It was night fall before Leotie realized something was terribly wrong. In her check to make sure all of the children were accounted for she found her daughter to be missing. It was what she had feared would happen even before they were born. Upon her realization she didn't stop to tell anyone where she was going, it hadn't even crossed her mind. The only thing on her mind was finding Avella before something or someone else did.
Running through the willows hoping beyond anything she would catch some scent that her daughter was still there so many questions ran through her mind. The most prominent how could this have happened and how long had she been gone?
For two days she'd searched dropping willows and the ridge tirelessly but to no avail. She'd caught only a hint of Avella near the border but after that she'd lost her child's scent. Now she didn't know where to go. She traveled further from home in her search to places that were close to the willows but outside it's reach, perhaps she had found her way there and was snuggled into some cave or alcove scared and wanting to be found.
She was so caught up looking for Avella's scent and calling for her that she hadn't realized she'd entered the marsh. When she did dread filled her, “AVELLA,” she shouted as loud as she could.