Frigid rain was falling from a taupe sky, reflected in the drenched fur on the back of a young wolf, trudging through the gathering mud. Her russet tainted head, darkened by the water, hung low, oversized ears flopping to the sides and pale golden eyes half closed. A rather pitiful sight really, yet if you looked close, you could see determination in her gaze, and she kept moving undeterred by the puddles of murky water pooled around her feet. She was on a mission! Her nostrils flared, trying to catch scent through the water, eyes scanning the ground for tracks before they got washed away. She wasn't a fool, she had realized it immediately when her dad disappeared, even as @Nova tried to hide her own worry. The darling daughter knew better though, @Camio wouldn't leave her like that without explaining where he was going and saying goodbye. Obviously something had happened, and she was determined to find out what. So she searched, whenever she could slip away, whenever her mother and @Iopah were busy with something else, the young Zamora would sneak off, sifting through every corner of Broken Timber Pines, looking for clues about her father's disappearance.

It didn't deter her that she hadn't found any so far, she was sure they were out there, just like he was! The rain was a bother, but it didn't stop her from seizing the opportunity when it showed itself; As soon as everyone's eyes were turned, she set off. She was so big now, that they wouldn't worry overly much that she wandered off, which was good, since it meant she would have more time before someone inevitably caught up with her, ending her search for the time. For now, these investigations had stayed secret, the introverted pup had always been prone to wandering off, so no one had seemed overly suspicious of her little trips, which pleased her, she didn't want to discuss it with anyone, this was her busyness.

Pausing to shake the water from her scruffy fur, the young girl glanced briefly up at the sky, sighing lightly as she saw no sign of the weather clearing anytime soon. She wasn't about to turn back though, and with a stubborn growl, she continued onwards, trotting along the northern borders, swerving in and out between thicket and toppled trees. There wasn't much of the territory left, soon she would have to cross the borders to continue her search; The thought filled her both with anxiety and excitement, she didn't particularly want to stray, she had come to like the Pines, and she wouldn't want to further worry her mother or aunty Io, but if she found no clues within the lands, she would move on, and the thought of exploring unknown regions did make a tremor of thrill trickle along her spine. Or maybe it was just the rain.

Word count: 481

"Speech"

"'cause everything is never as it seems"

With the hum of the drumming rain in her ears, she didn't hear the soft footfalls following behind her. Her eyes were turned pointedly at the ground ahead, every inch of her being focused on her search. So when the sudden ahem sounded behind her, the russet pup swirled around, pale golden eyes wide in surprise. Unlike the two other mothers, Zia had not been a particular concern for Nalda when sneaking off. While the silvery woman had been in charge of watching over the pups just as often as the others, there had been very little interaction between the two; She seemed fine with leaving the young Zamora to herself, as she liked best. But apparently Zia hadn't been as apathetic as the independent pup thought, sharp blue eyes following her exploits and now staring her down solemnly.

Two conflicting impulses immediately sprang up in the child's head: One was to cower and apologize; The other to challenge the adult, stand her ground and proclaim her right to do whatever she pleased. She wasn't exactly sure where that second one had come from. In the end she simply flopped her oversized ears sideways, turning her eyes to her, almost equally oversized, paws. What she expected was a short reprimand, followed by the colorless woman herding her back to the flock, urging her to play with the other pups. But the woman's words made Nalda's head snap back up, confusion, and a touch of fear, in her golden eyes. How could she possibly know the point of her diversions? The crystalline blues stared back, and the insecure pup struggled to hold the gaze, trying to figure out what to say. Again a strange new impulse was pushing in the back of her mind, the urge to lie; It would be so simple, how could Zia know that she hadn't told anyone?

But before she could force her lips to move, the adult spoke again, her words making one of Nalda's ears lift and her head tilt curiously. She was like her once? But not anymore? Suddenly the young girl had forgotten her dangerous urges and the frustration at being caught, ever present inquisitiveness pushing everything else aside. She wondered what had made the pale woman say what she did, and what exactly she meant. But once again, things moved faster than her cautious comforts, in fact Zia moved, starting off past the pup and towards the borders. Nalda watched her with wrinkled brows, unsure what exactly was expected of her. Instinctively, she began trailing after the adult, and as she turned to look at her again, the child got a sense that she had done the right thing. Then Zia spoke again, and once more the russet lass was left utterly surprised. She could go? Across the borders?! Even if it was along with a grown-up, Nalda wasn't about to pass up such an opportunity, and she nodded eagerly, loping a few steps to catch up with the slender woman, and settle by her side.

They had walked for a little while in silence, and were nerve-wrackingly close to the borders, when the quiet child pursed her lips, glancing up at the lady by her side. Brows slightly furrowed, she asked tentatively; "Why'd he leave? Did he... Did he find somethin' more int'restin' than us?" If Zia truly understood, as she said she had, she would have an answer, surly.

Word count: 570

"Speech"

"'cause everything is never as it seems"