Moonspear let me see you stripped down to the bone

Gannet would not have went without her permitting him, she imagined; she gave him that peace of mind, and as she watched him depart, Hydra felt unbound and untethered. There was only her family, now, that had ever elected to stay. All that she had done for those she loved that did not bear her name did as Gannet had, and once his form could no longer be found on the horizon Hydra turned to share the news with her father. He had not been pleased, and Hydra shared his sentiment. 

She had been fooled one too many times. 

It will never happen again, she informed her father solidly. And it would not. This time, Hydra felt no pain—only liberation. And with that in mind, Hydra turned on her heel to patrol. Love made her soft, but such softness could be seen no longer—she had very little left of it, and it was for no one but those that had never left her, and those she was certain never would. 

The Ostrega found the borders again and thought she found scent-traces of @Andalusia. Her tail waved at the prospect of seeing the woman and she followed the scent doggedly, ears pricked.

Andalusia spent most of her days on the ground around the mountain, slipping away on day trips to Big Salmon Lake, or trying her luck for rabbits and smaller prey on the plains just adjacent to Moonspear's peak. Hunting and keeping the caches stocked had seemed the most useful use of her time while the summer rolled on, but today found her in pursuit of a different prize.

She had felt the daylight shortening ever since summer's height, but hadn't concerned herself until the leaves began to change. The air still warmed with a late summer's heat, but if they weren't careful, the snows would arrive before they were ready. Andalusia didn't know where autumn would take her. Her want to be with Sebastian was ever present, but she held to her promise here. For as long as they were apart, Moonspear was her home, and she would do her best to ensure the pack was readied for winter.

Andalusia had gathered herbs all morning; they lay bundled in the rootwork of a massive tree not far from Moonspear's borders. They would need to be dried and preserved if they hoped to make any use them during the long winter months, but therein lay the problem: a warm, shaded, and ventilated area within the mountain to dry and store them. She was more familiar with the outlying lands than Moonspear itself - but she found on her tracks a wolf who could help her find something suitable here.

"Hydra," she swung her gait toward her darker kin, her smile warm. Another might have skipped straight to business, and in her youth perhaps she would have, too - but age had taught her the simple pleasure of good conversation, and she hoped for a bit of that now. "How're you keeping?"

Hydra had observed Andalusia's contributions; her scent was heavy upon their food storage, and she was glad for her presence. As she remained, Hydra could not help but cruelly hope Sebastian may never be found... and if he were, then perhaps he would come to reside here. That thought was significantly less cruel, and due to her good opinion of the Ostrega, it was this direction she leaned toward. 

The woman appeared in her line of sight and Hydra's tail waved in an affable greeting. She did not yet note the assortment of herbs that had been collected, as her sights were solely for her family. She bridged the gap between them and chuffed as Andalusia greeted her verbally in turn, trotting around her fellow Ostrega until Hydra was right beside her. Busy, she admitted with a smile. I am trying to train my brothers to become guardians. They are slow learners, she quipped, to the expense of her siblings. They were young, and she was impatient—they could not be blamed for their progress, which truly was typical for cubs their age... perhaps even above average. Hydra had little to go off of; prior to them, the rest had been incompetent (except for Jarilo, who had always had such an interest). Vela had redeemed herself now, fortunately, and Hydra was glad for it. Had Vela turned out like Korei Julia, the extent of how thin her patience was would be known to all. 

She dreaded to think Yami or Yama might follow such a... disappointing path. 

And you? she inquired, shifting to sniff at the others cheek if permitted—she thought she had detected the smell of herbs, one of which seemed familiar (Lyra had exposed her to many of their scents), but she was not certain.

She wasn't surprised at Hydra's answer; Andalusia had come to know the other Ostrega as a steeled and hardworking woman, and she held great respect for her, despite her youth. Andalusia offered her kin a knowing smile. "Some just take longer than others, but I'm sure under care like yours, they'll shape up in time, if they continue to show the willingness and want to learn." Some weren't made to be guardians, she knew, but between Charon, Amekaze, and Hydra, the heart of a warrior seemed to run strong through this vein of the family. The encouragement didn't feel empty, having knowledge to that.

As Hydra drew near and inhaled the air beside her, Andalusia didn't stifle the spread of her grin, nor the slight rumble of a warm-hearted laugh. "Keeping busy myself! I figured Lyra might like some help storing herbs for the winter... actually, I wouldn't mind your help."  She turned to gesture in the direction she'd tucked the plants away. "They're stashed over this way, not too far from here, but we're gonna need somewhere warm and ventilated for them to dry out in. Maybe a cave, or a structure like that. Know if there's any place like that around here?" Perhaps Lyra had even found one already; if she had been drying herbs, there was no doubt, and the sisters seemed so close that she imagined Hydra would know just where to go.