Blacktail Deer Plateau Riders on the Storm

I won't be on pretty much at all until Monday night, so if Karm joins feel free to skip me if I'm holding anyone up. :)

In the darkness of night, Saena allowed the horripilation to wash across her flesh and send her hair prickling on end. She'd only just been informed that Junior's condition had worsened considerably. They'd found her at the plateau's edge, careening wildly; she'd singled out Dante and challenged him to single combat, which was obviously refused. Although not present at the scene, the red-mottled juvenile blamed herself. It was her fault that Junior'd challenged Dante, she had planted the idea that Junior was the rightful heir of the pack in the dark girl's mind.

For this reason, perhaps, the teen hadn't gone to visit her sister in spite of her infirm state. Worry gnawed at her belly alongside tremendous guilt, enough that Saena didn't seek solace in sleep, but wandered the plateau like a ghost. Behind her trotted an actual ghost, the spirit of a white bear cub that she'd spoken to Lasher of a mere week ago. Normally, it didn't follow her, but tonight it was in hot pursuit, though still not speaking. Ordinarily, the sight of this ghost sent Saena fleeing in the opposite direction, but tonight it was not the ghost that made her walk around the plateau, but the looming feeling that she'd be responsible for her sister's death if it occurred.

So intent was she on these negative thoughts that Saena didn't even see the young pup as she practically passed him by. Snow was beginning to fall again, and vaguely she remembered that it was disgusting cloud dandruff. Rather than making her want to run and hide, though, it brought hot tears to her eyes and she stopped just at the edge of Valtyr's line of sight with shoulders trembling.