Greatwater Lake and like weeds do he only came and grew back again

After Zephyr had told him that no, Phillip obviously hadn't left with Alarian all that time ago, Mal had done a better job trying to keep tabs on him. If Mal noticed he left the territory, he'd check and make sure there was sign of him coming back in the next day or so. That hadn't been the case this time. Like Mal didn't want to be a controlling freak or anything, but if Phillip needed some extra care or whatever since at least two people seemed to agree, then he'd at least make sure that he got home safe again. So, after giving Phillip an extra little bit of time just to make sure, Mal finally started off along the days old trail, to find the kid and bring him home -- or at the very least make sure he was okay.

 And the trail kept going. One territory, two territories, onward still. The farther it went the more concerned Mal got, the more he regretted not doing so earlier and the faster he went. At the lake, it was fresher -- maybe the day before? Hm. Someone else had been in the area then too, but he hadn't found the two scents intersecting at the same time so he didn't think much of it. Mal slowed, looking around. Should be easy to find a black wolf in the snow, shouldn't it? He wandered a while more.

But he did eventually spot a black blot in the snow and hurried on over that way. Phillip? Seemed like an odd place to have settled down for a nap, but as he got closer, something was off. Philip had obviously met that guy he'd smelled earlier and things just didn't seem right. He slowed to a few careful final steps, trying to discern, well, anything, Phillip, you ok? Dumb question, probably, but Mal wasn't sure what else to ask, let alone do. He shouldn't have let him be gone this long.