The lone Baranski prince was feeling rather failed himself. While he had managed to pick up his sisters scent for a few stretches, it seemed bend on escaping him, just like she was herself; Some hunter I am..! The only positive thing he'd gotten out of this foolhardy mission was the reunion with @Greer, and the sweetness of that meeting had long faded from his mind. Orren was tired, and he was angry, angry at his sister for storming of like she had, and even angrier at himself for following after; What was I hoping for?! He should have stayed home, looked after the pack like a proper son. But he hadn't, he hadn't and the truth was, he hadn't wanted to. He'd tried, for almost a year he'd tried to be the guardian his parents had wanted, to take up the task that Aleksei had abandoned when he abandoned them all. Looking after his mother and the girls while his father recovered – only to relapse again – working to keep the caches full and land scouted. And the truth of it all was, he was exhausted, he was tired and bored and going out of his mind from patrolling the same paths over and over and over again. Secretly he had longed to escape the monotony, to return to the adventurous life of his youth, travel and discover and live! Orren had been trapped by circumstances and his own good wishes, until Karina, unknowingly, had offered him a means of escape.

So he'd run after her, hungry for even what small bite of adventure he might glean from chasing her down, all while keeping up his role as the dutiful son. Indeed he was pissed beyond belief about the way his sister had run off, but he couldn't truly blame her, couldn't honestly say he did not understand part of her motivation. He was angry, because of the way she had left things, with their parents crushed, their baby-sisters confused, hell even @Kjors abandoned and unknowing. But he was even angrier, that she had been the one to do it, and not himself. This could have been an adventure for the both of them, a chance to reconnect; If only she'd done it right! Or if he had offered her the chance. The scene at the meeting kept playing over in his head, copper ears flattening back at the memory. He'd stood by, he'd understood her and yet he hadn't offered support. Because he was still trying to be what he wasn't, still trying to be Aleksei.

And so now here he was, going over stale trails again and again, walking in circles for days, trying to find the sister that had once been so close to him, but continued to drift away. He alternated between several days of more or less successful tracking, followed by one or two nights  of hunting, often landing him with a squirrel or hare; At least I'm not completely useless… He kept mostly fit, never growing to hungry, yet his mind continued to deteriorate. After a month on his own, he was lonely out here, and more than anything he was upset by his lack of progress. The days grew warmer, his heavy winter pelt started to shed, and still he wandered the Wildwood, stuck in between the pressing need to return home and not leave his pack abandoned, and finding Karina and dragging her ass back with him. Until finally one day, as he'd started to drift towards the mountains, an almost alarmingly fresh scent hit him like a slap in the face. Nostrils flared, the air for a moment escaping his lounges as he almost didn't dare believe it. Rather than wasting time wondering if he was imagining it though, the young tracker followed the trail, galloping through the forest, scaring several flocks of birds from their treetop perches. He ran until the trees parted and a wide pool of clear water appeared before him, digging his paws into the ground to brake before he tumbled over into the pond. Stopped right at the bank, Orren looked across the water, seeing an almost ghostly, grey figure standing opposite. Gasping for air, he called breathlessly, a mask of wonder adorning his face; "Karina?"

Word count: 710

Even without his sister's delusional state, Orren too was doubting his eyes. He'd been searching for so long, he had mostly reconciled himself to the fact that he would never be successful; Always at least on step behind her on whatever quest she had set out on. But now here she was? Is it real..? Apprehension nailed him to the spot, she didn't look right, to small and gangly, almost ghoulish. It nearly made him flinch when her head spun to look at him, those cloudy eyes appearing much sharper than usual, almost unnaturally so. The strange thought popped into his mind – Am I too late? – like all that was left of his sister was this apparition, a phantom haunting him for taking too long. But then she moved, and though the dragging, stiff movements could have added to the supernatural air, something about them struck him as familiar. He'd run beside those legs for most of his life, easily pulling ahead of the more careful steps early on, and fallen in stride with them later, when being in front no longer seemed so important.

