Duskfire Glacier [j] The king is dead but the queen is alive

He came round her as she spoke, placing himself within Duskfire borders again, all the while keeping his eye steadily trained on the woman and gathering what he could from her neutrality. But her words soon caught the better of his attention, and Malachi's brow quirked. This quiet look was all that gave word to his surprise.

Malachi gave a slow nod. "Yes, I know Tyrr." But the words did not come without a nervous stir in his gut. Malachi had not seen the earthen man since he'd met him on the borders some countless suns before. Whether or not he still ran with the pack remained unclear, a fault of Malachi's own. He'd been preoccupied in recent days, and tracking the loyalty of their members had not pressed him as a weighty concern. He trusted them - but after Danica's leave, he began to feel the guilt he'd made a mistake in not keeping up with those he served as head. He took every departure as a reflection of his leadership, every leave a failure of his own. "Have you travelled far to find him?"