Porcupine Ridge but i am drifting

marten was silent he chewed on the metaphor that his mother had just given him. it meant a number of things to marten, some things not even related to what she was telling him. it said a lot about indra -- things marten didn't quite understand, but the horrors of indra's past certainly justified her thought process. marten understood it in his own way, searching his mother features silently before he gave a soft sigh and stepped to press the top of his head against her shoulder. "i understand," he murmured quietly, "if i ever lost you i would never stop searching." and then he stepped back from her, ears flicking. he still didn't really know how he felt about laurel, and held his belief that he was right to think it was pointless to search for her children... but he understood. 

and then, the youth gave a wry smile. "do you think rupert is still at the hollow?"