Just a couple of steps, across the hard frozen surface of the small pond, that was all it took for the specter to transform into his sister proper, relieved recognition washing across the hunter's face. When she slumped against him, he pushed back steadily, feeling how his strength supported them both. She huddled into him and he wasted no time in curling down over her, almost completely encompassing her emaciated form in his bulk and fluff. What had become of her? Out here on her own, desperately fending for herself; Why did you run?! She didn't belong in this place, all alone. He wanted to say all these things out loud, but his voice was lost, all he could do was cling to her with all of his being; I found you!

It was only when she pulled back that he reluctantly loosened his grip, lifting his head to meet her eyes. Now they looked the same as he remembered, pallid and unfocussed, but no less full of life and strength. He didn't really understand her words, not hearing them properly, like his head was underwater, muffling all sound. But he nodded none the less, staring intensely into her eyes. He was here now. And it seemed not a moment too soon, as she dropped, trembling against him. She was so thin! Again he wanted to shout at her for chasing out into a wilderness where she couldn't care for herself, shake her until he was sure she would never do something so stupid, ever again. But once more he was mum, simply staring, watching her like a hawk so that she would not disappear again.

Her next words rang clearer, and charcoal brows wrinkled, head tilting a little; Eat..? Oh he was most definitely hungry, there hadn't exactly been an abundance of time for hunting as he tried to catch up with her. He'd gotten by alright, much better than her clearly, though that was where the confusion came into the picture, why hadn't she eaten already? "Sure…" He agreed hesitantly, finally finding his voice. Persimmon eyes followed her pale gaze, settling on the open water near the middle of the circle of ice. A smile slowly spread on his face, growing into a wide grin as understanding struck at last; "Bu' we need to catch something first!" It had definitely been perfect timing for their reunion, one almost had to wonder if something higher was at play; Or one would, if he wasn't so busy figuring out how to fish through a hole in the ice.

Word count: 613

Her voice was so weak it hurt him, his teeth clenching, turning his smile into a grimace. His body leaned after her as she pulled away, trying to support her even after she'd pulled herself into a proper stance. The way she walked made him wince, every step sending jolts through his own joints. Her movements were rickety, like a pup; Or a wounded dear..! The thought made him cringe back. She was so weak; Why? Why hasn't she come home?! Afraid that she'd keel over halfway, the brother trailed behind her, offering his shoulder as she came to a halt at the edge of the ice. But she didn't take it, instead plunging a paw into the freezing water. "Hey, what are you doing?!" She just held it there, unmoving. Orren's eyes were wide, but he watched without reacting, mesmerized by the strange confidence Karina seemed to have in the ludicrous act. He could almost feel the cold seep up through her leg, her eyes fixed on it.

A small shiver through her body, and Orren looked up at her face, expression a mixture between concern and accusation; She's gone crazy! Then her gaze snapped up to meet his, eyes sharper than ever, despite their milky hue. Suddenly the young hunter felt that he was the one under accusation, brows raising high in confusion; WHAT?! Karina's eyes went back to the water and her brother's followed suit. What he saw changed his confusion to astonishment; "What in..!" They were small fish, compared to what he fished out of the river in Kingsfall, though everything seemed to be bigger there. Still, there'd be a decent meal for the two of them in a few. Orren looked back at his sister, staring for a moment in wonder; How'd she do that? In what world did fish freely come to a hungry predator? The hunter shook his head lightly, blinking slowly. There was something about Karina, he couldn't quite place it, but every so often it showed through, an odd light, an ability to accomplish the impossible.

The boy turned his attention to the fish, furrowing his brow. "Alright," He mumbled, then continued more clearly: "I'll catch you some fish. And then you come home." His eyes darted up, giving her a stern look, and he held them there to wait for her answer. Only after hearing it would he mimic her magic and dunk his paw into the lake, wincing against the cold. It would take a bit of will to hold it there until the fish returned, but when it came to hunting, patience was one thing Orren had aplenty.

Word count: 440