Broken Antler Fen i walked ten thousand miles, ten thousand miles to see you.

Set beyond the borders. Hello neighbors!

It would have made sense for Finley to feel some sort of trepidation as she stepped beyond the boundaries of the Caldera for the first time in almost a year. The last time she had gone had resulted in her face being mangled and many of her bones being broken to bits, not to mention the almost dying thing. And yet, the Blackthorn felt no anxiety whatsoever as she sprinted away from her home. Instead, she was accompanied only by a burning determination that smouldered within her. She was going to find her daughter, or die trying.

The first few days had taught her just how out of practice she was at this sort of thing. Her muscles ached in a way they hadn't for months and while it annoyed her to have to slow down due to her physical limitations, it felt amazing to be pushing her limits again. Had the circumstances been different, she would have been thankful for the opportunity to be out and away from home. Guilt at the thought was quick to quell it, though. She could not forget the echo of Eljay's sobs as she left, nor the look of melancholy on her mate's face. But above all else, it was Lucy she thought of, and that above all else drove her.

She had left the territory to the East and swung immediately South along the edge of the Haunted Wood. Her greated fear was that whoever had taken her daughter had headed towards the black part of the map where she knew her writer would no longer be able to dictate what befell her. Fortunately, she had gleaned no signs that Lucy or her captor had been taken that way, and so she moved West. She had lingered near Broken Antler Fen, steering clear enough of the borders until she could determine if there was any trace of her daughter there. She had watched from afar for a day or so while moving around the territories outside of their borders. The last thing she wanted to was to alert the pack of her presence on the chance that they did have Lucy, and her arrival would prompt the kidnapper to take her and run again.

But when finally it had become clear that her daughter was not being held captive by Sebastian or any other wolf within his keep, Finley approached and sounded the call for him. He might not have her, but he might know something of a black wolf with red eyes that had a penchant for kidnap.

OMG! Reunion!!!

Sebastian had already been at the borders fortifying the place. They were not with a lot of wolves since Ambrosia and Brandy left, but the food was plentiful at the fen and their pack was small but thriving. Proof of that was that Pearl went into heat, more and enough of a sign that life was well and her body had the confidence that they could raise those pups. Sebastian as extremely happy with the prospect of becoming a father. That was the whole reason he left Redhawk Caldera.

The grey male lifted his paw unaware that he passed his former Beta he was loyal too. Sebastian continued, his ears and eyes alert. But for a wolf who did not want to be seen was usually one that hid well. Sebastian continued, thinking about Odette and how much she had become of his family. He felt like a father to her and it was clear that she felt like a daughter to him. It made him believe even more that family members could be made through friendship, not only by blood.

A howl sounded and it made his ears perk up. Had he been in thought so deeply he missed an approaching wolf? He made a U-turn and trotted towards the howl. It sounded familiar. Soon the alpha male was met with a familiar figure. "Finley!," he let out in surprise, his tail lowering in a more dominant-neutral stance. Not held up erect like he usually would when encountering strangers. He almost wanted to fall back in his usually submissive stance, until he reminded himself that these were his lands and he was the alpha now. "What a surprise. Is something amiss?," he asked with concern in his voice. Fox had made it clear that they were no enemies but not friends either. So Sebastian had kept to those rules and let them be. For Finley to search him out made him worry a bit.

omg I know excite!! :D :D

Finley's patience began to ebb after about 30 seconds of waiting. By the time Sebastian eventually showed, it had gone completely and she was fighting against the desire to move on. Inactivity drove her insane even on a normal day. With Lucy missing, the feeling was tenfold. Every second she waited was another second she wasn't searching. It was another second that some black bitch was taking her daughter further away from her. It was another second her daughter was alone and scared. And that just pissed Fin off.

Sebastian's presence distracted her. For a brief moment, she was swept away by the joy of being reunited with an old friend. A smile slipped across her muzzle as he approached. She had always been fond of him. It had been a real bummer when he'd gone, but she certainly couldn't have blamed him. What man didn't want the opportunity to spread his seed about? There had been no room in the Caldera for yet another breeding pair, and so it had only made sense for Sebastian to leave to seek what he so desired. That didn't make it any less of bummer when it had happened, though.

