Oak Tree Bend i think there's a flaw in my code

A plan formulated now all she had to do was execute it. With hopefulness, she began following her latest trail. One that lead to the borders. She was trying not too get psyched one way or another. Her mother could easily say yes, as she could no. Thankfully, the weather seemed to be on her side. The snow was only sticking to the mountains, and whatever landed below melted with the passing of one sunny day. She'd already proven how far she could go, and return safely. This would be a much shorter trip. She didn't exactly want to be out in the middle of winter either.

Catching sight of her coat of silver there was no trepidation. She wanted this pretty bad, and only one word from Aponi could stop her. She brushed up along the side of her, nudging her cheek. Happy she wasn't accompanied. She was sure if she talked about it in front of her sisters, and brother they would only plead to go with.

"Anything interesting today?" She queried, taking a moment to test with her own nose. But, it wasn't like her to tip toe around anything. @Aponi knew her too well. "I wanted to ask you something." She held back what, trying to gauge her mother's expression before pushing forward. If she wasn't having a good day she didn't want to add to the pile.

The ground was hard today with it’s recent freeze but the snows had yet to settle for more than a period of a day or two. But it was clear in the air that the temperature was only going to get colder and it might be a matter of weeks before the first major snow storm was upon them. Aponi was taking her usual afternoon patrol of the borders, an activity that had become second nature to the woman and almost mindless. Sometimes she walked with Serach or one of the children but today she was by herself while the triplets were off with their father on a hunting lesson.

A silver ear flicked back towards the sound of approaching pawsteps and the alpha slowed her pace until her daughter fell in step beside her. Nudging Lila with her flank she shook her head, ”Quiet in the forest today,” She might have said all was as it should be, but they knew it wasn’t. All wouldn’t be as it should be until Ice returned to them safely. Aponi knew her teenaged daughter missed him, they had spent a lot of time together before he had left on his scouting trip.

Of course, this wasn’t the only reason Lila had sought her out. They often patrolled together if either stumbled upon the other but it wasn’t frequent that the yearling actively worked to find her. Nodding in acknowledgment to her words Aponi said nothing, she would wait to hear what the request was before passing judgement.

Usually, it wasn't quiet in the forest. There were three young Donata's that made sure of it. Finding her mother alone, might be the other sign she needed to do this. Her nerves were just trying to get the best of her.

"I know it feels like I just got back, but I want to see if...if Ice is all right." She couldn't recall with certainty when he had gone, but she felt he ought to be back by now. Serach and her had little ones to tend to be doing anything but.

"Isn't it strange how long he's been gone?" His last visit hadn't taken this amount of time, why was his second? Serach had spoke of him seeing Wild Rye Fields too, but even that she thought shouldn't prolong his absence. She wanted to hide her worry, her concern. It was plain in her blue eyes with the other questions without answer.

They had begun to slowly walk the borders again in silence while Aponi waited to her what her daughter was going to request. The mother didn’t think much of it, teenagers were full of questions after all and the queen had no worries of what it may be. Until Lila started speaking that is. Her paws stopped the slow meander they had been doing and blue eyes turned to look at her daughter in surprise. Everything that she had said had been true, there was no falsities in it but she really had just gotten back.

Nodding her head in response to her last question, not the request overall Aponi murmured, ”He should have been back months ago, and Nalda found no sign of him.” He had left in the last true month of the summer and they were almost in the grips of winter now. The queen had thought about sending out search parties herself but with their numbers so low they couldn’t afford to lose anybody else.

But, here her daughter was volunteering to go look for him. Doing her best to remain impartial Aponi answered her request with further questions, ”Where will you look? How long will you be gone for?” There were so many variables, yet could they afford to look for Ice? Could they afford not to?

Lila had high hopes. But, those hopes didn't soar long. They were pulled down as her mother froze, and the dark child was stuck looking into her blue eyes. If she was anything it was determined, and she did not waver. She stood confident in her own choice. The want.

Lila could tell at least Aponi was thinking about it, weighing pros and cons. It was all she needed. Just the slight chance she might just get what she wanted. Why her mother could pinpoint certain looks in her, Lila felt at least in this way she could her mother. Though she was trying to see this not as exactly a mother and daughter talk. She felt she needed to treat it as leader, and a scout as her mother confirmed details.

Next came questions to see if she had thought this through. But, Lila had come prepared. She knew she'd have to speak with her head more than her heart. "I will start at Hearthwood River. See if they have any clue to offer. If not then I plan to check with Wild Rye Fields. I know from here to the fields is five days. Here and back that's ten nights. I think fourteen would be reasonable, given not all things go according to plan." She had proven she could take care of herself, and she wasn't the least bit foolish. She could make it a swift journey, but knew it was best to add in for delays. Give herself time to find out what she could.

"If I sense I storm I promise I'll wait it out, then come straight home." She would not help them, herself, or Ice if she was lost herself. She didn't plan on wintering out of the Bend.

Aponi was pleased, though not surprised to find that her daughter had put a lot of thought into this journey before coming to speak with her mother. Lila was not one to act out rashly, and had instead grown to be logical and calculating. Something the queen certainly had not been as a yearling, that maturity had come much later in life for the silver wolf. But, she possessed it now. Which mean that she knew well enough to squash the selfish part of herself that screamed to deny this trip and keep the yearling close to home where she was safe.

Still, while Lila had been able to answer every question so far Aponi still had more to ask. Eventually she would give her an answer but not without knowing that her daughter was prepared enough to go. Settling her rump upon the ground her expression remained emotionless, though probably not entirely unreadable to her daughter. ”And do you know the way to both the River and the Fields?” Then almost as an afterthought Aponi smirked, ”Drestig and Jessie may not be so happy to hear from us.” Not that the Donata cared, it was almost a bonus if they were irritated.