Emberwood got no time, got no mind

@Seabreeze

tadec and piper were not to be found; indra halted at the summit of a resplendent forest, looking down at the endless fringe of grey and red that rose and fell in formless shapes before her. in the distance, the grizzled range of an unknown mountain loomed between roiling fall mists. between gusts of wind there was sometimes a scent of brine: indra had not been this far north in some time.

endless woods and copses and rivers and mountains; no sign of tadec or piper.

she supposed she ought to head back soon; laurel would worry of her absence, and no doubt the children would fret too. yet as much as home beckoned for her, she couldn't move her feet. a tiredness had come over her and she sat down on that quiet ridge, solemnly watching the shiver of bare trees in the wind.

Usually, she would have been in a better mood.  The sky was grey and the wind was frigid but ah, she would think, at least she had her lover.  Or her children.  Or her friends.

But the weight of carrying Elysium alongside the influx of new patients was heavy, and the encounter with Wraen had bled her dry.  She had always thought that the Sunspire had resented her.  But now she knew.  

And somehow, knowing was worse than fretting about it.  The actuality of it was worse than the anxiety of it.

She moved through the woods with solemn grace and only stopped as she thought she saw a flicker of flame.  As her eye focused, she realized it was only a wolf —

but it wasn't a comfort.

another wolf threaded through the misty hinterland, though for a time the redleaf was unaware of her presence. not until the soft buttercream of seabreeze's pelt became unsheathed from the foggy gloom did indra realize she was not the only wolf to brave the overcast atmosphere of emberwood.

she supposed if she was to be alone in the woods with a stranger, a wolf as slim and delicately made as this one was preferrable. the way she walked, indra couldn't help but think something was chewing at her -- as for what it was, the redleaf was not generous enough to find out.

finding she had little energy to rise and warmly greet the slender creature, a threadbare smile scantily delivered was proffered - but nothing more.

Despite all of their physical differences they were one in the same for mood and demeanor.  She offers the same thin smile, the same weary eyes, and it brings something more genuine to her expression.

It's a sorry morning to be out.  Her gaze moves to the sky, and the whispering branches above.  I think I can smell rain, somewhere.  What're you doing out here?

half-expecting the delicate woman to simply pass her by, indra's ears cupped as the sylph instead addressed her directly. it was not to say indra didn't want company -- rather, she often didn't know how to initiate it. without some sort of shared value, indra often would instead elect to remain quiet.

it was not the design of that day for the two to remain unmet; seabreeze tactfully shouldered past the woman's coldness, and for that, indra's shoulders seemed to soften from their hardened hold. she glanced to the sky following seabreeze's motion, and then back to the woman who looked every bit as world-wearied and tired as she. "it is." indra drew a sigh, conceding with the slender wolf's assertion. there were better days to be out, for certain. "i'm looking for someone. three someones."

several seconds went by, as if indra were sizing up the graceful creature. "a piebald boy, a girl that looks like me with a white star on her forehead, and a grey and copper coywolf man." she might have asked seabreeze what she was doing in such a glum part of the world herself, except selfishly, indra's attention was fastened more on discovering if seabreeze had seen any of the three formerly mentioned over conversational courtesies.

Her brow knits as she wracks her brain.  Truthfully, she wants to help; it's in her nature, her bones.  There's nothing she wants more than to be able to help.  But alas, she's seen none of them.  I'm sorry, she says, I haven't found them.  But I lead a sanctuary not too far from here, and I can let you know if they stop by, or if one of my scouts comes across them.

She's unsure how much prying is courteous, but she still manages to ask, Could I perhaps get their names?  I am Seabreeze, by the way.

another friendly stranger for the books. indra marveled at how the wilds is replete with benevolent souls - it seems the exclusion zone must buffer around her. she is bitter about that; that the hinterlands seems to harbor good souls all well beyond bearclaw's reach, but she swallowed her pride anyway, deciding then it might be better to share more than share too little.

after all, some good may come of it -- if this she-wolf did run a sanctuary, and any of bearclaw's lost souls managed to come by it.. well... at least they would be safe.

"i'm indra. lucas is the piebald one. piper is the red and white one. they're siblings. my nephew, and niece. we're from bearclaw valley.. it's ... not too far, but not too close either. where is this sanctuary? what were you doing out here?"

She's always been an open book with no desire to conceal her intentions, even from those who hate her or wished to cause her harm.  We're called Elysium, but we used to be the Bracken Sanctuary.  We suffered a plague and an infestation of cats, so we moved not too far from here, the willows.  Our other leader promoted me, then left of his own volition with one of our few able bodies.  I was hoping to find him, or perhaps someone else to bring home to help.  

