for her, she needed to keep her stash as fresh as possible after all. 
Both yearlings made their way to the edge of the pack borders as they followed her scent. It stopped in a disturbed area of the Marsh, the earth harboring the stale scents of blood, Reina, and another that was unfamiliar. The two stared wide-eyed at each other. Something happened here, and with the presence of blood, it wasn’t good.

They needed the others. Carnelian’s voice rose in a mournfully urgent call for @Reverie, @Everett, @Tybault, @Dusty Rose, @Abel, @Astraeus; whoever was close enough to answer. It was late at night, he knew it was possible that no one would answer while sleep claimed them, but he had to try. While they waited, both children continued to search the area.

They would only find that her scent stopped in the Marsh, seeds of Poppy scattered a short trail to the East, deep gouges in the mud would indicate that something was dragged in that direction. The scent of blood followed it, but the smells of the Marsh were strong and pungent, the trail fading the further they went. They paced, calling her name, sobbing openly as the feeling of loss settled in their bones.

Just one post from me!

It only took a few moments for Reverie and Everett to sort out which of them would answer the call while the other stayed behind with the children. Reverie was always reluctant to leave, yet it was often her in the end. Not for any lack of willingness to help on Everett's part, but for her own sense of guilt. She had brought this pack together. She was the leader they'd chosen. And maybe she would never understand why, but she could try to live up to their expectations, couldn't she?

Couldn't she?

Reina was gone. That much she gathered immediately from the scent trail which led beyond the borders, the blood, the distraught countenances of her niece and nephew. Reverie went to comfort them at once, gently shushing their wails lest they bring danger back to the borders.

Whoever had taken Reina would be found, if it could be done. Their healer would be returned to them. But their first priority would always be the fragile new lives tucked away in the heart of their lands. We'll find her, Reverie assured them gently, though her voice was slightly tremulous. She glanced over her shoulder as Tybault arrived, nodding once to the question in his eyes. He left wordlessly.

Reverie looked back to the yearlings, stepping away.

We're leaving in three days. Tell the others.

With that, she disappeared after him.

Truthfully, Dusty Rose didn't care to attend the call in the night. He hadn't been sleeping, but his contrarian nature immediately fired back — you're not the boss of me!

But the last time someone started yelling, there's been a motherfucking bear by the den, and so Dusty Rose resigned himself to at least checking it out. What he came up on was two of the younger wolves in the pack having themselves a little wailing party. And, y'know, the coywolf was all for that. But it was a little odd for a pair of wolves, wasn't it?

"How come we're yelling?" he asked as he slinked into view, his brow furrowing as he took in their expressions.

He heard the footsteps of those approaching, running to Reverie with Peridot following suit. Her faint plea for mommy caused his own sobs to stutter, coming full stop as he realized that his sister may feel the same way as he regarding the woman they’ve just lost. A boop to her nose in understanding and comfort, though she truly settled in the arms of their Aunt as she consoled them both.

He nodded to Reverie as she pulled away from them, giving them a direction to follow in her absence, his eyes trailing after her and his Uncle’s departing forms as they were swallowed by the darkness and shadows. Soon they had disappeared completely, his own throat working to swallow the fear and sadness that threatened to creep up again.

Please find her, he silently plead.

Dusty Rose’s words had only just registered, the coywolf’s appearance in the area gone unnoticed during their hysteria. Gem-green eyes found the male. “Reina, she-she’s missing. There’s blood here. Drag marks. She didn’t come home like she said she would. It’s not like her to be gone longer than she meant to be, neither is it like her to be here at the borders.”

Working a paw to beckon Peridot to follow, he turned back towards the heart of their pack borders, an ear and a side-eye towards the coy-wolf. “We’re going back, I don’t think we’re much help at this point, my sister and I. You’re welcome to come with us, or…whatever it is you do.” He barely knew the man, and though he prided himself on his manners towards others, he found his cordial self to be rather spent and didn’t care what the male did, or didn’t do. 

All he could think about was Reina.

Oh man I never saw Rev's post. Sorry, guys!

He'd be lying if he said the side-eye didn't sting. His expression blanked immediately to obscure any emotion he felt on it from the two of them. He was wondering right then why Reverie was so different from the rest of her family, or if maybe she was only pretending to have any respect for him.

That wasn't really important right now, though. Dusty Rose turned away without acknowledging the backhanded offer, deciding to sniff around for himself instead. He had the fleeting idea to go off after Reverie and Tybault. No doubt they were making plans to go searching for her. There was a part of Dusty Rose that wanted to go searching, too. He had no personal care for Reina, but she still belonged to the pack, and the pack and everyone and everything in it belonged to him.

He did not like his things being touched or taken. He especially did not like the idea of them being dragged away. And, even for Dusty Rose, the thought of a woman being kidnapped for any purpose was pretty sickening. Mainly because he could all too easily imagine it happening to someone he did care about, but also because, just generally, Dusty Rose believed that they all ought to treat each other with kindness. Reina didn't deserve whatever was happening to her right now.

But whether it was trauma or pragmatism or lack of moral fiber at the heart of the issue, Dusty Rose still couldn't muster enough care for the woman to suffer Tybault's presence. Maybe if he thought he'd be more helpful. Maybe if he knew long they'd be away from the kids and Reverie. As it was, he felt he and the kids and even Tybault were better served with him staying behind to worry about the wolves he did care about and would (apparently and to his own consternation) put himself in danger to protect.

So he resigned himself to a futile investigation for the night. In the early hours of dawn, he would pull back from the borders. Stick closer to the den. He wrote the rest of the pack off as easily as he did Reina, though the latter with slightly more guilt and reluctance. He didn't believe they saw him any differently than Tybault and Carnelian.

Reina, at least, had shown him a little kindness. He was sorry about whatever happened to her. But he was already moving on.