Moonspear the jig is up, the news is out

she hunts, head low in an attempt to bury herself within the simple task. she feels verx's absence keenly, and has tried following a few of his most recent scent trails, but the rain and shifting earth, coupled with her own inexperience, means her failure is inevitable. 

she can't believe that he's left them, too, not so soon after Aure's betrayal. the thought of it has her feel utterly unmoored, and she resists again the desire to turn in on herself. the familiar anger is oft driven to a boiling pitch these days, sharply and suddenly when she finds herself alone, moments like this one. 

something darts over her path, and is gone before she can react. "fuck." she spits, straightening, muzzle wrinkled in a half snarl. it's her fault; absorbed in self-pity and useless wonderings as she had been. she swings a heavy paw against a root pushing up an out of the soil, the sharp hurt of the impact enough to dredge her out of her anger enough to realize this isn't helping Dragomir, isn't helping her. 

clenching her jaw, she continues on.

vercingetorix’s absence settled over the spear like a pall of fog — arcturus wondered privately if this was not the male’s plan all along. garner the spear’s good will, and then leave with moonspear saddled by his offspring. 


this uncharitable thought was pushed away as he came upon Isilmë and recalled how their father had glanced upon them; adoringly. in a way that had made arcturus jealous that they still even had a father at all. 

with his tail held behind him in a friendly sway, the mountaineer spoke softly: off to train today? he caught a wisp of frustration in Isilmë’s gaze, and wondered if she too thought of her father just now.

no matter — Arcturus was here should she need help. he kept with her pace a while, hoping somehow his company might soften the hardness that had grown in her eyes of late.