Heron Lake Plateau Can't live without them, can't kill them with an axe

It was weird.  There were certain aspects of this that did match up with war.  Maybe just the futility that he felt?  It was a cougar. Practically a force of nature in comparison to a single wolf.  This was a hell of a lot to have happen in one short period of time, too.  They needed a break.  Maybe this was the last time they'd get hit by something awful for a while...  Or not.  But either way recent events still left family in the same state.  Seriously, fate, leave his damn pack alone for a while!  The only thing he could really do was keep a level head and hope that they could stop anything else from happening before it did.

He shook his head. Not yet.  Not a good idea for you to run out there in a panic.  I looked, didn't see any hints for where to keep searching, but if there's a cougar out there attacking people, you have to be on alert, not frantic.  We're down two members now whose fates are unknown.  Unknown means there's some hope.  Let's not be down one where there's certainty.  He gave her a pretty firm look.  She shouldn't be out there quite yet.  To a certain point neither should he if there was some crazy wolf chick bent on grabbing power and a giant homicidal cat, but whatever.  He still saw himself as more expendable.

Just the same, he didn't think it was okay to entirely stop her.  She wasn't defenseless, and it was probably going to drive her up the walls if she didn't get to see for herself.  I get it's not easy to hear, but go back to your den, rest. I'll poke around a little more just in case I missed something for now.  When you're actually ready to go out there and confirm for yourself, don't go alone and don't go too far.  Partially for safety, partially for sanity.  If she found the worst, someone should be there with her.  If she found trouble, she'd need the backup if the cougar found her.  They didn't know where Ceara had been stolen away either.  If Blackfeather had followed them across the damn planet, he didn't want to give them any more captives, especially not when the distance made it almost impossible to get vengeance for any damage done.