B o r d e n
I will try, can't you see I'm trying?

Whines and whimpers echoed through the woods; even the winds seemed as though it has changed directions. A familiar face, one that had not yet gone forgotten by the souls of Relic Lore, had emerged at long last. It had been just a little over a year since Borden Lyall had had a carpet of pine needles beneath is feet, but everything about the realm of Cedarwood Forest seemed to welcome him home.

Limping through the trees, he meandered about with his ears back against the nape of his neck and tail held level with his spine. To him, it only seemed logical that his children - particularly Renier, who had only departed Renegades Reach a few days before he had - would gather in this part of the Lore. Their cub days had been filled with fanciful renditions of Grizzly Hollow, the magnificence and beauty of Jasper Rocks, and the mysteries of the Thicket of Secrets. To even think about finding them elsewhere was surely a perplexing thought; and, Borden very much preferred to try and keep himself in order. Just as he trusted Anyu to keep his eldest daughters Trisden and Aiyana in line (as they were both directed to keep the Reach in working order in case he suddenly desired to return), the Lyall patriarch trusted his instincts to guide his every step. If he suddenly felt wary of his surroundings, he changed the direction of his path and, if he wanted to take a step back, he fully turned around and walked until he felt comfortable again - physically and mentally. He was surely certain though that no matter what, he would find himself at his predetermined destination: the old bear den that was his abandoned stomping grounds, land that was left to Kade Attaya, his mate, and the rest of the pack who wished to stay behind.

It had been a while now since he had left the edges of the tree line and the hedges of the Thicket of Secrets behind. His nose and whiskers continuously twitched as he went, just in case he might have missed the familiar scent of Lyall en route to the heart of the forest. So far, though, there was nothing that particularly stuck out to him; there was just the usual, miscellaneous tangs of fox, deer, squirrels, and a hint of raven wherever an old scent trail might have been several days ago. A low whine escaped from his nostrils; the more he looked around the more he began to venture into the parts of his mind that he only recently began to venture into. What he remembered of his place within Relic Lore was, at this point, his strongest memory, from which all other memories were rooted to. He could remember what it had felt like to leave the Mountain of Dire, the heartwarming memories of finding Jaysyek and the life they had within the depths of this very forest, the faces of his children when they had each emerged from that underground burrow, and why they had left Grizzly Hollow behind. Now that he thought of it all, comprehended each fleeting scent that curled in his nostrils, he came to realize that the land and everything within it was still very healthy, untouched by the plague that had once threatened to bring his domain into ruins and his family into their graves under his watch.

Now that he was here he was going to make sure that everything was or would be as it was - just as he remembered it. One way or another, he was bound to find what he was looking for... in no particular order: Renier, the pack den, Rook and Bishop, Kade, and the children he and Jaysyek were still sorely missing (Taima, Calla, and Ryvet). The only catch was that he had to keep himself from getting lost first...

B o r d e n
I will try, can't you see I'm trying?

After some time, Borden's whimpers and whines quieted and there was nothing but the sound of hushed woodland in his wake. The birds didn't even dare to sing their late afternoon songs here and one reason why could have been because the misplaced patriarch was not alone. He kept his nose to the ground, only lifting his head every so often as to roll his shoulders and tilt his head from side to side. He had to be close. He just had to be... By now he would have thought he might have at least stumbled upon something familiar - a certain tree, a specific cluster of boulders, or a fallen log - to put him on the right track. As he wandered on, however, something eventually clicked... and something in his psyche shifted.

A warning sounded out from the darkening reaches of the forest and the Lyall stiffly turned around to stare into the face of a pale-eyed woman, a dominant one at that. He was momentarily caught off-guard but, marker after marker, it turned out that she was not Taima. His head slightly tilted to his right before righting itself again. No; she wasn't Bishop either. One of his ears twitched atop his head and without batting an eye, he replied in kind, "Close, maybe, but my family and I live here, too."

Fleeting images of Jaysyek, their cubs (the four of them, two agouti and two white, who were all but only a few months old), and the place he was currently attempting to find his way back to danced hazily in front of him. It seemed his eyes had clouded over, but he eventually came to in a matter of seconds. "I don't remember a place or pack called Cut Rock River being so close," he commented, his voice genuinely intrigued. Planting both of his forepaws into the cool soil, he wondered why Sibyl had not told him about this woman and her pack. He would have to relay this bit of information to both Jaysyek and Kade later... "Have- Have you been here long?"

B o r d e n
I will try, can't you see I'm trying?

It seemed she was threatened and/or upset, that much was obvious as she raised her tail. The Lyall took a step back to give her space. It was actually nice of her to still lend him the answer of Cut Rock River being close to celebrating a year after its founding. Upon being asked who he was, his eyes narrowed to express his sense of worry. "Borden Lyall," he stated. "I live not far from here. Grizzly Hollow. Close to Jasper Rocks..." He wondered if the woman would know of the area; he assumed that she did. If he could remember correctly, Elettra was still probably telling others of his previous misdeeds. Perhaps that was why the young lady before him now was so wary.

"Do you kn-know Jaysyek?" he asked, his tail tucking now between his legs as he cowered a bit. His ears had started to ring and it was making him uncomfortable. They might have been the same size, but her youth, along with his injured fore paw, easily gave her an advantage over him. He had not meant any harm or means to cause trouble. All he had done was gotten lost and somehow ended up on this side of the forest. "My mate," he breathed as he backed up again by half a step. "I can't seem to find her anywhere."

His jaw trembled as he spoke, adding just for good measure, "I need her. Do you know where she is?" Fearfully, he took in the forest around them, certain now that he really had come to the wrong place at the wrong time. When he regarded Kisla again, there was nothing about him that was confident and proud of who he was. Right here, right now, without someone familiar, he was absolutely frightened.

He had forgotten why he had come here in the first place.

"Can I trust you?" he asked, seemingly naive now. "Can you help me?"