Lone Star Mountain kids on whizz

Tracking wolves was really no different than stalking prey. Haunt spent quite a bit of time afield lately, determined to locate @Arbiter, @Royal and the rest of Legion. Today's search led her west, toward the mountains. When she realized she recognized her surroundings, it gave Haunt pause as she reflected on that fateful day when she and @Vex had been hunting for their father together. It was ironic in a lot of ways, she noted, even as she continued her solitary search for their mother and sister.

When dusk fell like a thick woolen cloak, Haunt decided to bed down for the night. As she looked for someplace to settle, she unexpectedly came across a pale figure curled up on the rocky ground. She went rigid and squinted, studying the sleeping wolf from a safe distance. Haunt deliberated between waking her or moving on without disturbing her rest.

Before she could arrive at a decision, the she-wolf roused and blinked sleepily at her. "Um," the stranger said groggily, pushing upright, "hello."

"Sorry," Haunt quickly said, "I didn't mean to creep on you. I was just looking for somewhere to spend the night when I stumbled across you there..." As she spoke, she slowly padded closer. "I'm Haunt."

"It's okay. My name's Meerkat," the sandy yearling replied. "What—" Her voice was cut off by an intense yawn. "Sorry. What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for my mother and sister," Haunt explained, diving into a quick rundown of the situation and including descriptions for each.

"Sorry, I haven't seen them," Meerkat said, shaking her head apologetically.

"What're you doing out here by yourself?" Haunt couldn't help but wonder, finally taking a seat.

"I'm on my way home from a trip to Sapphique," Meerkat shared.

"Really? That's where I live," Haunt interjected, then apologized and waved a paw for Meerkat to continue.

"Really?" Meerkat echoed. "I was actually trying to visit my dad there but it turns out he died a couple months ago. Um, did you know him, by any chance? His name was Kaertok."

"...uh..."

Eventually, Haunt managed to find her voice and articulate again. She and Meerkat stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, talking about their connections. Much as she hated talking about Kaertok, even indirectly, it was a little incredible to find out she had a half-sister. And though she got a strongly melancholic vibe from Meerkat at first, the discovery seemed to uplift her too.

They slept side by side, then Meerkat said she needed to get home to Firefly Glen. Haunt nodded farewell, lip twitching at the invitation to visit sometime. "Definitely," she said quietly as her older sister disappeared, Haunt pivoting to resume her search.