Whitebark Stream She feels no control of her body She feels no safety in my arms

@Artyom

The search for Abaddon so far wasn't going anywhere. The loneliness had begun to creep in again even though Dart was a fantastic companion and incredibly helpful in locating prey from above for her to creep up on. Leaving was supposed to bring on adventure that was given life by Abaddon's entirely too charming prompting. It had been her own fault that the pallid man vanished, she shouldn't have so stubbornly insisted on catching him something to eat. Weary and having nowhere else to go she'd intended to return to her father's pack to ask if she would be allowed to temporarily visit him as long as she helped out with the daily work best she could. When she got to the borders the lack of freshness in his scent sent electric jolts of panic immediately to her heart. Sucking in a breath and blowing it out she walked down the borders a bit nervously looking around and then sniffing again, whimpering as she held back forming tears finding that there wasn't any fresh marking from him at all. Finally after a few moments of fighting off a panic attack she realised she was being an idiot and lifted her muzzle, calling in a wavering nervous wreck of a howl for the leaders.

While the return of missing companions had refreshed Artyom's hope for a brighter future in Whitebark Stream, there was still the matter of Kavik and Grezig's unexplained deaths to mull over. There were so many questions that could not be answered: why did this feel so sudden? Had they been able to mask illness for a long time? Why hadn't they gone to someone for advice? Had he placed his own children in harm's way by bringing Pele to live among them?

So far, the youngster had shown no sign of sickness. She was quiet, naturally, unable to comprehend why her mother did not come back for her and likely struggling to settle in a new environment with rambunctious cubs who had not faced the same trauma. Artyom watched her carefully, eager to help her fit in and keep her from being forced to grow up too soon. He wanted to be sure that she never forgot the family she'd so suddenly lost, but wanted her to feel welcome among his own.

The call of a stranger drew him away from his densite, off in the direction from which it sounded. Artyom moved with haste, having detected some hint of urgency in the stranger's request, and he arrived to find a dark yearling lingering on his borders. The golden leader moved in to better investigate, drawn at once to a pair of glinting emerald eyes.

Kavik's eyes.

Oh, no...

He held his tongue, feeling the guilt bloom right at the heart of him with the consideration of having to inform a relative that she was simply too late.

Not much time passed her call was answered and she looked up at the ivory man eyes round with anxiety. Expecting him to say something first she waited and the silence stretched onward a few seconds too long before she realised he wouldn't. Tail slowly sinking between her legs she shifted from side to side sliding her eyes away to avoid his "I'm looking for my father Kavik. He said he'd be here"  there was a slight tremor in her voice and she held her breath daring to lift her eyes again. Searching the man'd expression for something to hope for she already felt the steady trickle of fear though she was expecting to find that he'd taken Grezig and left for some reason.

Father.

Kavik.

Here.

Artyom blinked, his thoughts remaining with that final word. Oh, how he wished he could've prspared himself for this encounter, for this unfair duty that'd so suddenly become his own to shoulder. Here was where the raven was, certainly, but not in the way he'd preferred. Here was where he'd rest for eternity.

"I..." the golden leader started, then faltered. He looked down at his ivory paws for a long pause, anxious as to how he would handle the emotion that was sure to follow. Artyom lifted his dark gaze to look warmly on the obsidian yearling once again, attempted to find her eyes: "I'm sorry. Sickness robbed your father of his life, only recently."

Slowly her ears slid back on her skull as she released the held breath shakily, knowing for sure that something was wrong when the man avoided her gaze at first. Lainie no longer wanted to be at the borders, she no longer wanted to know whatever the man was about to say. Before she could say anything about it warm brown eyed met hers and the man delivered the news. At first she didn't believe the man, thinking it some sort of sick joke "No that's not...he was perfectly healthy" she said shaking her head eyes widening as she looked behind him calling out to her father desperately. Falling silent there was no response and stubbornly she stared into the man's eyes sure that she'd hear the sound of her father's voice calling back to her to assure her he was safe. Instead she was met with birdsong and the wind blowing through the trees, her eyes filled with tears and she choked on a cry swallowing it down as fast as she could. Gritting her teeth and sniffling hard to suck everything back in she looked back toward Artyom with eyes that did nothing to hide her pain like she tried to.  "He has kids with someone named Grezig. Would you give them all my condolences?" she asked her voice tight with the effort it took to contain the scream she wanted to release. Papa was all she had...his strong embrace was the safest place on earth and now she would never feel it again. It seemed too sudden to be real, it was only a few weeks since she had reunited with him.