Sanguine Cove down the stairs

Backdated to after Armand is welcomed into the pack.

"Merci," he murmured, falling into step with @Nash. He was indeed hungry, tired and cold. The thought of being taken care of, even if just briefly, was encouraging. Still, he wasn't just here to join the Cove for the winter.

"I have news, too. He is safe now, but @Leo needs help returning here."

As far as he knew, the older wolf was tucked away within the protection of Fools Gold Chasm. Probably curled up with @Enera, having all the time in the world to rekindle or whatever. Armand's imagination could run away if he let it, so he tried not to. Tried to be good and get the guy assistance, like he was supposed to.

Nash was not expecting Armand's words and he paused, ears sweeping back in dismay at mention of Leo. The scouting pair were long overdue and Nash was just about ready to go off to search for them himself. "What do you mean, he needs help? Is he hurt?" His mind was racing, worrying for his protege and his daughter. Why couldn't she help Leo back up? She was a capable girl on her own too. "Was Magg with him?" Worry gnawed at his gut.

What could have happened to them, to injure Leo enough that he couldn't climb the mountain? Was the pass perhaps blocked? But then how would Armand have made the journey? Something had to have happened.

Armand should have expected the declaration to be jarring, but for whatever reason, he hadn't. He blinked back the alpha with a mild measure of his own surprise, before his eyes dodged to the side, recalling the answers to Nash's questions.

"Um. His leg was ah, broken? No one with him, no. He is at the Chasm, with Enera."

Lucky bastard. He suppressed a look of annoyance, instead watching the leader with a demeanor of innocence and slight need. He was still hungry and worn himself, after all. Still a yearling, someone to be taken care of, yeah?

"You've been?"

He really didn't want to have to make the trip himself...

Nash listened, and the knot in his stomach clenched tighter. Each sentence was worse - leg broken, no Magg. What on earth could have happened? Were they attacked? Caught in an avalanche? His heart raced at the thought of his little girl - although so was not so little anymore - stuck in the snow somewhere, unable to call for help. Or buried and waiting to be found.

He shook the thought off even as Armand told him where his loyal guardian was. His ears lifted again. The Chasm? That wasn't too far for him to go. And Enera was a familiar name, at least, so he knew someone was there to help Leo until help came. "Yes, I've been," he said. He glanced in the vague direction of the trail to their former neighbor's territory. He wanted to leave now, with the same urgency he would have had with any of his children, but Armand had only just arrived and he should invite Aquene to come with, to see to Leo should he need.

"Let's get you something to eat, and I will set out to get him," Nash said. He wasn't going to ask the boy to travel with him after having just covered the distance by himself.

Oh good, that was a relief. Even better was Nash's following suggestion, which Armand was eager to take him up on. His strawberry-blonde head bobbed up and down in agreement, small paws moving quickly to both keep up and to try and show he was considerate of the leader's time, figuring that he'd rather be rushing down the mountain this very moment to retrieve it's lost prince.

"Oui Monsieur!"