Without a word, Iopah had done what she could. There were many nights spend along the borders, both taking up the missing roles and surreptitiously searching in one breath. It didn't matter that nothing had been said, the absences were obvious. The other mothers were quieter and scoured the pack borders at erratic times of day. When their attention started to drift, she was there to quietly take over pup-sitting. As the questions came, she was quick to attempt distracting the pups. Perhaps someone more confident with her words would have said something, but that was not Iopah.

She was teetering on the edge of wakefulness and sleep when Zia's distraught call went up. A whine pressed inside her chest as the woman turned to peer out the den entrance. She already knew what the matter was. Both daughters were still asleep, gangly feet and wide paws sprawled in every direction. Iopah rose and softly stepped around them to their father. For reassurance and to wake him, she buried her nose deep in the plush of his side. "Watch them?" She murmured quietly, knowing he would understand why she was had to leave so early -Koda was just as observant as his mate.

Outside the den the air was heavy with moisture. The alpha's paw felt just as weighted as they searched out Zia. She wasn't sure what to say, but her pace did not slow. The morning was quiet, the mist burning of slowly. In the distance was a shift of silver and another of dark brown. Both of them. Pale feet quickened over a carpet of red-cedar needles. They were speaking; hushed words that didn't need to be heard to be understood. "Zia, Nova." She hummed in one single, soft breath. Iopah drew close enough to close the circle with them, whiskers quivering with sorrow and the desire to help them. "What can I do?"

She wasn't sure what sort of mental states would turn to greet her; grief did strange things sometimes. The morning was still early and the mist hung in strange, immovable shadows. For a moment both of her subordinates seemed much the same, awkwardly suspended in the mist without speaking or moving. Her heart grew tighter the closer she came, loosening only enough to utter Nova's name back in somber greeting. She reached out in the same instant that the other turned for her. That simple movement, or perhaps their low voices, seemed to tear something loose in Zia.

This is why she had come out in the early morning fog. Iopah and Koda had promised to keep them all safe, that was the point of Broken Timber Pines; to help each other. She was not about to shy away now. When Zia tucked up against her side, Iopah hummed a low whine and made to run her tongue over the back-turned ears. The grief was not nearly the same, but she reacted the same as when her daughters came to her after a bad dream or a trivial injury. With the Celencio in a half-circle in front of her, Iopah made to cast her neck and muzzle over the woman's body in a protective, reassuring gesture. She listened to the words, her heart filling in what was left unsaid or scrambled. Over the silver-and-charcoal back she made eye contact with Nova. "I know." she said, both as reply to Nova and reassurance to Zia. "We will go out and we will search for them." Her muzzle lowered to Zia, intending to nudge and make sure the woman had heard, and understood.

With a sigh she drew away from Zia, giving Nova as look as she did so. Did she really worry over Nalda's welfare? Her head shook vehemently, fixing a firm expression on first the raven and then the silver pelted woman. "Nothing will happen to them. Nalda and Arion will always have a home here." It simply was not conditional. With a quick intake of air she lifted her head and sang out for the rest of the pack; letting @Koda, @Silentium, and @Valeria know that the mothers were leaving to go searching. Whether they liked it or not, they all had pup-sitting duty until they returned. "All their scents are old, I haven't found a scent trail leaving the territory yet." They needed a direction to start in and she hoped either had an clue that might guide them on their mission.

Zia seemed to be better now that she had something to focus on, but still, Iopah glanced over once. Her words were lucid, if a little disheartening. The leader hadn't know this had happened before. It wouldn't have changed what had happened on the day they meet, but it did harden the gold in her eye as it skimmed the silvered woman. All of the Broken Timber Pines' wolves were hers to protect and @Inkheart had hurt Zia, twice now. It wouldn't be overlooked -or forgiven- very easily.

Some wolves believed in destiny, that things happened despite every attempt and hope otherwise. Iopah listened to Zia and thought of that belief. It was bullshit, no less reasonable than when Hollow had explained it to her years ago. "We'll find out what happened to them." There was no higher power, just different decisions, and Iopah would withhold her judgment until they were found.

They passed over the border and Iopah's eyes looked over the brightening landscape before going back to her subordinates. With no true trail to follow, it seemed an overwhelming search. The forest stretched out in every direction, but they could only go in one today. She whuffed softly to both and started north. Iopah didn't say why, but the fight at the border had likely been forgotten by none. Her head lifted at Nova's voice to regard the mountain. She continued her stride, looking down only to pick her way between the red-cedars. "I don't know," Why would they have gone up there? Iopah glanced over at Nova and remembered her history. What if @Camio had also started out a mountain wolf? "We might have to."