Serach's ears perked up attentively when the usual forest sounds were interrupted by the sound of an unfamiliar voice howling. For half a moment, he considered ignoring it and resuming his activities - namely finding a cozy place to settle down for a late afternoon nap - but alas, he could not afford to let the summons go unanswered. Sparing just a moment to scratch his ears first, he opened his lips and howled back to let her know that he was on his way.

Sunlight or shadow made no difference to the Bend leader. Loping through the familiar woods, he was sure-footed and quick to find his way to where the stranger was waiting outside of his borders. She was easy to spot, her russet fur was striking and made her stand out starkly against the winter snow. He approached with a raised head, but a friendly smile. "'Lo. I'm Serach Donata, and these are my borders you're standing on," he introduced, leaving the question of what she had wanted unasked.

The russet-furred woman seemed pleasant enough, greeting him with an easily wagging tail. Her relaxed attitude and the smell of other wolves on her pelt told him that she was not a lone wolf looking for a pack, and as she introduced herself, she confirmed his assumption. His smile dimmed though at the mention of which pack it was. Kisla, his heart lurched at the thought of his beloved sister. Lila had been the one to deliver the news to him, and ever since he had struggled to come to terms with the emotional fallout. Most days were good, but most days he didn't have to look a member of his sister's pack in the face.

"Nice to meet you, Jynx," he responded, forcing himself to be pleasant, although his tone of voice was certainly more muted than it had been a moment ago. "I know of Lachesis, although I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting face-to-face. You've come a long way, so please, what news does he have for us?"

Jynx was here on an official visit, not a pleasure one, and she was quick to dive into the real message. While he initially watched her attentively, he could not hide the look of surprise on his face when she let the shoe drop. His eyes widened and his ears twitched, as though he was trying to correct his hearing in case he had misunderstood it. Hearthwood was gone? It hit him harder in the gut then he would have anticipated. Blinking a few times, he turned his head to the side so she could not see his face while he struggled to grasp the implications. There were none, realistically speaking, that would impact him or the Bend in any real way. But Hearthwood had been Kisla's, and with it now gone, it felt like losing his beloved sister all over again.

"I'm...I'm...sorry," he stammered back at her, turning his head so he was looking at her again, the confusion on his face very evident. "The Bend will certainly uphold our end of the agreement, but I have to ask, why did he move the pack away from Hearthwood?" Did she know? And even if she did, was it going to be a good enough answer? A sense of protection and anger on Kisla's behalf surged through his heart, but that wasn't fair and he bit his tongue to keep it in check. Did she even know his connection? "Kisla Baranski was my sister," he told her, hoping the simple statement would give her a bit more context for his reaction.

She was patient with him, and if she was put off by his emotional reaction to what was probably simple news she did not show it. Serach was thankful for that, even if he could not immediately convey that to Jynx. But he would remember this kindness if they ever crossed paths again in the future. Her patience was matched by her honesty. He did not expect she would know the reason that Lachesis had abandoned Hearthwood, but her guess probably more accurate than she imagined. Serach had never made that choice for himself, but he had heard other wolves tell him similarly that they had to leave because X no longer felt like home. If it had not been Kisla's home, he would not have reacted quite as strongly. And so while he could sympathize and understand his fellow leader's decision, his face conveyed his disappointment and shock more than it did understanding and acceptance.

His eyebrows raised in shock and then furrowed as Jynx continued. He had assumed she knew Kisla, but it had never occurred to him that there might be wolves in Hearthwood who did not know what had happened to her. He could feel moisture begin to pool at the corner of his eyes, and he blinked away the forming tears rapidly, turning his head away so she could not see him do so. I must look a fool, he thought, swallowing his grief so he could look back at her and explain what had happened - something he could not help but feel angry at Lachesis for not doing. "She died, last fall... One of our subordinates, Lila, was on a scouting trip and learned of the news. A cougar tried to attack Kisla's pups in their den, and she died protecting them," he explained, forcing himself to fight through the grief to give her as full of an explanation as he knew. If she wanted to know more, she would have to ask Lachesis.

"I wish Driftwood the best, of course. But...I can't help but feel like abandoning the Kingswood is a slap to Kisla and Maksim's memories, intentional or no."