Blackfeather Woods so you run and you run to catch up with the sun

He looked old--that was her first thought. Eons older than he had before; weren't wolves supposed to look younger, as you aged? She returned his nod, but knew that the time for pleasantries had passed. There was no use beating around the bush.

"I didn't leave, Kove--or, rather, I did so to seek out my brothers, but was taken against my will just outside of the woods," she explained coolly, raising her chin toward the eastern edge of the forest. "It was always my intention to return, but after all that happened, the. . ." The girl trailed off, and then turned, so that her exposed, scarred cheek faced him. "I became lost, without any sense of direction. I could not find my way home, and I was afraid to ask, because I didn't know who our enemies were."

Maegi rotated again to face him dead-on, bicolored eyes drilling into his. "Why didn't you look for me?" she asked, her voice low, hard. "You sent Moonshadow and another woman; you didn't even come for your apprentice yourself. I cared about you more than my own father--why didn't you look for me?" She firmed her jaw, waiting for his response and knowing that it would be inadequate.

Her grudges were formidable; they stood the test of time.