Paradise Falls As the shadows grow longer

For @Jethro and @Flair please, but AW to other PF members. That said I'd like to try and get this done quickly please!

the night comes down like heaven

She was not good. She was not good at all. She was not good and she was scared. Ally thought getting to the mountain would be easy enough, that she could make it back to her grandma and find her dad. Only, the mountain was harder to climb than she expected. The snow was deep and the wind was frozen and then the skies opened up and she got turned around and by the time she got her bearings the mountain was further away than ever.

Ally was young, but she knew she needed help... and she knew she smelled wolves. They were far away but she forced herself to keep walking, to push through her fatigue and hurt, until she finally stumbled upon a border. She halted, her dad's words about being polite running through her mind. Exhausted, her haunches plopped to the ground and she gave a weak call.

Something.. had gone on, today. She wasn’t quite sure what, but Pan had decided to let the adults have their space to do.. whatever it was they needed to. So she had been nearby when the call had sounded. In her time with the falls, Pan had gotten a bit more accustomed to each of the wolves. Learning their scents, their voices, their habits. And she knew enough to realize that this one did not belong. Curious, she had started towards it.

Pan hadn’t, however, expected to be the first one to arrive on scene. For a brief moment she was uncertain of what to do, but she recalled how she’d once been greeted.  

”Hi,” she greeted, softly at first, sauntering forth a couple of paces. Opposite her was another wolf, a young one, probably of similar age. And in a condition similar to what Pan herself had been in, upon her arrival here. Hungry, cold, and seemingly alone.

”They can help you here. They did for me, too,” she hoped to assure the other. Pan recalled how nervous and scared she had felt, being alone, staring down all of these new wolves. Maybe she could ease that a little.

--hopefully it's alright if i give you two? @Ally

He could still scarcely believe it. Another of them was gone, claimed far too soon in his opinion. Jethro was not a stranger to death. Had seen and buried two of his own children in the ground a little earlier this year, but even so. Nothing could ever quite prepare one for the sight of a loved one lying cold and lifeless upon the ground.

The call came at a time when he’d been least expecting it. Certainly, the dark leader didn’t feel very amicable or diplomatic at the moment. Didn’t feel like greeting strangers, but something in this call sounded.. different.

It had him hurrying along faster than he might’ve otherwise. And waiting amidst the giant trees was two figures. One recognizable, and the other in very bad shape.

”Hello, miss..” the dark one greeted softly, with what he hoped was an assuring smile. He came to stand beside Pan, giving her a nod of approval. ”I’m Jet. Could you tell me your name - or where you’re going?”

There was no way in hell he’d turn her away, or let her keep going like this. That said though, he hoped she wasn’t another stray.. But he still wanted to know, just in case.

Of course <3 I'm okay if we don't finish for lp, if just a round works best for you to get the thread done.

the night comes down like heaven

It wasn't long before someone arrived, another youngster like her. Ally lifted her head a little as the kid spoke, assuring her help. Did she really look that bad? Must do. She felt that bad. She blinked at them, but before she could respond another was moving through the trees, bigger than her and dark and for just a moment her heart lifted - only to crash back down. It wasn't dad, and it certainly wasn't mom.

He introduced himself and asked for her plans. "I'm Ally," she said. "I'm trying to find my dad but I'm lost." she sniffled. "My grandma's on the mountain and I tried to get there but I just can't." She was trying very hard now not to cry. She was scared and lonely and cold and this wasn't home but it was probably safer than being on her own. It wasn't like she'd ever really had a home anyway.

It didn’t take the leader very long to arrive after her. A part of Pan should’ve expected it, he was a nice, good man, and was just doing his job, after all. She warmed a little at his nod, but a little bit of her also wished that he hadn’t been so quick to come here.

Pan would’ve liked to have had more time with the other kid. But.. she supposed, that could come later. ”I’m Pan,” she’d interject between introductions, and her ears cupped forth at the mentions of dad and the mountains. That was where her family was from, too!

But now didn’t seem like the most appropriate time to mention those things. So she would stay quiet, looking between the two of them for now.

--it is up to you  - i can do 1 more round after this if you want those 10 points for joining (: if not though feel free to consider this a fade!

Ally, the child answered. Lost but trying to find her father. A very similar story to what Pan had. At least Ally seemed to know where some of her family was, though, mentioning a grandma on the mountain.

”It’s gonna be alright, Ally. We’ll help you get back to the mountain - and your family, when you’re ready.” Any reference to that could really only be to the Cove, he imagined. Unless somehow another group had taken up there since Nash had visited.

”But for now we’ll get ya a snack, and find a warm den for you to rest after that. You’ll be feelin’ better in no time.” The child wasn’t in any condition to go climbing the mountains now, and Jethro expected she knew that. While they were now down an adult, he wasn’t about to start tossing aside children - or anyone for that matter - who needed help.

That was the whole point of this place, after all. With a small smile, the dark one inclined his head, indicating for both Pan and Ally to follow.