Heron Lake Plateau omens in the clouds

He was glad that at least not everything was bad, that the pups could try to alleviate some of the weight without much effort on their part.  Yeah you would think but I swear, you think you've got 'em worn down and then they find a second wind under a rock somewhere.  He nipped back at her, swiping a lazy but playful paw at her.  Yeah, days like this were pretty ok with him.  Sure, it wasn't perfect, but this was much more like what life was supposed to be like, right?

But then things shifted away from the peaceful atmosphere.  His ears twisted back and his voice lowered slightly -- it wasn't exactly a conversation he'd think the pups should pay attention to,  I'd kind of hoped that maybe with that new leader and having been beaten up pretty well that they'd get smarter, but...  He sighed, letting that drop before continuing on. I hope that she's off somewhere else.  We're so much farther from Blackfeather, we're basically in the same position Drageda was if hell breaks loose.  We aren't in as good of a position to do anything this time.  They were supposed to be far enough away that they wouldn't have to deal with them again.  They were supposed to be no longer on their radar -- just some distant monster.

But we've got Tegan and Rory out there looking farther from the pack, and I think X is helping too.  If she's heading back and feeling foolish about her travels taking her a bit farther than expected, we'll at least find her on her way back.  It was unlikely, sure, and though his uncertainty probably showed in his tone, he didn't want Raven to give up on a more peaceful answer.