Blackfoot Forest settle down, set it right

They pressed onwards in their search, silent and stoic. They had no need for words, the resolute determination in their matching gaze was telling enough. As they cleared the mountain range, @Hydra ranged ahead while Lyra searched through a dark woodland, nose working furiously as she tried to pick up Alya's scent. Over the mountains to Easthollow. She repeated the words over and over in her mind like a mantra, wishing she were even half the scout Alya was. As much as she was devoted to and needed at Moonspear, the Ostrega girl was angry at herself for not learning more about the lands beyond their claim sooner.

With soft but purposeful strides, Lyra prowled through the forest, stopping every so often to check a stray tree branch or upturned stone — anything that could possibly have a whiff of her sister's scent. However, her efforts continued to be in vain, and so she marched on through the glow of the afternoon sun, unwavering in her focus.

could just be a cameo... feel free to ignore him

terance had left to go visit seabreeze and his children. he'd let @Rannoch and @Wraen and @Treason know, as this time he had reason to be leaving... and was intent on reminding rannoch that he'd be returning. especially after his last episode. in an effort to avoid swiftcurrent creek, since he remembered valette claiming they were not friendly to visitors, terance went south of the territory, planning to travel around it. 

terance stalked through the forest ears pricked and alert. he could've sworn... just for a second... that he'd scented hydra, but the scent faded as quickly as it had come, so terance rolled his shoulders and continued forwards. there was no reason to work himself up again-- until...

she was just as much a shadow as she appeared, terance swore he couldn't leave the territory without seeing her striking form somewhere. hydra was always somewhere, and she always had the last word. he saw her, through the trees, pausing and staring with bright green eyes. what was she doing here? on the other side of the mountain... but for once, terance thought better than to engage, and pushed forwards. he'd only stop if she'd stop him.

but we all know that the cerberus prefers to be chased, so terance didn't expect to be flagged down.

Hydra caught up swiftly enough, not keen on the idea of being far from Lyra during their search. With Alya potentially hurt, something Hydra believed entirely possible, she was never very far. She did her due diligence to their surroundings, when the too-lean build of a familiar featured wolf was observed from the shadows. After this, she drifted near Lyra, tail lashing behind her. Her sister knew the whole of the story, and Hydra had said everything she ever could have wished to. In her way, Lyra had felt for Terance (though not to the amount Terance surely would have preferred), and Hydra would never begrudge her sister her own parting words—words she was never given the chance to say. 

Hydra can keep to the bg if Ly does engage!!!

>:D

Nothing. Alya had either not passed through here or, if she had, it had been weeks ago. However, Lyra had her sisters' scents branded into her memory; she would recognise them even if their trail was buried underneath a mile of snow. She was convinced it was the former, and lifted her head to search for her mirror image to let her know of her findings. As if mentally summoned, Hydra's form blinked into existence at the edge of her field of view, tail waving like a banner.

A happy chuff died in her throat as she suddenly read her sister's body language and tested the air — they were not alone. That old but familiar smell reached her and icy tendrils began to wrap around her heart. Her tail rose to mirror Hydra's own.

Terance was but a shadow lurking through the forest, drifting past as if he didn't want to be seen. Perhaps he didn't. But Lyra wasn't about to let the ghost get away so easily; she had only caught a glimpse of him, but it was enough to propel her into action. Silently, she started forward after him, aware of Hydra following her every move. Her sister had told her everything she needed to know about their previous encounter, and this knowledge forced her to utter a single, strained word in the direction of the slim shadow: "Terance."

if he had expected to hear from hydra today, he would have stopped. but, as it were, terance assumed his past was finished with him, and he didn't want to kick a dead horse. 

but it followed him, and his name was called through the trees, forcing him to slow to a stop. terance stood, staring forwards, ears flicked back, before he finally turned. green eyes observed hydra and-- another. it was only now that terance realized it was not hydra who flagged him down. he could feel his throat tighten. emotionally, he didn't need this now, but it was here, staring him in the face, and he couldn't turn the other cheek. 

"lyra," he returned, his own voice strained. once, his gaze flitted past her to hydra, who hung back among the underbrush, and then again they fell on the face that he used to dream so deeply about. but for what? after they'd left moonspear he'd always wondered why he'd cared so deeply for her. had they spent more time together... perhaps it would've made sense. but as it were, terance had fallen for, maybe, just the idea of lyra. in love with the memory of her beneath the stars, among the fireflies.

Hydra cannot say she is too surprised by her sisters decision, and moves with her. This time, however, she hangs in the backdrop, content to be a part of the scenery rather than her typical part that demanded she be center stage. Lyra had never gotten her opportunity to speak with Terance, the boy that cried love and fled, and she held her tongue so that Lyra could loose her own.

She had half expected the boy to simply run off like the coward that he was, but instead he paused, body rigid as for a moment he stared straight ahead. Maybe he would still run. But obediently he turned, and her breath hitched for a second at the sight of his familiar emerald gaze, before her own eyes quickly trailed down his dark form. He was less broad than before, slimmer; Hydra had told her of the reason why.

