Ravensblood Forest of the third kind

I'm sensing supa-sekrit meet-ups on the horizon.

A mixture of panic and raw, unexpected grief clutched at Bazi's face, pulling her features into a watery frown. He wasn't going to come with her. Her rational mind screamed that it didn't matter - they were strangers, with no way of communicating beyond 'yes', 'no', and 'sleep', and what did she know about him, anyway? Where was he from, and why was he alone out here in the wilderness? And why - in all honesty - was it so important to Bazi that he follow her back to Swiftcurrent Creek despite all of this?

She didn't understand his refusal. Why? she pleaded with her eyes, Why can't you just go around the mountains? Tiarnán shuffled closer, and told her 'No' again with a gentle gesture, and turned back. Bazi blinked back tears that were beading on the dark rims around her eyes, and chuffed softly at his retreating back. He was heading for Silvertip Mountain. Jinx would likely slit his throat for existing, she thought (incorrectly, as were most of her assumptions about the Silvertip alpha), but had no way of telling him that.

Bazi waited a moment longer, staring at the softly illuminated boy with longing in her eyes. But the Creek too precedent, and she had been away for a full day now. Ferdie would start to worry, and Fox would be less than impressed if she found out how the pack's scouting resource had been spent. With a low, sorrowful whine, the ghostly little female turned tail and began a slow shuffle back to Ravensblood Forest and the mountain trail that awaited her beyond that.

Every few steps, she glanced over her shoulder to see if Tiarnán would follow. He didn't.