It had become apparent very quickly that Sceral's absence was much more than just adolescent moodiness. Days had passed without any sight of the pale furred yearling. The snows had melted and soon enough, days had turned to weeks and weeks into months. The joy that the pack had felt at Nayeli's return had been lost on Serach, who cared only for the safety of his remaining immediate family member. So he had discussed his options with @Triell and after bidding his uncle a warm farewell, the boy had set out in the only direction he knew where to look - West.

The mountains of Serpent's Pass had lived on the boy's horizon for his entire life, but he had never ventured far enough west to fully comprehend just how big those mountains were. @Kisla lives beyond these mountains, he reminded himself as the rocky giants grew larger with every step he took. This would not be a quick trip, but Serach was determined to return to the Bend with answers, and not a day before. He had lost far too many of his loved ones to simply roll over and accept his brother's disappearance as "shit happens".

The Oak Tree Bend yearling didn't know exactly where he was going. Scared had not talked about Hypatia willingly, and after Magnolia Glen's disappearance from the woods north of the Bend, he really didn't have any solid clues as to where they went. So for several days, Serach had wandered the foothills of the mountains, trying to track down any scents that could be of use to him. It was on the third day that Serach stumbled upon the scents of wolves. From that point, it had been a simple matter to follow their markers until he reached the invisible border they had set for themselves. The pack's male lead had made his mark especially clear, and the boy knew better than to even attempt to cross over the line unless invited. Retreating away from the tree that was the most pungently marked, the youth tipped his head back and howled. Just long enough that the pack would know that he was here, without the urgency that Serach had heard so often from lone wolves at the borders of Oak Tree Bend. With any luck, Sceral himself would answer, but as he settled down onto his paws, Serach knew that was highly unlikely.

For once, the soon-to-be yearling actually planned on staying within the safety of the Plateau's boarders. It was an unusual phenomenon as of late. Even more so with the onset of Spring, and the newly-found ease of traversing the mountain. Belly-high snow no longer covered the mountain, waiting to mat in her coat and slow her down. She was free, yet she chose to remain. The decision had been difficult, but it was time. She needed to stop acting like a cub, to keep up appearances, to ease the minds of her pack mates. They would need to learn that she was not one to be taken lightly, and that she had their best interests at heart. Celandine would lead them where Borlla, and Aesire could not. She would be strong for them, and in turn, they would be strong for her. But first, the pale girl would have to ensure that they didn't hail her as a wayward princess. 

Pulling herself from the den, and out into the sunlight was no easy feat for the girl. Small talk was the bane of her existence. Constant mindless chatter about the whether, or the caches. It was enough to make her sick, but still she went off in search of someone. Anyone would do, or well, almost anyone. Not Evy, or Takis. Not her father, or Aesire. Not even Hypatia. She had to go lower, maybe Heigen or Tannis? That one girl had come back as well, though Celandine couldn't remember her name. Sighing, the youth considered slipping away again. They wouldn't even notice, and she could talk tomorrow, right?As if on cue, a stranger's howl reached her ears. Short and sweet, Celandine deduced that the he was seeking something more than recruitment. How odd. Swinging around to meet his call, the girl broke into a run. She would beat them all to it, she had to. 

When she came upon him, he was settled a respectful distance from the boarders. Always a good sign. Celandine made sure to take on a more dominant stance. She was on her own territory after all. "Hello, sir. I presume that you were the one who called?" Her tone was kept light, and inviting. There was no need to scare him off just yet.

The boy rested on his haunches, his pale eyes moving back and forth in their sockets taking in the layout of the world around him. The air was thinner up here, and the trees were much more sparse than they were in the valley below. The ground was rockier underfoot than he was used to, and Serach found himself shifting uncomfortably from side to side, trying to settle in without poking his backside too much with pebbles and small rocks. His discomfort was a small price to pay for the rewards of possibly finding out where his sibling had disappeared to, so when he caught the scent of a pack wolf in the air, he straighten up and ignored the pokes to his haunches.

She did not keep him waiting long, and soon enough the boy was watching the mostly white wolf materialize on the horizon. As she approached, he instinctively tensed up. It had always been him on the other side of the border approaching the lone wolf, and now the roles were reversed. He was not a lone wolf, but her stance underscored the simple fact that this was not his home and whether or not he was welcome here was entirely up to her and her kin. Shifting off his haunches, Serach hoisted himself up onto his legs, careful to keep his ears flat against his skull, his tail low, and his eyes slightly averted.

"I was, yes," the Bend wolf answered her question. "My name is Serach Donata. I'm from Oak Tree Bend, and I'm here looking for a wolf named Sceral." Flicking his eyes upwards, he watched her facial expression as he said the words, wondering if she would recognize the name. His heart pounding in his chest, he continued. "If not him, then perhaps you know of a wolf named Hypatia?"

 

As she waited for him to speak, the youngest Argyris couldn't help but allow her eyes to sweep across his cream and honey coated form. Good strong build. Lean, but not enough to say he went hungry. Such a pity that the boy wasn't seeking refuge, for he could have made a decent recruit. She might have even considered offering him such, if not for the heavy aroma of Oak Tree Bend marring his pelt. Celandine had a feeling that her father would be less than thrilled to find their scent so close to the plateau's borders, but she wasn't ready to call for him just yet. 

The first name he spoke—Sceral—was unfamiliar to the ashen princess. She might have met a fair number of wolves beyond Silent Moon's borders, but the boy he searched for had not been one of them. "I'm sorry, but he hasn't passed through here." A sincere remorse graced her tongue, though it was not for the blonde male. Celandine had hoped to provide him with information in exchange for a debt, of course. Another opportunity missed. If only she'd been in the right place at the right time, the youth might have been able to use him somehow.  

