Golden Glade mission #1.3

@Alder, @Aspen, & @Shalon. Intro is vague for plotting reasons.

The journey from her last destination had been laborious, to say the least. Emma was too busy to complain about it as she still hadn't found her target and it felt like time was quickly running short. Borders were rare on her route, but she seemed to get lucky after her days of traversing the terrain. Referencing her past mistakes, Emèlie immediately went into her dramatic persona before calling forth an audience.
Should this not be where the she-wolf lay, Emma would move on to the next packland, leaving her patience behind at this one.

Alder was just about to bring yet another peace offering to his wife - this time, he'd tracked his way to the basin to catch a pair of large fish for both his mothers - and had gotten to the entrance when the call rang out. Damn it all to hell. The King had been admittedly grumpy since Aspen's scolding of him, and he intended to warn off Eden from his wife all together the next time he saw her. 

Dropping the fish in a cache den just a few paces inside, the brute squeezed around and took off briskly to the call - this better be good. He sped up until he raced through the forest, and he was not shy in the raising of his tail, hackles, and head; today was one of those days where he felt his ego needed a boost. 

As by the laws of his own making, however, she wasn't over the borders - she was to be treated at least neutral. He slowed as he came to the edge of the thick, fire-lit forest, stopping on the borders directly and fixing the stranger with a turned face that let him take her in with his only seeing blue eye. He stayed silent, head held high and demanding.

I'm sorry to bother you, I just... Emma began, I'm looking for a family member of mine. She's called Althaia, and I expect she's come with her pups. She wouldn't happen to be here, would she? Emèlie hadn't employed her tears yet, nor the more typical approach of hysterics.
This male seemed much more confident than the others. If Emma wasn't Emma, perhaps she would call him intimidating. But because she was and because he wasn't, she found humor in the thought of him overpowering her. Despite her internal considerations, she kept her face neutral.

She was swift to answer his unspoken question of "what the fuck do you want" but something just didn't click - she didn't even seem remotely bothered. 

                  "Why are you looking for her?"

He'd never seen, heard of, or even smelled any female with pups around here, not other than the three mothers in his Court. His blue glare bore into her, tail curling further over his back. The aggression he felt tricked into his grumbled words, and he didn't confirm nor deny - this could be taken as a yes, and he was hiding her, or a no, that he was only prying for information. Either way, for a woman to leave her pack with pups, well, something must've happned to make her feel unsafe.

Maybe Alder was just being weird, overprotective with all of the hormones going on in the Glade - he had no idea that Althaia was in danger, or that she hadn't been safe. It was only an assumption.

I just...we're so worried, back at home, Emma began, each word freshly fabricated as it rolled from her tongue, She ran off in the night, and I think she may be mentally unstable. How can she feed them by herself? What if..., a sob, It's just easier to think that maybe she wanted a new home. That they're safe, you know? If she's here, I just want to speak with her. Just for a moment, please. By the end if her plea, her voice had trailed off into a choked whisper.
By then, she'd also begun with the silent tears. Hopefully, this was enough for an answer, as Emma couldn't do much more.

Now the girl got emotional - Alder felt guilt twinge in the pit of his stomach, but he pushed it down - and Alder listened: an unstable woman with pups? Shame on them for letting her out of their sight with pups in the mix.

                   "She isn't here - the only pups here are my own."

Grumbling, the man snorted - he was ready to go back to his den. His words were no kinder, but he had no proof or reason to believe her - he also had no reason to care about this Althaia. 

                                           "Unless you needed something else, I'd like to go back to them."

Emma's patience with this "Althaia" had officially run out. A twinge to her temple kept her sane as she gave a short Thank you and was on her way. Yes, this had started off as a mission, simple as can be, but the little tolerance Emma had left for ignorance was beginning to run short. Once she was out of the male's sight, she made haste, tracking her way to the next border.

Emèlie was going to find this girl and when she did, she would have her head.