Bramblepoint Sweet child o' mine

In his frank and concise way, Shrike pressed for more information. Elwood gave a frustrated grunt in response. "Not really. He wasn't there long -- I'm not even sure if he headed in this direction," he admitted, his throat constricting as he uttered the words. It was painful to confess and he gritted his teeth, looking away from Shrike.

"But I guess this is as good a place as any to search," he added quickly. "I keep hoping I'll smell Lucy..." His sentence trailed off and he gave an exasperated swipe with his forepaw, tearing a tender branch from a nearby bush and sending it spiraling to the ground. How had this happened?