Distance travelled:
Left on December 15th: 2 days travel to Serpent’s Pass (Riddle Heights) – arrived December 17th.
Lost for 1 full day.
Lachesis leaves without Anastasia on December 19th and arrives back in Cut Rock 2 days later, December 21st.
Days gone from Cut Rock: 5
Words: 1209
<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#909892;"> They had left together after speaking feverishly about searching for the former heirs of Pitch Pine Trail. After Aeolus had stumbled upon his new home’s borders the pair had been constantly worried of the well-being of the late Shade’s children. Although they had not left on good terms Lachesis still worried frequently – especially of Karpos – despite his best efforts to push aside his former life in the Trail. It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t have left so abruptly, without a proper good-bye. Lachesis deserved to be hated by the shadow prince, but he still wanted to know that the child was safe. The deer-legged yearling would always care more about others than himself, and Karpos was no exception. While he had not bonded with the prince’s sister, Adsila, his concern did not lessen with the Trail princess. Two wolves so young shouldn’t be without a proper guardian – at least Lachesis knew that Karpos had been travelling with Capella but Adsila’s location was still a mystery. Was she with Ace? Silver, perhaps? Or had she ventured on her own? After nights of frantic whispering and exchanging their concerns, the pear-eyed boy and his companion, Anastasia, had decided to venture toward the mountain to locate the scent of the Slayer children. It had been foolish – Lachesis knew that now – but the pair had been desperate. They needed to know if the pups were safe; at the time, there had been no other solution. Trying to work their way across the frozen mountains was the only way to know. They had left under the cover of darkness, their coats blending in with the snow that dusted their surroundings. Few words were swapped as they travelled, long legs carrying the two wolves swiftly over the frozen terrain. The quicker their pace were the sooner they would reach their destination and be able to return back home, as they were departing without the blessing of their leader. The pair knew what the answer would have been should they have asked their agouti leader – a firm ‘no’ and a quick lecture on how idiotic their decision to climb the mountain was. At the time XIX thought their plan was brilliant. It was going to brief, the pair only gone for a few days, and then they would be back. Flawless. Once they arrived at the base of the mountain everything fell apart. The weather was nearly unbearable, even for their Arctic blood. The snow was impossible to see through and the wolves had to rely on their muted senses to maneuver through the weather. As soon as XIX realized how difficult it was to see through the storm he realized how awful their plan had been – how utterly moronic it was. Why did they think that they would be capable of travelling through this? Barely able to speak above the vicious storm that raged overheard Anastasia and Lachesis pursued the top of the mountain, their pace slowly drastically as the weather worsened with each step. ‘This way!’ She had shouted, voice barely audible as the storm continued. He had followed, struggling to remain close, long legs pushing through the many feet of snow that covered the mountain… Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Her scent lingered only in his nostrils as her trail had ceased – gone, just like she was. His blue-eyed dove – best friend, rock, and companion – had been devoured by the blizzard. He shouted her name hysterically, voice growing hoarse as he battled the storm. Tears were unable to fall from his cheeks as they froze immediately after dropping from his tear ducts, creating icicles along the side of his face. Eventually he grew numb to the cold, unable to tell how much time had passed as he continued to yell her name, desperately searching. No, no, no… She couldn’t be gone. She had to still be here… she had to be okay. He couldn’t… he couldn’t survive without her. She was everything… he loved her more than he loved himself. It would always be that way. He could not imagine his life without her by his side, confiding in each other and swapping secrets. Everything had been so perfect… they had left the Trail together in hopes of creating a better future and they had. Things had finally begun to look up for the troubled pair – Lachesis was working diligently to pursue the role of healer once he came to age and Anastasia had expressed her interest in challenging Astra for her Alpha position. Things had gotten better – they were happy. Everything was perfect. But now… she was gone. Without a word or gesture – just gone. There was an immensely painful weight that developed in his stomach as an ache formed in his heart. His Anastasia, the only wolf that had truly cared for the embarrassingly awkward yearling, had vanished. The snow had swallowed her without mercy, claiming the beautiful china doll and kidnapping her from the boy. He moved blindly through the snow, stumbling and falling down the mountain. He would miss a step and then tumble, unable to stop himself and grab a proper footing. He wasn’t sure where he was headed – every few steps he would call out her name once more, not wanting the blue-eyed dove to disappear from his memories. He wouldn’t believe that she was gone… he couldn’t. She must have gotten lost and returned to the pack – she was probably curled up inside their den waiting for him. Ice formed on his fur, making it difficult for the yearling to move at a reasonable pace. The mountain had defeated him, claiming Anastasia as its prize. His mind would not stop as different scenarios played out in his head – she was alive and back at Cut Rock, she was frozen at the peak, she had made it to the other side, she was dead… frozen and buried beneath the snow… gobbled up by an avalanche… dead. Dead. No. She couldn’t be dead. He would not allow it. She had to be okay. The ground became easier to walk on as the mountain disappeared from beneath him, the earth levelling out as he pushed forward. With his head bowed the youth did not rest as he continued forward – without looking he just knew what direction was home. Would it still be a home without Anastasia? Would everything be okay? Nothing would be the same. As he collapsed under the branches of the cedar trees tears rolled down his cheeks, now able to break free of the ice that had once captured them. He was unable to cease the sobs that rattled his thin body, the ice that clung to his coat rattling against each other as he buried himself beneath the snow, desperately wanting to disappear now that he was back in Cut Rock territory. What if Anastasia was still alive – would she upset that he had left her, alone, on the mountain? He had searched and searched for her, calling her name out to the mountain in hopes of a response. But the youth was only greeted by silence; cold, unwanted silence. She was gone. |
stick with those who stick with you