Deepwood Weald That shine for me

Set the 30th I guess? 31st maybe? Tags for ref!

After the talk with @Vallkyrie, he'd scanned the borders quickly, then took off after the day old trail she'd left leading away from the forest. He'd howled several times along the way, never getting the reply he'd wanted. The trees grew more dense here -- like some sort of darker, more ominous version of his own forest. He'd just started in, feeling like he'd be slowed here, so might as well howl now and get it over with -- he called for @Simmik, wondering how far it would carry through the trees and moss. Like somehow it would be quieter here. 

Mal paused, listening. Then with no reply, he continued forward along the broken scent trail. He'd seem really stupid if this did turn out to be another misunderstanding, but he'd apologize then, and probably beg her to stay home just for a little while. But the longer she was gone, the less he felt like he needed to have some apology prepared -- it would make sense for him to be concerned. Please, let her just be napping somewhere ahead. Maybe she just hurt her shoulder a bit more or something. Let it all be another overreaction...

She had moved beyond the mountain and it's glen this evening, the color of an autumn sun set providing a beautiful backdrop for a song that clashed horribly with the setting. It was a desperate kind of call, sung by a voice that she vaguely recognized, which of course beckoned her from her exploratory path. Moving with purpose now, Keres slipped into the Weald in search of the Alpha male, curious about who it was he searched for, and why there was such a distraught tone lacing his calls.

Mal? She asked gently, ears pitching forward as she announced herself and her approach. Everything alright? Obviously not, but she did not have the rapport she had with other wolves just yet, and so played it safe for the moment.

And he wasn't alone. But the woman that appeared wasn't the one he was looking for. But he was okay with Keres. If he needed to call in the heavy artillery, maybe Moonspear could be involved. Last time, Mal had been in good humor. Now he definitely was not. It was all business, as business as Mal could be -- which usually ended up with him stressed x 1000%. Seriously, world, leave him alone. Let him and his little weirdo family be happy, dammit! 

So his reply was a little bit clipped, No. He'd paused only for a moment, then motioned for her to come along if she did want to talk. He wasn't going to dally on this trail. Simmik, my beta, she's missing. I've followed her trail this far... She didn't come back from her trip the other day. -- I know that's quick but hear me out, she's been helping look after a couple of orphans we took in. She didn't come back. He kept hot on Simmik's trail. There had to be an answer.

Mal's invitation for her to accompany him ass he walked was accepted wordlessly, instead listening to the spotted male as he spoke. But there were no good tidings that fell from his mouth; in fact, what he did say was alarming and concerning. Missing? She parroted, listening to the facts he laid out and accepting them without issue. I will help where I can. What does she look like, and have you picked up her trail recently?

He was quick to provide a description, Taller than me, white, orange eyes. Her trail came in here but it's getting broken up by now. But --- here. He paused and pointed his muzzle at a bush that grew along the path -- it had likely raked her fur. After that he kept going, following the scraps of scent. I'd been hoping that I'd find her out here resting -- both of us got hurt from a trespasser a while back, but she was fully healed by now as far as I could tell. Would have been nice, even if he would feel like an idiot for overreacting again though. It'd just be nice to not have something suddenly go foul for once. Nah, life wouldn't let them be that way. But he'd still keep searching.

She took in the description he gave her and forged it into her memory with fire. When he showed her where he had found the missing woman's scent, Keres lowered her nose to the bush and breathed in. Deeply. There, she could smell her, still somewhat fresh. The scent could only have been a day or two old. That was likely as good as news could get right now.

I will help, She proclaimed, voice firm and strong. As long as it takes to find her. Fierce eyes looked to Mal now, remembering how she had taken control of the search for Mira when it had been Dirge and Desdemona. We split up. Keep within hearing distance of one another. If either of us finds anything, we call. Yes?

It was good to see that she was taking it seriously. He needed to get the word out to wolves he could trust -- okay, maybe trust in the definition of "would do something" as opposed to truly trust with all his heart, but it was better than nothing. He needed allies in this. He needed Simmik back home safe. 

He nodded sharply, Yeah. I'll go more north.  He shoved his way between a couple of bushes and off the path, starting to sweep the area for places where Simmik might have gone to rest, or other branching trails that she might have taken -- it would be nice to find one going back the other direction. He wasn't even sure he was on her correct path any more, or just crisscrossing it occasionally as he traveled. But for now, he found nothing.

He took her direction without contesting, nodding and peeling away to search for his beta while Keres turned herself to point away from him and start her own part of the search. Head down, her nose began its earnest work, taking in scents and odors and parsing them as nerves passed the signal onto her brain. Methodically, she moved, covering a good deal of distance efficiently and yet, ineffectively. 

Nothing. Her lips pressed in a thin line, ears pushing back against her head. Still, she did not give up her search, moving onward to the next patch of brush and foliage.

