Noctisardor Bypass any other phase

Laurel expected Sequoia to turn on her, too, unwilling to hold on to any sort of hope in her battered heart. She was the only one she could trust. Her and her alone. Besides, a part of her was unwilling to get Sequoia hurt. When younger, Laurel'd always dragged Indra into her whimsical decisions — one of which brought you here, dearest, one of which drove your nephew mad — and had not often thought of all the consequences. Something seemed to be changing with age, and perhaps there was a weariness in Laurel, too, that made some part of her desire to give up.

Sequoia would have none of that, though. Surprise flashed across Laurel's face for a moment as her only friend stuck by her rather than leave with the family that she did have left.

At Sequoia's question, Laurel numbly shook her head. After a moment, she said, I — I think that he took them because he knows... He knows it's worse than taking my life. Because you took his mother away, dearest. So he would do the same to you. Take them away from their mother. It wasn't precisely the same, but Iliksis had a point. If I'd be dead, there'd be no use keeping them. Laurel could not imagine, at least, that Merrick would want to keep Indra — namesake and lookalike of the mother that he killed — alive. If any, then maybe Abel... But she didn't see any point in him taking them other than to torture her.

However, Laurel did feel some urgency in retrieving them, even if she didn't think that them staying in Rivenwood was problematic for the near future. Druid suggested that they should recruit and amass an army, basically. It was a good thought, and Laurel saw Druid in a new light as she spoke so strongly of growing strong and defeating the enemy. However, it would take too long, simply put. Unless they'd know where to find an army right now.

No men, Laurel reiterated as she looked at Druid with a solemn, almost conspiratory nod. It was something that Laurel had said many times before, but she'd never acted on it. Now was perhaps more the time than any, after watching yet another man follow his dick rather than his heart.

Even though I don't think he'll attack again soon, we really need to work on getting Abel and Indra back quickly. Especially Indra, she looks almost precisely like my sister. He must be treating her terribly because of that. He's a madman. He'll kill her if she gets on his bad side, if he has a bad day, or if he decides he needs the punishment of taking them away and ruining their lives isn't enough for me. Laurel's worst nightmare every single day right now was finding Indra's corpse splattered across Rivenwood's borders. Duskfire is a good start. Indra and Abel's father is their Alpha. Wintersbane. He's a friend of Mahler. Laurel had no idea that he was dead. He doesn't know they exist, but maybe it's enough to get him to help us. Maybe if we can get another pack to help, we stand a chance to make demands of Ursus.

Laurel also could not help but think, There must be other packs who have trouble with Ursus. Maybe there's a chance if we can find another who's against them? Or... Or some other pack who's willing to help? Laurel was grasping at straws by this point. She had no friends except the one that had just pledged to help her, and she couldn't travel too far with her bad shoulder to try and make friends elsewhere.