Noctisardor Bypass anything at all to keep me close to you

Laurel had been healing. She'd been in Rivenwood because moving as far as Duskfire Glacier hadn't been possible, but it seemed they'd left, anyway. They got what they wanted. She still had a bit of a limp in her step, but her body was better now. Every moment of every day she had thought of Indra. Almost as if knowing how much her little girl missed her, too, Laurel pined for her as well. She couldn't let Indra be taken from her again. She needed to do something to get her back. Laurel was out for blood. She hadn't yet seen Abel either, which worried her, too. She wished she'd been better to him. She hoped he was just hiding out somewhere and that he'd come out and was alright, after all. It made sense that he might be hiding things out after having fled; but hopefully he'd find his way back to the family den, if that was the case.

She had been resentful towards @Mahler. She didn't tell him, not outright; such was their relation, it seemed. So many words unspoken. So many resentments swiped under a carpet, never to be looked at again until it all exploded. Laurel knew another explosion was coming.

It had not gone unnoticed to her that the scent of heat was in the air. It was unimaginable to Laurel how anyone could feel like fucking around when some of their wolves were missing. This caused further irritation, piled on top of the resentment for not listening to her. Back when they had Praimfaya. Back when they were strong.

Now they were small and weak, and it wouldn't be so easy to challenge Ursus, let alone on their own ground. Laurel knew that. But what else could she do? Iliksis had been eerily absent, almost as if he too knew that he could not make good on his promise, and Laurel had been wallowing in the pain of her wounds, the despair of losing Indra, the frustration that she was so close to ending Merrick and just failing, and the utter shame at uttering those words to Iliksis when she did. She hadn't been herself. She knew that. But it was hardly an excuse. She felt filthy and she knew that she couldn't sit around and stay here.

She couldn't just go galivanting around and fuck around like Mahler right now.

Laurel got to her feet and exited her cold, empty den. When she stretched, Laurel winced from the pain as she reached the point where her shoulder was injured. Then she started to limp towards the nearby stream, her head full of resentment and plans for revenge. If Mahler would not help her, then she was on her own, and she was not so sure she could stay here if that was the case. Maybe @Sequoia would stand by her, but Laurel knew it was a lot to ask of a friend, and she knew Sequoia was hardly a fighter.

Laurel mused over these thoughts as she headed to the stream, and found herself growing more and more fearful that there was nothing she could do. Nothing except for something incredibly bold and stupid, anyway. But perhaps it was all she could do. Perhaps if both her children were truly taken, then she should go to Ursus and finish it at last. One way or another.

Dark thoughts reflected on her face as she took a drink and thoughts turned to Mahler again, who was probably having the time of his life while she suffered alone.