Arrow Lake relict

She swore as her daughter took off unexpectedly in the direction of Ego and Stigmata's scent. Taki had also noticed that their scents mixed with that of a moose, and she instantly feared that her daughter might run into the middle of something and get hurt. She took off after Monarch, calling out to her worriedly but knowing it would do nothing to stop the stubborn girl. 

She was also hit with the scent of blood as she neared the scene, and panic surged through her as images of her mangled daughter flashed through her mind. But it wasn't Monarch who lied on the ground blood soaked and unbreathing. 

She was numb at first, as if her brain couldn't really process what she was seeing. The numbness was brief, though. Despair and anger coursed through her, and she wanted to shield her daughter from seeing anymore of the gruesome scene. But when she moved forward to gently usher Monarch away, the pup bristled and growled at her. She wouldn't force her away and make things worse, not when she was clearly so upset. And why wouldn't she be? She tried to avert her gaze from the gaping wound on the general's neck, but it was no use. There was no avoiding the complete desolation she felt at knowing he was gone. The emotion was so consuming that it forced a sorrowful howl from her chest. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't help but feel guilty and stupid for all the time she wasted being angry with him. Now, all that meant nothing. He was dead and her children were fatherless. She hated that they would suffer so young. 

And where was Ego? She had scented him with his father. She felt panic again as she wondered what had happened to him. Had he been hurt too? She was torn between going to search for him and being here for her sobbing daughter. But she couldn't leave her. She hoped Mahler would be here soon; he could stay with Monarch while she searched for her son. For now, she tried her best to just stay upright against the intensity of everything she was feeling. Mostly, she tried to ignore the cold, creeping fingers of dread that crept up through her chest as her friend, leader, and father of her children lied dead on the ground at her feet as their daughter remained glued to him.