She wouldn't lie, there had been a sense of smug satisfaction at the news but she still felt a sort of possessiveness over the dark boy; like if she couldn't have him, no-one else could — but apparently someone had. After the initial shock and rage had worn off, Lyra grew curious about his estranged wife and children. Were the pups weak like their father? His wife spineless like their Alpha?

"Hydra told me you're a father now," she said, head tilting slightly to one side. Her tone was soft, sure, and even, but with a sort of malice she couldn't hold back. He had left without a word, so why was she giving him the pleasure of speaking to him now? "Congratulations." She let the toneless word hang in the air, blue eyes boring into the man who once, maybe, she had felt something for.

terance held back a snarl. hearing the words, and her tone, he knew they were empty-- mocking. instead he stared, gaze still, as her voice silenced. "then you know they've left me," he responded, calling out her thoughtless congratulations. not that it mattered, whatever he said would be countered. no matter how hard he tried, terance knew the cerberus would always have a leg up. he would never have the last word, and he'd never win an argument.

"what do you want?" he asked her, head tilting down as his gaze narrowed, "you don't ever stop me unless you had something to say." and lyra never had anything to say to him.

The only response to his reply was the subtle curve of the side of her lip, knowing that he was aware that she was not truly happy for him. He had moved on so quickly, she had thought him smarter than that. Perhaps the pups were a mistake? Terance was the type to fall quickly (faster than she had originally thought). Why his new family had left exactly - and where they had fled to - was a mystery to her, and Lyra couldn't deny she was curious.

His next words wiped away her smirk. She gave a glance to Hydra, though she knew her sister had nothing left to say to the man. She, however, had plenty to say - to ask. But the more pressing, and frankly important, matter of Alya was at the forefront of her mind and she was distracted by it. "I just want to talk, Terance," she said, letting a sweetness lace her words.

though his expression remained the same, indifferent, terance was boiling on the inside. with anger, maybe, frustration-- he had so many emotions. why did he feel like this? what was the point? he and lyra had barely had anything together, and yet somehow his mind made him feel like they'd known each other for lifetimes. 

his jaw clenched, unable to hold it back, and his ears flicked forwards.

"since when?" he asked sharply. his name from her tongue was so much sweeter than before-- he remembered it, from a long time ago. he hadn't heard it in a while. softer, terance added, "about what?"

Gone was the smile that had once graced his handsome features, replaced with a look of frustrating indifference. She studied his dark face, seeing the clench of his jaw as she spoke. What was going through his mind? His curt reply earned him a brief look of disdain, before Lyra quickly smoothed out her expression once more.

Since when? "Since you left." His second question she ignored, instead taking a small step towards the boy as she kept her gaze trained unwaveringly upon him. "You didn't even say goodbye." It had been months ago, true, but the sting of their betrayal was still fresh, especially to the sisters who placed loyalty (and themselves, if she was being truthful) above all else. To see him struggling brought her a degree of delight.

And to toy with him now was just an added bonus.

she ignored him. and just like hydra always did, she put the blame on him. oh it was his fault he left, oh he was such a bad guy, such a traitor. they didn't care how he felt, how every moment in moonspear with lyra, without lyra, tore apart his heart. terance was the first to admit it, it made no sense. whatever they had, or didn't have, was entirely built up in terance's mind from their very first encounter. terance was and always would be in love with a memory, and it would never logically make sense to anyone from the outside looking in. hell, it hardly made sense to him. why couldn't he move on? he just didn't understand. 

"it was a little too late by then, don't you think?" he asked, noting her step forwards with a careful set of green eyes, which flicked back up to her own set of startling, sapphire blue ones. "i wasn't enough for you," he said, voice turned in a sneer. he was mocking himself, probably, but it was a shot at her. pretty, pretty princess, up on her throne. she had her pick of the kingdom and even terance, who waited hand and foot for her-- for all the cerberus-- wasn't enough. "i wouldn't dare waste your time."

He acknowledged her motion with only a glance of his jade eyes, making no move of his own. She had an odd yearning to throttle him into the ground, make him suffer and bleed; the frustration of the encounter grating against her patience (the added stress of Alya missing having already stretched it thin). Her claws dug into the dirt and for a moment it looked like she just might have torn into the boy. She sensed Hydra tense beside her before she relaxed once more with a contemplative flick of her tail.

"You're right," she said with a degree of finality. The effort of killing him wasn't worth it. She had picked up on the dual meaning of his retort — and if it pained him so to even just talk to her, then she guess she would have to be the one to burn the bridge. It would be merciful, really.

"You were never enough," she said, eyes flashing as she regarded him with a renewed sense of confidence. "How could I ever love someone so weak."

"you're the one that called out to me."

he already knew she didn't love him. he already knew he wasn't enough. he was weak. he was a coward. he was pitiful and useless and moonspear spat upon his very name. he knew all of this. if lyra truly wanted to talk about something, then she should talk, terance-- for once-- wasn't going to sit around and be insulted. he had things to be doing, and though the idea of leaving lyra-- who was beautiful as ever standing right before him-- pained him, he knew it was wiser to leave.

terance's gaze narrowed onto her, his ears angled forward. "did you have anything newly profound to say or can i go now?" he asked-- asked for permission. his chin raised gently, ears flicking.