Wapun Meadow Slow, I'm getting up

As they pulled apart, Rue circled Liri excitedly, sniffing her here and there to ascertain that she was all right. The blood crusted in her coat mostly smelled like prey, that was good. Rue paused over the charred remains of Liri's leg, meeting her friend's gaze with a look of alarm. She would have started asking questions if Liri hadn't begun to speak herself. 

"You were at the Creek?" Rue repeated incredulously. "We must have just missed one another. I was with the Creek, but I.. left recently." If Liri had been to the Creek, had she met with Kavik then? It seemed likely... and judging from the fact that Liri had left the Creek to stumble across Rue out here, it was also likely that she knew about Myrren. There was no other reason Liri wouldn't have stayed in the Creek with her mate. 

Rue swallowed as Liri asked the inevitable questions. She hated to have to be the one to give the details of the demise of Blacktail Deer Plateau to its former leader. She hated it, but she was also immensely glad at the same time. She was glad to be talking to Liri about anything... she had feared her friend was dead. 

"It started with the departure of Issun, and Minori, and..." Stars, what was the name of that friend of theirs? It felt like it had all happened a million years ago. "Well, they left to start their own pack. We had trouble holding down our borders without them, and a band of coyotes moved in. They attacked when most of us were out hunting, and.." Rue was starting to get that familiar ache in her throat, recounting the painful events.

"And we looked everywhere for you after the attack. We couldn't find you. We.. we had no caches left and it was too dangerous to remain on the Plateau. We had to disband, but..." Rue shook her head. "But I went back for you. Over and over. I've been looking so hard.." Rue choked the final words out and pressed her face into Liri's ruff. She took a deep breath, and Liri's comforting scent steadied her. 

"Kavik and Myrren and I went to the Creek. Siqsa just.. left. Corvus joined Diaspora. I live there too now, and actually.. so does Takiyok." Rue's brow furrowed as she realized that Liri wouldn't even know about Ikkannatuk's disband. There was so much to tell, it was overwhelming.