Bearclaw Valley ah, how McDonald's of you

indra's sudden approach seemed to have taken piper by surprise. a flash of guilt fled indra's gaze, for she had not meant to startle piper. she gave an apologetic smile as the girl settled, and looked on with a quiet bemusement at the rebuke that was quick to follow on the heel's of indra's assertation.

in truth indra didn't mind; the two shared more than an affinity for the same fur color, and that was exactly the type of question indra would have asked, too.

"then he doesn't come back, and life moves on." indra was not a liar, and would not subject piper to untruths. "but we know that is not like him to just leave." or, that is what indra believed -- the boy had been a sweet, faithful boy and as the days grew shorter and more time lapsed from the day he had disappeared, the more indra was convinced lucas had not had much of a hand in his own disappearance.

she inspected her travel-blunted claws for a minute; how cracked and worn the flat of her feet appeared. she wondered if the rest of her looked that way, too. "that's just the way of the world, pipes. people come, people go. you just got to keep your chin up, and don't give up hope."