"Hey Seb!" Fin called fondly. She strode forward and closed the distance between them without a second thought for posturing or showing proper respect or whatever nonsense she ought to have considered. She snuffled happily at his muzzle and cheeks in a wolfish greeting, her tail wagging all the while.

It wasn't until after she'd given him a thorough wolf-inspection that she sat back and decided to answer the question he'd posed. "It's good to see you," she commented before diving into her reason for being there, "But yeah, unfortunately I'm not here on the happiest of missions... My daughter is missing."

Fin paused, searching his face for a reaction before explaining. "She's a little over two months old. She was taken from the Caldera by a stranger with black fur and red eyes. My youngest son saw it happen, but he's just a pup as well. He couldn't tell us any more about who took our Lucy. According to him, it was a monster." There was sorrow in Finley's heart as she spoke, but her eyes were clear as she gazed resolutely at her old friend, asking without speech for any information he might be able to provide about her missing child.

Sebastian's tail was wagging like crazy when Finley greeted him. He was also dropping more of the formalities now he was seeing a very good old friend. It was a pity that they didn't get to speak sooner. The large grey let the female inspect him. He did greet her back with sniffing out her muzzle and cheeks. "Likewise," he spoke to her, just before she started explaining about one of her young being missing. That would be the soon-to-be father's worst night mare. His face showed that too.

"Finley. How awful," he spoke. He wished he had seen her, but they had not. He also did not know a wolf with dark fur and red eyes. That was an odd combination. "I'm sorry, Fin. We have not seen him. At least I have not heard of a wolf with that description or been in contact with a dark colored two month old pup," he explained to her. The grey male thought about where she could be. At least they didn't come through here.

Sebastian thought about Odette who was close to that age when they adopted her. She had a reason for leaving. This pup was pupnapped for sure! He knew that Finley and Elwood were great parents. "We only adopted a former Silvertip pup that was roaming these lands. I can have my scout look our surrounding area's for your Lucy though. You and Elwood must be devastated. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my young either," he spoke.

Fin hadn't been enormously hopeful that Sebastian would have any information for her. That would be way too lucky to find Lucy right next door, after all. And it would also be just plain embarassing for Elwood who'd been gone for days searching the Wilds without result. But still, the mother felt her features wilt slightly when her friend confirmed her suspicions - that he had seen neither Lucy nor the monster who had taken her.

The former beta shook her head lightly and heaved a gentle sigh. She was ready to offer him her thanks for letting her know and to ask that he keep an eye out for her wayward daughter when he went on to mention a couple of tidbits that piqued her interest. She tilted her head slightly when he mentioned a pup from Silvertip Mountain that they had taken in. They had one of those at the Caldera. But again, before she could say anything, the second tidbit hit her and her head tilted even more severely, but to the opposite side this time.

"Um, excuse me..." Fin commented, gazing sidelong at him, "Your young? Sebastian Rochester, did you reproduce?" She had somewhat suspected it by the scents that lingered on the border, but she had disregarded it as soon as she'd discerned that it had nothing to do with her Lucy. Only then did she realize what it might meant instead.

Sebastian did not get any information back about perhaps the location of Odette's brother and if he was still around. He did met a pup in those woods. Alas, Finley decided to comment on his reproducing skills. Sebastian broke out in a grin. "Yes, Finley. I had the sex without being flustered," he pointed out and laughed. He was definitely more matured on his time alone, leading a pack and having a pack. Perhaps being the alpha of a pack was what pushed him to grow up a bit more. He quirked up his lips. "Pearl is carrying right now. So within a few weeks I am going to be a dad," he admitted, trying to contain his excitement but that had always been hard for him.

He was so happy about becoming a father. Having Odette around really confirmed it for him that he liked being a father and that he was perhaps good at it too. Odette called him her father, and he called her his daughter. They were truly a family. His tail was wagging behind him. "Pearl was a good friend of mine for a long time, turns out that she was the one after all!," he let out. He then remembered that his first crush was on Finley's sister, who died while carrying herbs. It was a sad thing. He was so upset about it at the time. Because of her he became a healer. And his next crush/Girlfriend Haven, well he was still taking care of her brother, Aduin. What a world.

