The silence that haunted the lowlands was chilling enough to embed itself deep with the tawny woman's bones as the tundra temperature did nothing to soothe her either. With the disappearance of Sphinx, Ade relentlessly searched for the sunny girl, hoping one day she would find traces of the child. Though each day, the Rye second came home empty and a little more hopeless. The loyal woman hated seeing family members disappear without knowing what happened. She couldn't know if they were okay or they were in desperate need of her help and she couldn't manage to find them. That's what hurt the sunflower the most, knowing she wasn't there to help the Avalon girl if she needed it.

But the Rye woman could only search so far before she had to return home to Laike. Perhaps, the little bug was like her older sister and had a wandering soul. Though Adelayde didn't think the girl was old enough to care for herself, she could only hope she was underestimating the little @Sphinx.

As the tawny woman sat soundlessly outside the Rye borders, her mismatched gaze scanning the horizon for any signs of the Rye princess as her pale ears yearned for the sound of her laughter in the wind. Alas, like every night, there was nothing. Sighing softly to herself, Ade let her head hang with defeat as she procrastinated going back to the den for the night. There may be a chance she'd return tonight.

She was never really alone out in the tundra. Ever since Laike's permanent arrival to the Rye, he always kept a watchful eye on her whether it was from a distance or right beside her, he was never far from her. Having once been miles and days apart, she yearned to be close to her beloved as well, but lately she had distanced herself from him and the other Rye wolves. Ade had a habit of hiding herself when she was troubled and she had successfully done so before Laike was around. However, Adelayde knew the pale man knew she hadn't been feeling herself lately. She immersed herself in trying to find the Avalon girl, thus draining all the energy she had left after the day's duties. Coming back to their shared den late at night, muttering a few words to him before she fell asleep. Most mornings she would be out of the den before he awoke, getting an early start on her duties before spending the rest of the day searching for her. He knew it was wearing on her, but she wished he couldn't see it, she wished he had been too blind to see it. 

An ear twitched at the approaching footfalls behind her, she didn't have to look to know who it was. Trying to manage a smile though it was a rather somber, pitiful one, it had to do for now. Her mismatched gaze clashed with his fiery one as he drew up beside her softly asking if she planned on returning to their den tonight. Exhaling softly, she nodded silently before she looked back out towards the horizon one last time. Her gaze was stuck upon the frozen tundra for a few long moments before she spoke. "I don't know how many more I can take," she murmured softly as her mind went over each member that disappeared or left the Rye since her arrival. 

She let each one into her heart and what was she left with when they were gone? An empty, hopeless feeling that she was never going to be good enough. Not a good enough friend to stay or say goodbye to. Not a good enough guardian to keep them safe from harm. What if she wasn't good enough for anyone? Ade hated the insecurities that flooded her mind, but it was hard to find refuge from your own mind. Letting herself lean into Laike, she hoped to find the comfort she needed in him. 

"Can you promise me if you ever need to leave that you'd say goodbye at least?"

She could see the concern etched upon his face, but she needed him to promise he'd say goodbye at least. Not that she ever wanted a goodbye from him, she would need one if she ever imagined recovering from his absence. The sunflower was comforted by his words, more than she imagined. Though, the thought of someone dragging him from the Rye made her well up with anger. The sunflower would cross heaven and earth to get him back if she had to and the wolf how dared try to take her beloved away was going to be rather regretful. 

His touch soothed her momentarily anger as her caressed her crown softly, her eyes fluttering closed with contentment. His next words surprised her and frankly she wanted to refuse his advise. She couldn't take a day off, not when Sphinx was still missing out in the tundra or wherever she managed to disappear to. But she kept quiet and let him continue on as she contemplated his words. The more she thought about it, the more it became appealing to her. Adelayde couldn't remember the last time she took a day off. Honestly, she didn't think she ever had a day off. 

This time her smile was genuine as she gazed up at her love. "I'll try to take it easy then, for you," she returned with a sly smile crossed her ebony lips at her last few words. 

She let a moment of silence fall between them as her gaze looked out upon the horizon, this time she wasn't looking for signs of the last child. Simply just thinking. "What do you think about me taking your last name?" Her words were soft and quiet as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. They hadn't officially talked about it, but it was rather apparent between the two of them their feelings for each other.

Had the sunflower been in a better mood, she more than likely would have bantered more with Laike about his advice to take a day off. The devoted Rye second refused to let her guard down and slack on her daily duties. However, her beloved was right. If she kept going down this demanding path she set herself on, Adelayde was bound to crumble in a shell of her former self. Worn down, hopeless, bitter, and distant. Ade was none of those things, but she was close to becoming all of them.

Smirking at his teasing, knowing full well there was only a small amount of sincerity to that statement. By now he would know he couldn't hold her down from doing what she set her mind to. If she really wanted to do it, Ade was bound and determined to do so without any mind of what he thought. However, he wanted her to take a day off for him and she would try her hardest to stay away from the borders, though she wouldn't guarantee she would stay grounded.

As she peered at him from the corners of her mismatched eyes, she could see the happiness flood his normally neutral mask. Her own smile growing with his as she turned to face him fully as he answered her. Reaching her muzzle out caressing the side of his snout, “You can start right now, my love.” Her words were graceful and delicate as she breathed in his musk before pulling away from him to settle herself against his side. Ade would stay forever here next to him if she could, ignoring the rest of the world and the hurt that followed with it. There was no hurt when it came to Laike, no upsetting feelings or moments of insecurity. He was her rock, her beacon of light that guided her through the dark looming clouds that tried to surround her. Laike may not know it, but he was her savior from the dark, the dark that loomed in the back of her mind and threatened to take over.

“Perhaps, we could take a trip together once the weather gets a little warmer? Just you and I without any worries or anyone bothering us.” Normally, the couple only had the few hours before they fell asleep to spend time with each other. Some days they would team up and do a border patrol or try to hunt together, but that was before Sphinx disappeared. Now Ade took off early in the morning and searched far into the evening. It would be good for her to take an extended vacation with her husband.