Haunted Wood Grim, grinning ghosts.

Well, hopefully she is safe and home, now, she drawled. Hydra was not sure if Maia was a lone wolf, but her typical line of thinking was that most wolves were not. It was a dangerous business, as Maia had seen for herself by now surely; ideally, she was in a better place now. 

Hydra was not so surprised to hear the initial news of Arcturus no longer being among them. She had thought as much the day she had visited her sister and the scent of him had been threadbare. Maia she then learned ran with Arcturus and Wraen (how strange were the forces of karma?), but what caught her by surprise was the reason for their departure. It was then the matriarch became aware of the effect that she herself had upon the woman her brother had elected to follow. And of course Arcturus would follow; when he gave his loyalty, he gave it all. What did Wraen want with him? 

She had an epiphany. 

Towhee, she breathed, thinking of the day Wraen had trespassed and stood at her brothers shoulder when he came to challenge her, before all of that... did Wraen ever discuss my leadership, with you? Perhaps... wanting to displace me? She wondered. Wraen's fixation and obsession was perhaps to that ultimate end, and she imagined that someway, somehow, after years of... something... she had convinced her own flesh and blood to turn his back upon her. 

It was a strange thought, that. But one she would not give credence to should Towhee express the contrary. 

Most importantly, though, even than her own life, was her relationship with Towhee. Meerkat had brought on the formal alliance, but long ago they had been prepared to go to war together. I cannot apologize for our closeness, she breathed in earnest, looking to her sister, you mean the world to me. But I did not mean for it to cause any to leave your ranks. Although she detested Wraen now largely thanks to recent events, really the other had not carried a significant weight in her life for several years. 

Hydra looked appreciatively to Towhee when she turned her head back to behold her. She was thankful for this, for her. If he does, she breathed, could you... tell him I must speak with him? That I looked for him? she asked. Not very hard, but then, she also was now aware that he and Wraen were running from her.