Ready to hear his farewells, the heiress was caught off-guard when "Hypatia" fell from his tongue. Immediately, her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing his every move. How had this male, stinking of Oak Tree Bend, come to know her sister? Taking a step back, Celandine considered howling for Phineas. With any luck, he would rush over, and escort her sister's caller clear of their borders. "Why do you ask for her?"
 

The Oak Tree Bend wolf waited with his breath held and his heart racing a million miles an an hour. How she answered his question could determine the fate of his quest: either failure or success. Though if the Serach was entirely honest with himself, he wasn't sure how he would react if she did know where his sibling was. He could see the look on her face clearly enough, and although he was conflicted over how he would respond to finding out that his sibling had taken refugee with the Plateau wolves, he was visibly upset over the news that she had never heard of him. Ears flattening against his head, he looked down at his paws and resisted the urge to whine.

His thoughts had already raced ahead to what his next step was when he saw her tense up at the mention of Hypatia's name. Her eyes had narrowed and she had taken a step back from him, almost as if she was wary of his intentions. Instinctively, Serach also took a step back, silently trying to reaffirm that he was not there to cause her harm or trouble. "Sceral is my brother. He went missing during the height of winter," he explained carefully, hoping that she would understand why he was so earnest to find his littermate. "I've looked all over Spectral Woods and Sierra Hills for him. The only other lead I have is Hypatia - she was his friend. I was hoping that maybe she might know where he was." He shuffled backwards again over the rough ground, eyes averting themselves to the rocks below them. Hopefully she would understand.

She watched with intent, as his ears folded back onto his head; took note of the way his heart seemed to fall from his chest. It was enough to make her feel for him, although there was no way she could have truly understood his pain. If Evy were to go missing, the youth couldn't say she would be terribly distraught. It would be one less obstacle on her way to the throne, but Serach did not view his own brother that way. His intentions were made ever clearer as he shuffled backwards, pleading his case. Losing herself in his grief, the youngest Argyris did something she had never done before. "I'm sorry," The words were rushed, and foreign on her tongue. A true apology. It was the first, and likely the last. "I didn't mean to.." Then it hit her. She was the princess of Silent Moon Plateau, and one with such a title could not forget themselves. His sorrow was not her own. So why was the desire to help so demanding? Celandine could almost feel it eating away at her. Gnawing on her stomach, and tying it in knots.

"If you would like to wait, I will call for her. I don't know if she's close enough to hear though." Jet black nose pointed towards the sky, she called out. Long, and slow her voice traveled across the flatland. It was all she could do to hope that her sister was able hear. The boy needed something that the youth could not have given him, even if she wanted to. Her status would not allow her to comfort him further, but maybe @Hypatia could. She was always so good with that.

An apology was the last thing that the youth had expected, and as she said the words, his eyes widened and he looked up from the ground to look at her face. It was a rare moment of empathy that the yearling appreciated far more than the Plateau girl would ever know. So when she offered to call for Hypatia, the boy quietly dipped his head in a nod of ascent and said quietly, "Thank you." Even if Hypatia did not answer, it meant a lot to Serach to know that his new acquaintance had tried, even if she maintained some of her initial suspicions. "What's your name?" he asked her after the sound of her howl had faded away into nothingness and they waited for the hopeful arrival of her pack mate. Even if he left with no more information than when he arrived, he owed it to her to at least be able to thank her using her name.

Every second that he stood on the doorstep of the Plateau pack's territory, the more anxious Serach became. In all honesty, he had thought that the feud between the two packs was long over with. He remembered with some clarity the fateful day when both packs had tried to eat from the same kill and ignorance on the part of the Plateau's leader had led to high tensions and a possible fight. As far as he could tell, Oak Tree Bend had let go of the feud some time ago; there was very little mention of the neighboring pack. Hypatia's voice made it abundantly clear, though, that the feeling of forgiveness was not mutual.

Serach had been staring at his forepaws when Hypatia came towards them. He had looked up only briefly at the presence of a new scent and the quiet sound of footfalls. Her voice cut him like ice, causing him to physically tense up. It was a warning of sorts, but he wouldn't leave without at least asking her what she knew. He had come this far - he would ask his question and if she could not help him, then he would leave on his own accord; but only then. Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, the youth turned his gaze upwards to look at her as he spoke, "I'm Serach, Sceral's brother. He's told me about you, said you two were friends. He went missing this winter and I haven't been able to find him. I was hoping that you might know where he is."

He did not miss the howl – and, given the changes that had rampantly occurred in his life, despite the simple fact his children were not yet aware of it, the ivory male swept forward. The summon had been for Hypatia – but it was so rare for his younger daughter to call for the honeyed beauty that he could not keep his concern.


This concern only drew as he came upon the scene – Hypatia, Celandine and a strange boy stood at the borders.. and, the boy smelled of Oak Tree Bend. The stoical wolf managed to withhold a chuff of annoyance as his pace quickened, and soon, the large beast prowled to the sides of his daughters. His eyes were cold, despite the warmth of their hue, and as his gaze shifted over the yearling, he gave his muzzle a sardonic shake. “Do the Plateau wolves come down and prance around your borders often? Because Oak Tree Bend has a hard time keeping away from ours,” he rumbled darkly, his tail giving an idle lash.


The boy was the same age as his daughter – much like the other yearling who had visited her before. While there could have been a family relation, he did not dwell on such things – Borlla’s family had been disregarded the moment she had spoken so during the fateful winter, and the moment his ex-mate had thrown the rest of her pack mates ‘under the bus’ before fleeing from a fight she had ignited. No doubt, this was a relative of the Tainn’s.