He picked up a game trail again where it had forked back into his direction. It was a little wider path than before and he followed it a short distance towards a break in the trees -- a small clearing.  Around a turn and that's when he came to a full and complete stop. Complete brain dump. Before his consciousness rebooted, he'd already howled for Keres. He just stood there, staring.

Everything about it seemed just so subtly wrong, but he'd yet to move into the scene. It was like someone had tried to take down a kill there but it had gotten up and fled elsewhere. Except here, a few pale tufts off fur were ground into the grass or had blown and caught on the trees surround. It was too long for the white prey he could think of, too pale for those with matching length, or just the plain the wrong location for it to be likely. He was, however, looking for a white wolf.

Hell.

Someone had taken her, hadn't they?

His tone was alarming. Worrying. Keres did not even listen to its completion as she dove through the trees to cross the Weald and arrive at Mal's side. Had he found a scent? Blood? A body? Her mind raced quicker than she did, and though she did not know this Simmik, Keres would worry all the same. 

Panting, the woman halted at the man's flank, searching his face and eyes as she waited for... something. A quick look over the area before him revealed nothing, though upon a second, more thorough look, she realized she was incorrect. There were signs of a struggle. Broken foliage. Tufts of fur. And yet, strangely enough, there was no blood. Odd, considering the destruction in this small clearing.

Mal? Her voice was concerned, questioning. To her, it was obvious a fight broke out here, but what happened now was his call. It was his Beta, after all.

Why?

No, really, why? Why did this happen to her? Why did this happen to him? Why couldn't his packmates be left alone? Why did bad things continue to haunt them all? Keres had shown up, had spoken to him. Another pause. Someone took her. Well, duh, Mal. Maybe it wasn't a "duh" but she certainly wasn't here.

There were two options. One was the wrong direction. So. Most likely. Someone who was going to make good on threats and then some. Gee, who do we know who kidnaps people? His face turned to a frown. He now circled around this clearing, trying to keep from stepping on anything that seemed particularly distinctive -- all the pawprints were larger than his, but that didn't say too much. The scents were gone by now. Useless. Donovan was obsessed with her -- had to be him! I need to get her back. I can't let some monster keep her! It was lacking a bit of information, though, but given how fast his brain was trying to connect dots, maybe it was unsurprising. But who else would be that daft?

There were so many questions. Who? Why? Who would take Simmik and why would they take her in the first place? Why was that Mal's first thought? What would make him jump to such a conclusion, other than the fact that there was a crime scene here right before their eyes?

Keres would watch as the leader paced like a tiger caged, listening silently as he asked a (seemingly) rhetorical question. It wasn't until he had an outburst with a rather wild accusation that Keres interjected with a, single simple question: What do you mean obsessed?

And here he was, not able to go fight for her -- or at least so he was sure. Mal wasn't a fighter. Donovan was. Who did Neverwinter even really have? Lenny and Hao. But that meant that nobody else would be left to protect everyone else. Dammit. He tried to find some further hints -- at least he knew it couldn't have been long ago but... Still.

You know how he was going around causing chaos and messing with all the packs? Well, when he was doing that he was apparently being all nice and friendly to Simmik like some normal person. Like friends and all that, had her convinced until everyone else said what he did when she wasn't around. He kept trying to convince her that he was totally ok or something even after that. It always seemed weird to me -- like there had to be some reason for it. Like there had to be some sort of plan for why he was being nice for one wolf but it didn't carry over to the rest of the pack or anything. Now it all makes sense! He was sort of ranting by this point. But did it make someone a conspiracy theorist if the conspiracy was true? True-ish, at least. He had a few details wrong but the gist of it would turn out to be on the right track. He probably originally wanted to try and convince her to join him because he knew she's a good fighter. But she'd never go with him now -- he'd done too much bad stuff -- and then he admitted to her that he was a rapist. She was the one that decided the Saints were our enemies, for real. She'd never go with him willingly -- so he took her anyway! I mean, when he was talking about the other chick he kidnapped, he was all trying to make himself the victim and we know what he left out now  -- probably thinks he has to kidnap her or something after the effort he put in! Dude's crazy. It was the only explanation. She'd never leave Neverwinter -- or at least not the way she had. If her trail had just vanished, maybe he'd think it was her own choice... But this? Nope. The whole damn world knew that guy liked kidnapping people, and Mal knew he had some weird obsession with Simmik. It had to be him. He was suspect #1. What's he going to do to her?! If she's not near here... I gotta get her back. Somehow. He howled for Simmik again, hoping to hear a reply, but there wasn't likely to be one.

Mal ranted and raved and the silver wolf of the Glen made no move to calm him, instead listening to all the words that poured from his mouth. And what a waterfall of words they were. The more she listened, the motre she became rooted to the spot, ears slowly splaying backwards as if a visual indication of her disgust. Rape? Disgusting, lowly, vile.

Mal, hold on. What makes you think all this? It was a lot, she had to admit. A lot of assuming and jumping to conclusions that she didn't quite make. Have they had a run in recently? Since the Saints moved south, I mean? I ask because there's no scent. No proof. It could be anyone.

