Lost Creek Hollow when the dust settles

tags for reference (Mary, correct me if I'm wrong and Piper is there with them please!), all welcome! maybe some new pack mates?

Another month, another home. Bearclaw Valley had never meant to be a long-time home for Laurel, but it had become that through her relations with @Xan and the birth of their children. She was just fooling around when she and @Indra had gone there, and now... She had gotten @Lucas, who'd been lost, @Piper, who Laurel feared had gotten lost during the move, and her least favourite child, @Wyatt. In the light of the loss of her other children it was almost unbearable to see Wyatt grow up into some or other version of Reek. Her father had demolished so much and now she was forced to be left with the one child that looked so alike. Every day she wished that it was Wyatt who had been taken from her instead of the precious apple of her eye, Lucas.

This place seemed without meaning and Indra was the only thing that kept her there. Merrick needed a home, Marten and Nunataq needed a home, and she supposed, so did Wyatt. Her own role in this picture faded, especially now that she and Indra no longer had a pack to lead. Xan was here, couldn't he just take Nunataq and Marten? Sweet, soft Indra had gotten attached to them, of course, as she did, and then there was Merrick, as well as the general risk of winter. It made her feel trapped. As trapped as when she had first come to Bearclaw Valley on winter's doorstep, after the initial fun had worn off, which was very soon.

And now things were still unresolved between her and Xan, she felt like again she had only Indra left in her life, and her life was not very enjoyable. In a piss poor effort to get to know her new pack's territory, Laurel made her way through the hollow that early evening while light snow dusted down on her, further decreasing her willingness to be out here.

To a certain point, Treason was still trying to figure out how the pieces went together.  She had figured out how to paint her Sunspire packmates with a fairly broad brush, but she hadn't run across enough of the Bearclaw wolves to get the picture clear.  The one pup and Stigmata to a certain point did a fairly good job at muddying the waters, so she searched for more clarity than she otherwise would.  How would things be a month down the line?  Two?  On into spring?

This evening, Treason was still waffling on more mundane matters.  Even though they'd been here how long, she still hadn't figured out a spot she was going to claim as her own.  There were a few prospects, at least.  Maybe she'd go spend the night at one and see if it lived up to her expectations.  Eh, still a while yet to make a decision for the long term.

Her wandering path brought Laurel into view up ahead.  Treason had been quite amused by her turn on Stigmata -- points for Bearclaw -- and was a little bit curious if her bite was just saved for that particular man or if that was what she was actually like in other scenarios.  She could afford a little detour for her curiosity, uttering a whuff to catch Laurel's attention so she could intercept.

Amidst the powdery snow she heard a whuff and Laurel looked round instinctively to see if it was directed to her, or who she was facing. It was one of the leaders of the pack, she easily recognised, and one that had been there the day she and her family were welcomed into the Hollow. Laurel had mixed feelings about that day: She was weary from travelling, weary from losing her children and being stuck with the one she didn't even love all that much, and then there was Stigmata's little intervention. To then find out that joining this pack meant a fall from power was a bit hard to swallow, but something she had done because she had no fight left in her. She was used to it, anyway; the time she had usurped power in Bearclaw Valley was the only time in her life that she'd been successful in charming or bullying her way up the ranks, and it was only because he had no one else left. Then their numbers dwindled and the pack had to move. Maybe she deserved to be back in the shit down below, Laurel bitterly thought to herself.

She made a smile appear on her face when Treason neared and greeted with a perhaps a bit too cheerful "Hiya!" upon her leader's approach, her posture otherwise neutral.

The fact that Terance still saw one of the leadership ranks as "reserved" for Rannoch was something that Treason found silly but at the same time was entirely willing to use to her advantage.  There wasn't enough room for the three leaders from Bearclaw to join them.  Treason was keen to not share power with anyone else if she could help it.  Maybe eventually someone might prove themselves worthy, but they would be beneath her.  Well, they better be, at least.

The contrast between Laurel's cheer and the way she'd retorted to Stigmata was a bit of whiplash.  Was that all really in one person?  Treason was still her aloof self. She dipped her head as she walked up to a better conversational range, Laurel.  Hm. It had probably been long enough that asking if she was settling in was a little silly, but at the same time, she was just checking in... Have you and your family been doing well?  Or do you need anything?  More attempts to be amiable.  It might seem a little pushy but she was attempting to do the parts of her still-new rank that didn't come naturally.

Laurel was greeted casually by her new leader, which was good; she wouldn't have been able to mentally handle being forced into submission at this point. Laurel's theory was that if she behaved well enough she shouldn't need to explicitly prove her submission anyway. She was respectful and all that, didn't raise her body above the level of her leaders even if she also didn't roll onto the floor and showed her neck. She just needed to behave, and everything'd be fine.

It helped that Treason was quite nice to her. Laurel smiled appreciatively as she was asked how she was doing. She hadn't been well at all, to be truthful, but Treason didn't need to know that. It was easier for both of them to just pretend. "We've been fine, thank you," said Laurel. "That's so sweet of you to ask. My daughter Piper seems to have got lost, so I've been out looking for her bits and pieces but it's been difficult 'cause I gotta look after Wyatt and help Indra with hers, too." Besides, there were no trails anywhere -- the only thing Laurel could think to do was make a wide sweep, and that was way too dangerous with the upcoming winter and their young pups here in the pack.

