Big Salmon Lake Stale air and dead parades

First post reserved for Takiyok

At last he was strong enough and bold enough to venture beyond the dark woods. He'd spent weeks in their sheltered, shadowy beyond, recuperating from an illness that had threatened to take his life. Takiyok had stood by him through it all, but she knew as well as anyone that he could not stay cooped up within those trees forever. Since leaving his homeland, he had always been prone to get itchy feet, wandering beyond to learn of the world.
Most recently, the sharp light in the distance and the odd silence that had followed it created an instinctive need to seek solace. He needed to know that Luna was okay. Taki had seen her once before, but since then he had heard nothing from the Glen. Valette too from Easthollow had not ventured to them, though he assumed she just hadn't the time to do so.
There was something that wasn't right about that light, but Taikon was distracted. @Takiyok had insisted on coming with him to see how Lunaria was doing. Despite his earlier treatment of Imaq, she seemed positively hellbent on making sure he didn't run off and die on her. Although he appreciated the concern, it felt a bit stifling.
Still, he was thankful for the company in the moment. The travel had taken many hours by the time they saw the big lake in the distance. The air was hazy and strange. It wasn't right, but he didn't know why.
Taikon was unusually quiet, striding forward with determination. He didn't know what they would find, but the closer they came, the more distant smells started to roll in. Taktuq was still missing. Zephyr was a mess. Rowan had let a dog into the pack. He sighed heavily.