The Tangle he was hiding in the chill of a mountain

Casmir and Laika had been gone for some time from the Creek, searching in all directions for any sign of Reek's scent, any trail that might lead them to the girls. they'd had several false starts and wandered into dead ends, and the young pair was becoming disheartened. nightfall allowed them to fell several pika, which they carried into the higher scrub to eat before resting, and dawn found them on the move again.

at midafternoon they separated, to search in their own directions within earshot. Cas traveled aimlessly, searching only for the tracks of his daughters, but a sense of futility frustrated him, and he veered along another path. this one led him into a thick, choking morass of brambles, and he sniffed at the tines, a growl of anger rising in his throat.