Treason always asked for something, but what it was -- respect, information, entertainment -- varied wildly.  Giving her all of it was always the option that kept the hooded leader the most happy, but in this case she was seeking more answers than the others.  She had questions.  

Okay there was the fact that Treason was anything but sweet.  It was an odd sort of word to be used in conjunction with the pale devil, but since she was trying to be more amiable, maybe that meant it was working.  She'd have to go over the whole conversation again later just to make sure it wasn't sarcastic.  Aren't they to a point where they can be left on their own a bit?  It's not like you're entirely on your own.  There was an entire pack.  Certainly someone (not her) would be able to keep an eye on some of them to make sure they didn't get into too much nonsense.  It wasn't like the pups were small any more -- if she wasn't paying attention, they could be mistaken as gangly-looking adults.  Either way, to loop back to the vanished, How long has she been missing?  Obviously since it didn't seem like any of the youngsters had mysteriously disappeared since arriving, it had been beforehand, but what did that actually mean?  Besides, she seemed awfully chill about the whole thing.  Weren't most mothers generally frantic when their children went MIA?  Or furious, depending.

Treason more or less offered that someone in the pack could help take care of Wyatt, which seemed like a good idea to Laurel. She actually would prefer if someone took care of him all the time, but knew she could not ask such things. Still, though, she could get someone to watch him while she was out on her own. Maybe she didn't even need to ask. Maybe she just needed to leave, and the pack'd step up and take care of him, as a pack should.

"You're right, I forget we're part of a bigger pack now who could help look after Wyatt," said Laurel with an appreciative smile. She really wished she could just do it all by herself, but obviously she couldn't, so to hold shit together it'd be better to just go and look for Piper herself and leave Wyatt in the care of the pack, for now. At Treason's next question Laurel said, "Just a week or so before we left Bearclaw Valley." Laurel frowned at that -- she felt bad for leaving the valley with her girl missing, but they needed to get out at the time. Besides, Indra'd checked the valley since then and hadn't found Piper yet. "I'll go out looking for her sometime soon. Hopefully something comes up." Laurel didn't really count much on it but she felt suffocated being here, too, so any excuse to get out for a little while would be good.

Perhaps it was just a certain amount of acceptance, then.  The initial panic had worn off and all that was left was some some sense of exhaustion but also a desire to continue.  Treason was just guessing.  It wasn't like she had much experience in the matter.  I know you may be more comfortable asking one of the wolves you came here with to watch him, just let us know what your plans are so we can account for someone doing so if something else comes up.  If some other disaster happened, they needed to know where everyone was, and if Laurel (or possibly Indra) went off on some grand trip, Treason didn't want to be looking for someone who wasn't actually missing.

I think at some point there may be a trip or two out to neighboring packs.  Have you spoken to any so they know to be on alert?  If they'd been told already, it would be pointless to bring it up other than to check in.  She was also making the assumption that Terance was going to want to go see his offspring (or maybe Seabreeze would get a clue and bring them to see him instead).  Then again, maybe he wouldn't.  She wasn't privy to every thought of his, and to a certain point maybe it would be better if they just made a clean break.  Treason kept her opinions to herself.

Laurel nodded as Treason told her to let them know if she was leaving. She didn't really like this thought, but then again, from being an Alpha she always liked knowing when others weren't around too so she didn't think they'd abandoned the pack. It made sense that they wanted to know.

When Treason said there might be trips to neighbouring packs, Laurel smiled. "No, I haven't. If everyone can keep their eyes open for Piper and Lucas, that'd be great. Maybe someone's seen them." The more eyes on the case, the better.

Do we wanna wrap this since it's now an older thread? Kinda seems like it's going that way anyway because Treason is just bad at talking.

I'll make sure that those going know to ask around.  Hopefully there will be news. There wouldnt be, at least not in time to prevent events already in motion.  Treason did have to wonder how far the youths could have wandered.  Would they be found again or had they met an unhappy end? The realist thought that it was best not to expect good news.

Is there anything else that we could help you with? Other loose ends or what have you.  The pack had seemed to go down in flames pretty suddenly, so if something or someone else had been forgotten or misplaced...

I'm cool with wrapping it up :) thanks for the thread, my last post!

Treason said she'd ask around and Laurel smiled appreciatively. She then responded, Not really... I don't have any leads on them. Then, after a short silence, Laurel said, I'm going to let Indra know to watch Wyatt and check the territories around the hollow now. Thanks for the chat, see ya! Laurel smiled briefly and then made her way to where she'd last seen Indra so she could get some searching done.

She nodded.  The sisters were an odd pair that seemed to have their fair share of issues.  Perhaps over time they'd work them out and seem a little less odd as a unit to Treason, but at least for now, that wasn't going to be the case.  Whatever.  Treason wasn't here to fix people, she just wanted them to stay useful while they were members of the pack, Keep us up to date.  Later.