But she couldn't be away from home for so long, and what would she do if she'd found him anyway?  Perhaps when we are settled in a little better, I can send out a few of my own scouts to help you find Lucas and Piper.  For how long that would be, she had no way of knowing.

as disappointed as indra was that no sign of her family was to be seen, she had at least gleaned something from this chance meeting: knowledge of a pack she previously had no awareness of. with this enlightenment in hand, the map of the world outside her fishbowl home was slowly coming together.

the conversation meandered, as conversations often do, to an entirely different subject: cats. to indra, 'cats' meant something terrible - either cougar or lynx - neither of which she held in high esteem. she flicked an ear and commented: "cats? was everyone okay? where was this?" there was concern in the redleaf's voice, but truth be told it was more for her own family: what if lucas had been captured and killed by a cougar? her stomach sunk heavily, and a new apprehension overcame her.

as gracious as it was to offer to send scouts, indra couldn't - or wouldn't - be so demanding. "that is kind of you, but it sounds like you'd need them too - to look for your friends, as well. who were they? i have scouts looking.. just.. it's hard to sit around and do nothing."

Indra seemed to think it was more serious than it was.  And it had been serious!  She just wondered what this woman's experience had been with cats to derive such a reaction.  Cats.  Little cats, too, like.. no bigger than a pup that is two or three months old.  Cats.  But so many of them!  They brought an illness with them.  We lost one person, but that was all, thankfully.  Our old territory was almost all the way to the coast.  It effected the adults, never the children, but I don't know if that was coincidence or not.

She nods.  I wouldn't be just sitting around either.  I'm surprised you're so composed.  Seabreeze would have been a wreck, just absolutely beside herself.  His name is Alarian, and you'd know him if you saw him.  He's nearly as small as I am, with scars all over.  Mostly black, but with tan points.  His friend's name is Korei Julia, and she's all white.  She shrugs.  I don't think they'll be coming back, but I also don't think they're hurt or in any trouble.  Again, it just sucked having to shoulder all of the responsibility.  Alarian had seemed off; he didn't seem happy being a leader.  I just wish he would have.. told me, this is what he was doing.  Using her so he could go out and live his life.

seabreeze expounded on the nature of the cats to infiltrate her home; according to the fine-boned she-wolf, they were small and bearing some sort of disease load. indra's brow furrowed; small as a puppy - what kind of cats were those?

she had not seen their like before; perhaps they were some variant of bobcats, sickly and small from whatever illness plagued them. "sorry for your loss." indra felt her platitude seemed to fall short - perhaps it was because they were strangers. she drew her mahogany gaze across the sculpted she-wolf's face, trying to detect any semblance of grief in those tired eyes.

the descriptor seabreeze offered for her own 'lost' comrades was unfamiliar; indra hadn't seen them and it showed on her face. it was not surprising a man had let her down: indra dryly remarked to herself how fitting it seemed for the opposite gender, to flit in and out without a care for the the consequences their actions commanded: like a heavy stone dropped in water, sending rippling waves forever outward as they sunk into calm, oblivious to the ruptures their departures made in the cloth of others' lives.

she sighed, already feeling a bitter tangent come over her. "i haven't seen them. maybe you are better off without them."

Maybe she was, but she couldn't believe it yet.  She had to grow into self-confidence; it did not come to her naturally, and when it came it was hard-fought.  She says nothing to this, instead wheeling back.  I'm sorry for yours, as well.  This grief and condolence was closer to her, but she didn't know where to take it.  I will keep an eye out for them.  If I find them, where could I find you?

indra nodded as the platitude she had expressed was mutually exchanged: to her, and to many other spirits in the world, there was no deeper community than that of grief -- the crucible of loss placed heavily on the shoulders of the surviving was never lifted. it never abated. it only went on, coursing like some black and spilling-over river. forward like black and unrideable progress. on and on to the next victim until every soul in this world had felt its heart touched, and then felt the dead take that heart with them when they departed and walked no more.

she hoped that was not the case with lucas.. but she didn't know anymore.

"we're in bearclaw valley - it's by easthollow. big stone bowl, with a valley in the middle." indra had no idea in a few weeks time that would change -- and once she realized she had given seabreeze only temporarily useful information, she'd be overwrought with guilt. "i appreciate it.. i'll look out for your friend alarian, too. elysium, right?" indra made motions to prepare her departure - it was getting dark and she had a trek ahead of her... but first, she wanted to confirm where to send (or escort, heaven forbid) alarian if she ever came across him.

I'll keep you in mind.  I hope they come home.  Even if her words come out a little flat, they're true — she couldn't imagine losing either of her children, and she didn't know that the loss of Ibis was just on the horizon.  She thinks of Oaxaca, but it's different with him.  They know he's dead.  To imagine he was out there, somewhere?  Alive?  Without his mama?  No.

Yeah, she says, but I think you're right.  Maybe it's better this way.  Without him.  She takes a step out, back towards home.  Be safe out there.

be safe out there.

the redleaf affords seabreeze a last tired smile; it is genuine, but stretched thin -- it fades from her features swiftly, as if just as weary as the rest of her. seabreeze remained on her mind a little longer as she made for home -- was safety ever a permanent condition?

god, it sure didn't seem like it.