The Sunspire obvious

While it was mostly Hydra who incited the conversations, Rian wasn't making any attempts to preserve the silence. It kept his mind occupied from all the possibilities that hinged on a small handful of unknowns—Rannoch's health, and Cypress' whereabouts the key points in his, admittedly, small list of primary concerns. The overarching worry that nagged at him as they traveled further and further from the Vale was: had he done the right thing in leaving them? Or did his duty to the Vale, and the pack that they'd founded, superseed the primary objective of protecting his brothers? He couldn't say, and the ranger didn't feel right bringing it up with Hydra just yet. Talk to Rannoch, then figure it out. 

His ears twisted forward as she began to talk about Lyra—in this moment, anything that Hydra's sister could do to help his brother would be nothing short of a miracle. The former Beta didn't peg his friend as someone who embelleshed on the truth, so if Rannoch was as bad as she said he was, it wasn't a good situation. His nose flared as he inhaled a great breath, and exhaled it as a sigh. "Yeah, I trust you." He said softly, as if afraid any commentary on his brother's condition would cause it to somehow worsen.

But before he could fall into yet another downswing of anxiety, Hydra bounded down the slope with all the finesse of a mountain goat, and the grace of a deer. There was a second in which he forgot to breathe—the ripple of her corded muscle caused the inky black of her fur to catch just the barest bit of soft light from the overcast sky. Talent aside, she was impressive and his maturing mind couldn't help but be drawn to the more physical aspects of his friend. Her eyes returned to his own as she lobbed a question his way, and he hesitated mid-step as heat bloomed across his chest, and up to his face.

Rian swallowed, and almost managed a response when Hydra's form jerked awkwardly. Fear flashed down his spine like a lightning strike, and he moved in to assist but she was able to right herself before he could reach out. He stopped short, closer than before, and flicked his ears back in a nervous motion. "You OK?" He asked as he gave her a brief once-over to assuage at least some of his concerns.