Emberflame Ridge Broken Compass

She had three thoughts rotating through her mind as they hastily made their way into the mountains. The first thing she had thought once the initial shock of it all had worn off was that she needed to get as far away from Moonspear as she could manage. She had no idea what things were like there, but without the protection of a pack, she and her daughter were as good as sitting ducks. She would not let Malila pay for her past mistakes. Her second thought was that she needed to get her daughter somewhere safe as quickly as possible. But it was not such an easy task; she knew no one out here anymore. For the entirety of Kaistleoki's existence, she had stayed mostly there, raising her children and healing the pack whenever it was needed. she had lost any connections she had made while on her own and exploring the wilds. And the third and most painful thought regarded her missing son. They had been separated in the storm, and she could not drag Malila all across the lands to try and find him. She needed to get her to safety first, and then she would search for @Mohe. The decision tore her apart, but she felt like she had no other choice. 

She knew this was going to be a difficult trip for Malila; she had never traveled this far before and she had never suffered so much change nor difficulty—Speedy had always made sure her children wanted for nothing and that they always felt safe and content within their home on the river. She never dreamed they would be displaced and on their own in the middle of winter and in the middle of a never-ending winter storm. How could she have known? She felt guilty for sheltering her children so much, but she had honestly believed it was in their best interest. Now she wasn't so sure. 

The healer looked down at her daughter with sympathetic eyes. I know, sweetie, she offered, touching her nose to Malila's pretty cheek. We will. You just have to take it one day at a time. Focus on the steps you need to take now. She looked around. Their only saving grace right now was the heavy forest that spared them the worst of the storm. When they reached a heavily-covered region, she slowed. Do you need to rest for a little bit? She had to weigh their need to find safety with her need to care for her daughter who was not used to any of this.