Sebastian confirmed with an atypical self-depricating remark. She grinned, chuckling briefly. It did seem to be quite the accomplishment for a personality like his to have successfully done the deed. He was a big guy, but had always struck her as shy and rather awkward. He'd had too little confidence to ever have been an interest of hers, but she remembered the crush he'd had on Tiger, and the reasons behind his departure from the Caldera. She hadn't been sure if he'd achieve his goals, if she was being honest with herself. It was good to hear that he had.

"Well congrats, big man," Fin replied, smirking a little at how he'd excitedly told her about how he and Pearl had met even though she hadn't asked. It was endearing. "I'm happy for you. The folks back at the Caldera will be too." She smiled, but it stiffened as her mind slipped back to Lucy. "Keep a close eye on them when they come," she added after a beat, her tone more somber than it had been in spite of her desire to keep things light.

Sebastian noticed that his own excitement might be inappropriate for how his friend was feeling, so he calmed down his demeanor. The male was getting better at that, keeping his own excitement at bay and having a more calm and assertive side if needed. As an alpha he learned that he couldn't be excited and gullible all the time. He had settled for more traditional ways and really liked his life so far.

"I will. I will also look out for your young Finley. I will try and send my scout to look for them too," he spoke to her. "Take my greetings back to the Caldera," he spoke with a kind smile. He hoped that Finley would find her daughter. "Please tell me when you find her."

Sebastian seemed to detect her sobering mood, and Finley flinched inwardly. The last thing she ever wanted in her life was to bring other people down. She had always been one of those to hide her drama in a corner and hope that no one would notice. It bothered her when people knew she was bothered. She didn't want to bring people down; she wanted to lift them up, most often to ill-advised heights.

So she smiled at her old friend and gave him a nod. "Thank you," she replied, "I'll tell the pack too, but you may need to bring them by as proof once they're old enough. You might want to bring Pearl along to vouch for it too. And maybe a witness, if you're kinky enough to have one." She grinned, remembering the first batch of firebirds and how they very well may have been conceived during Somnia's game where Peregrine and Fox had made a spectacle of their raging hormones.

Fin was quiet for a moment before she stepped suddenly towards Sebastian. Her nose trailed past his shoulder as she pushed herself against him in a wolfish embrace. Though it was a purely friendly gesture, she had hesitated just before for the simple fact that even as packmates, they had never been so close. Perhaps it was the black hole her recent loss had left in her heart, but she felt more compelled than ever to show affection when she was typically rather reserved with it. And Sebastian was certainly one of those she would have reached past her own boundaries for, even when they had been stronger.

<3

Sebastian grinned at her in response. He had grown very much so over the year. It was around this time that he left the caldera to find his own place. Luckily the growing was all mentally because he already felt like a giant sometimes. The male felt proud for achieving his goal, while currently almost being able to check of the next goal.

"Alright, Alright," he grinned at her. He had always liked Finley, and even though they hadn't been that close when he was a pack member he felt as if their friendship continued to grow even though they hadn't seen each other for a long time. "Please let me know when you find your daughter," he spoke to her. "Then I will show proof of my fatherhood later to you and the Caldera," he couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

Sebastian leaned into the wolf embrace and gave her a gentle nudge, hoping it would give her some more courage and comfort. He was pretty sure her daughter was still alive, she was a blackthorn like her mother and he knew how resilient Finley could be with life sometimes. He quirked up his lips into a goodbye smile. "Take care."

thanks for the thread!

Sebastian returned the gesture with little awkwardness, and Finley smiled. She stepped back after a moment as he bid her farewell. She tipped her head lightly towards him without saying a word before turning to canter off. The glow of having spent time with an old friend seemed to slip off of the Blackthorn the moment she turned away from him. Lucy filled her thoughts as she moved, and suddenly she was alone again with her worry, her fear, and determination.