Confirmed with Hela that Simmik told Mal everything that happened in that thread.

Who else would it be? We've got a confirmed kidnapper who was trying to mess with her, this isn't that complicated. None of it made sense for why it happened... But then again, Donovan had to be involved. That guy seemed to just do stuff for kicks, because it certainly didn't seem to line up with self-preservation. He wanted chaos. There wasn't anyone else out there he knew of on that side of the Wilds who would have done it -- so duh, Donovan. I don't know when they exactly moved, but she did run into him recently. I told Simmik and Kyr to search the western valley for my son, but they ran into him and another Saints person at some waterfalls there instead. The Saints threatened to kill them if they went there again.. Simmik threatened him right back.  I don't even know how far they're trying to claim... -- But that dude's unhinged, he was all proudly admitting what he did to that girl after Simmik called him out on it. No sane person is going to do that.. I mean. He's always acted like he can just do whatever. As I said, he probably thinks he can convince her to stay -- or is gonna torture her for kicks or something. Or-- dammit.. Worse. Donovan seemed ok with worse.

But if I keep looking and I don't --- Find a body? Oh hell no not gonna jinx himself that way. If I don't find her here... He totally took her. She wouldn't have disappeared without saying anything. She had responsibilities.. Friends. He just really needed Simmik back. He needed her to be safe. His pacing paused, I don't know what to do. Fight? Sneak? What was he going to do to her? What is he gonna do to her?

All of it filtered in, widening that pit of disgust she held for the brindled man to swallow all of that information and digest it without her brain breaking. It was when the male began to mentally flail that she surfaced from that scum and slime, ears forward as Mal worried and paced and worried and paced. Ah, time for her to take the reigns again.

Keres stepped forward, putting herself in his path so that he would stop, for his antics would only rile his anxiety up further. Here's what you are going to do, She said, voice steady and firm; still, she was careful to keep her posture less dominant than his, knowing that bossing around an alpha was never a good idea. It was apparent to her, however, that he needed a guiding paw just then.

You and I are going to continue searching the Weald, specifically this clearing. We will look for any sign of a trail. If we do not find one, you will continue to search for her beyond this forest and I will return to the Mountain to tell my leaders whas has happened. You need to stay away from the Strath south of Moonspear. That is where they have moved. I don't put it past them to attack you if they realize you're looking for her and they do have her. Her eyes met his fleetingly before she moved her gaze to his nose. Alright?

How did this keep happening? That was all he kept thinking of. He needed to stop this.. One way or another. Leaders were supposed to sacrifice, but the sacrifice shouldn't be Simmik's life. But Keres spoke, he looked over. Keep searching? Well, duh. It wasn't like he was just going to give up. No, instead he was trying to figure out how he was supposed to chuck Donovan off a cliff. 

Frustration. Tiredness at things repeatedly happening to their pack. Why them? Was it somehow his fault? He just wanted to be left alone. I can't just do nothing after that. I have to figure out how to get her out of... Wherever that Strand is. -- Donovan's gonna end up doing something worse to her -- or if not him then it'll be one of his goons. The longer she was there, the higher the chance something would happen. And Mal could probably think of some pretty awful things that could happen while she was gone. He liked none of them.

You won't do nothing. You will stay strong and keep your wits about you. Keep your pack together and tighten patrols. Of course, she could suggest all this and he could still ignore her, but that would be on him. You can't always be the one out looking because who will be there to protect your pack if something should happen. Don't be brash, be rational. Acting with his emotions, at this point, would not be helpful.

Hix expression darkened. That seems like the answer we try every time and yet bad things keep happening to my people. That isn't enough. Maybe it never was, but this was the last straw. Something had to change. Something had to happen so that his family was safe. He didn't know what. Something. And it would probably not be something that would make him happy... Because that's how life was, apparently. He had to sacrifice more for them -- or at least that was all he could think of.

The valkyrie had no answer for him, no magical solution that would right the wrongs that had been committed against he and his pack. If she had, she would certainly not withheld them from him, but as it was, Keres looked back him with a solemn look upon her maw. Sometimes, life was cruel, and the only thing they could do was weather the storm.

No answer. Uh huh. Exactly. He looked away. Then, more quietly... I need Simmik back. In one piece. She's been through enough already, even before this. He stalked to the far end of the clearing, sort of halfheartedly scanning the ground at his paws. He just wanted her back. He wanted his son back. He wanted everyone to be safe, to be happy...

But there wasn't anything he could do.

All he could do right now was search. Hope. A deep breath.

I will do what I can to aid you, Mal. I'm going to go speak to the leaders of Moonspear and the Glen now, I won't waste any time. No, time was of the essence here and it was with a final look cast about the clearing that Keres would glance at the Alpha, pausing in case he had anything else to say or add before she would head back, running the whole way home.