Swiftcurrent Creek Within the sound of silence

Large loping steps. The ease of a man who knew where he was going and what he was doing. That easy grace that always seemed to fold onto his form. This was what he lived for. Athletic grace. His pace increased the closer they got to home and he couldn't quite hide the soft sigh that left his lips at seeing his home undisturbed. 

There was a brief moment where he stopped to leave his water on the border, marking it further. Then he turned to look at @Tybault with a small smile and a teasing glint in his blue eyes. One that was always there. And this male got so riled, it was kinda cute.

Wait here. @Lestan will be the one to ask, he deals the most with Kvarsheim, so if there is a wolf there then he'll know who it is. Let me grab you some food.

Arric would disappear into the pack lands, find the nearest cache and drop a bloodied and dirty rabbit at the feet of the boy Tybault. 

Eat up. We have to wait. I'll howl.

Nose pointed to the sky, a low, loud lyrical howl, he waited on Lestan.

Arric was... distracting. Hell. Tybault tried to ignore the teasing looks, the smile, but he couldn't help but shoot him a glare when they got to the border. It was a glare without much heat to it, though; he couldn't really be mad. It seemed the man had made it his own personal mission for the day to help Tybault, so he tried to be grateful.
He brought food. Tybault shifted a little awkwardly. Thank you, He wondered if Lestan would be equally confusing and infuriating and helpful. Hopefully only the latter. He ripped off a piece of the rabbit, not wanting to appear ungrateful, though a meal was the last thing on his mind right now.

since his — time — with reverie, lestan had done all his tasks in a dreamy sort of way.
he was recalling the very sweetness of her fur when he was called; startled, he fell from the stump upon which he had been sitting. shooting upward, he dabbed helplessly at the snow now clinging to his frame, shook off the worst, and pranced to meet arric's call.
he found his tall leader with a handsome stranger. lestan's cornflower eyes widened a bit and then he collected himself. "yes! yes, what uh, what can i do for you, arric? and —?"

Arric grinned and motioned to the golden wolf at their borders. This is Tybault. He's looking for his sister. Since you know most of the wolves at Kvarsheim. I figured you could talk to him, and then if you can't figure out who his sister is. We can talk to Akavir about Riverclan.

Arric shifted and settled to his haunches. Lestan and Tybault could talk now. He dug black paws into the dirt, smoothing it out.

The man who answered the call was, Tybault decided immediately, nothing short of a prancing pansy. He had to stop mid-swallow just to more fully observe his approach, and then he had to hide his displeasure. Really? This was who Arric had in mind? But then Arric was leading with introductions and explanations, and it was time for Tybault to speak too.
She's been missing for a few months. She has golden fur, golden eyes. Might be ill or injured - probably seems confused. Have you seen anyone like that? He doubted it, just like he doubted everything about this man he'd just met. Lestan. Pffft.

it felt as though the air had cooled significantly upon his arrival. lestan grew a little tetchy at this, eyes flickering to arric. but the white-ring also looked as though he had washed his massive paws of the entire affair.
"hello, tybault," he said carefully. "what is your sister's name?"

Arric offered Lestan a genial smile. Just because he wasn't actively participating didn't mean anything. He was listening closely. And were the male Tybault to do anything ontoward to Lestan. Arric would be the first to step in. 

Though the boy was exceptional clinical with his description again. He shook his head. I didn't know any wolves like that, but I know you happen to know a few more than me from the packs.

Arric stood again and shifted so that he was standing next to Lestan. Whether to give the male comfort of whatever, he wasn't sure, but Lestan seemed suddenly on edge and despite that he had offered help. Lestan was his packmate, not Tybault.

Ophelia Medeiros - well, back in The Gilded Sea she was, He frowned at that thought, noting the way Arric seemed to move closer to Lestan. It didn't bother him, but it was odd. Was he uncomfortable? Well — if he was, then good. Tybault was pretty uncomfortable too. I'm not sure if she uses that name anymore - she didn't answer to it, last I saw her. She didn't answer to much of anything.

lestan was not sure what to make of arric's open alignment toward him, but he would not complain. he stood a little taller and leveled a stronger look at tybault. "i'm not familiar with anyone by that name, sir."
the man seemed tense. "perhaps you might stay for a meal and talk at length about this, ah, miss ophelia." there! he was making a better leg of it now!

Lestan stood a little taller, and Arric's eyes glowed with mirth and a gentle amusement. He liked the smaller male. 

Yes if she wanted to make a new home, she may have changed her name. So we will have to go on personality, looks and perhaps mannerisms.

Arric shifted and lay his body down to the ground. Outside looking every bit the cool as a cucumber, but inside his stomach was a little tight at having a stranger on their borders.

