Swiftcurrent Creek Home is where the heart lives.

I was waiting for the remaining SC-ers to post, but in the interest of wrapping this up, I am going to post again. :) I'm happy to keep posting for those of you in SC who want a third post. Keeping references to Leaf and Magpie super-vague as I don't want to powerplay them.

Bazi held her breath. Not a word escaped the gathering of Swiftcurrent wolves, and she was infinitely grateful for their restraint. Ferdie did not speak again, nor did his cohorts - the captives were returned the Creek and the Sunspire wolves turned to leave. No words, no room for misinterpretation. Fox would have approved of that aspect of the encounter, at least, though she would certainly have grieved the loss of an opportunity to grind the mountain-dwelling creature into dust. With a 2:1 advantage, she may very well have won that fight.

When the group was out of ear shot, Bazi turned to face the assembled wolves. She had a blank, glassy-eyed look on her dirt-streaked face, and her voice was hollow when she spoke. "Fox is gone," she said, glancing between Njal and Scimitar, willing them not to divulge the details of what had gone on. "She isn't coming back. We will meet again in a couple of days, all of us. Until then, stay close to home - and far away from the Sunspire."

There was no mention of the fact that Fox's departure made Bazi the Creek's leader by default. Tuwawi and Njal might contest that, especially the former, whose patience with yearlings was at breaking point. Right now, they needed to recover.