Tybault felt conflicted; he didn't want to offend Arric, but Lestan was pissing him off. Had he heard anything Tybault said at all? The name wasn't important, and he'd already given the most obvious details. He didn't know what else he could say about Ophelia. But then he thought about her, really thought about her, and his decision was made for him. He let go of his anger, not for Arric but for his sister. If someone was taking an interest, he would follow this lead as far as it got him.
So he was friendlier when he said, Alright. I can tell you more about her... personality, He shot a brief glance at Arric to express his gratitude for the suggestions, because he wasn't sure what he'd have said to Lestan otherwise. Sure, I can repeat myself for you, or something similarly rude, probably. Tybault decided to start with the obvious, the first thing anyone would ever notice about Ophelia; he'd already told Arric, so why not? But you have to understand that she's unwell. She gets this far-away look in her eyes, and she doesn't speak or do anything without being told to. If you met her, you'd know. It's impossible to miss. If he didn't recognize that, Tybault felt, this was a waste of time. But he would go through with it anyway. For Ophelia.

who knew such a handsome man could be so sour! lestan, who had quite soured himself on the subject of mr tybault and his missing sister — who, he could have posited, had run away to avoid her brother's curdled nature! — looked to arric.
since he had suggested the hospitality, he set out to fetch it, returning briefly with a previously cached hare he felt they could share in a small meal of goodwill.
"if i see her, should i call out to her? address her? it seems as though she might be e-easily frightened," lestan pushed ahead, trying to smooth the tension with investigative skills.

Permission given to skip Arric! I thought hard about whether this would work and decided it made sense in my head BUT I want you both to know I am 100% ready to make edits, I have a back up plan in case this doesn't work for either of you <3 just shoot me a message in that case, as always!

At least Lestan seemed to want to help. Tybault shifted awkwardly when he brought the hare, torn between wanting to cut the interaction short and wanting to capitalize on any hint of generosity for Ophelia. He didn't really want food for himself, but if Lestan would find her and offer her the same, maybe it was worth sitting through this. He started to speak, but was cut off as Lestan moved closer with the hare. He smelled like...
You - that's her scent, Tybault could only sound surprised with his first words, because it hadn't really registered yet. On you. What - Was he hiding her? Keeping her against her will? What did you do with her? All his fears came rushing back to him then. Tybault stepped forward, as close as the man would allow, to take in the scent more fully. He didn't even think about the consequences.

Arric was up in a few seconds and pressed a paw to Tybault's chest. His blue eyes glittering dangerously. He stepped further inbetween them, if allowed, pushing the other male, back, back. He was fully expecting a bite or a snap, something, but he wasn't about to have this happening.

You need to take a deep breath and step away from my pack mate. We aren't holding anyone, but if you invade his personal space again. You won't like me. I won't be as amicable.

Arric's eyes were dark and fathomless, promising a world of hurt if the other started any violence.

Ebony, if you want me to take this out and let Lestan answer first. PM me on here, discord or facebook <3

the man was quick as a whip, accusatory! arric was there and lestan bristled. "i meant it when i said i did not know this woman," the mayfair clipped back. his cornflower eyes blazed with the fire-lake's glow. "i believe my ability to help you has come to a close, mister tybault. if it's all right with you, arric, i'll help escort our guest away."
how dare he! lestan was rife with indignation.

The reaction was immediate; both wolves were offended, Arric blocking him in a heartbeat. Tybault went still and seethed silently; he knew better than to pick a fight with pack wolves on their own turf. Lestan knew her, had seen her, had her scent on him — and he was hiding her. Tybault trusted Arric's words, inexplicably, but he did not trust Lestan.
He stepped back and let out a breath. I'll find her, His voice was low and dark. If neither of them stopped him, he turned to leave, not really wanting an escort. He didn't want to spend another moment with these wolves. Maybe later he would regret being ungrateful toward Arric, but right now all he could focus on was Ophelia and the fact that the first wolf he had seen who knew her was denying it entirely.
What if she didn't want him to find her?

Arric watched him go with mistrustful blue eyes. 

Lestan tell everyone to do extra pstrols and send messages to both Kvarsheim and Riverclan. Please.

Then he would wait and watch and once the man was gone. He'd do a patrol.

to save on some threads, im tagging the message in this thread! lmk if u want to BTS thread it out!

dismissed!
lestan nodded respectfully, and with a last slanting look at tybault, he went off into the ranging shadows of the creek, sending up a call for the swiftcurrent wolves to be on alert for certain suspicious and rude characters wandering the borders asking after women who didn't want them around!
first he called upon riverclan, not visiting but howling to @Crowfeather and silvertongue that they too should watch for the same man, offering a description before his path took him eventually to kvarsheim, which he reached that evening. 
there, gunnar and @Bjarna were informed of the goings-on; lestan would have liked to stay and speak with @Reverie, but duty-bound, he did not linger near the stone circle either, returning to the creek the following morning and keeping himself there with no more hint of his earlier lackadasical attitude about his involvement.