Larkcall Lowlands I've thrown away what I can't replace

for @Castel, let the search commence. Note: Due to the recent snowstorm any and all clues have been lost. :(  Others may join if they wish, these two will basically just grill them if they've seen the pupper.

Askan charged along, displacing the snow in front of him like a plough. It was tough going, his sides heaved and tongue flopped out of his open mouth but he'd be damned if he was going to let a little-well a lot- of snow slow him down. Drestig had told them to search the west and he'd be damned if he did otherwise.  His nose twitched every other second as he scented the air, looking for the tell-tale Percy scent that he was so familiar with. He didn't need to take it slow and sniff the ground like a regular tracker would, he knew that as soon as he caught a whiff of her he'd be on it like a flash of lightning.

But the problem was, that as of yet they'd found nothing. Running and searching for hours on end had so far proved fruitless and even Askan-as much as he wanted to- couldn't go forever.

Slowing to a trot, then a walk and then stopping, Askan cast a look over his shoulder to Castel.

"You doing okay?" He asked, his voice breathless and hoarse. "Seen anything?"

He doubted it, but he prayed she'd seen something, caught onto something he'd missed. It was all he could do, hope and pray that she would be found sooner rather than later. This time of year was cruel to those who tried to live it alone and Percy...She had always been so sheltered, he knew for a fact she couldn't cope on her own. But what if... No, he couldn't think that way, not now.

"Dammit!" He worried allowed, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "Where is she? She knew she wasn't allowed to leave on her own."

The Selwyn was a shadow of his former self, it was as though all of his strength and stoic nature had been drained for him. Being stressed most certainly didn't suit him.

Cas was having to run relatively hard to keep up with Askan, which was odd because she was a pretty fast little wolf. It mae it easier that Askan was plowing his way through the snow and making a more clear path for her to follow in. She hated seeing the normally-stoic wolf so distressed, and she wanted to help him, but she wasn't sure how.

By the time Askan had decided to stop, Cas was huffing and puffing, but still keeping pace. She slowed and stopped close behind him, her own nose twitching as she tried to pick up some Percy-scent. She wasn't as familiar with the smell as the dark man near her, but she could probably separate it from the Rye wolves she did know.

She sent Askan a concerned look when he questioned her.

"I'm fine," she replied, equally hoarse and breathless, but still sure of herself. "And, unfortunately, no. I haven't seen anything."

His worry was palpable, even before his calliopean curse and crazed pacing. She frowned deeply and padded up beside him to brush her flank against his, rubbing her head on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay," she tried to reassure, attempting to get him to still and pause his pacing. "We'll find her, alright? We'll bring her back home and you can chew her out and everything will be fine."

She was pretty positive of her words. It wasn't as though Percy was a newborn - she was old enough to where she could help around in the pack, and from what Cas understood, she was adventurous and stubborn. She'd probably just wandered off on her own accord, and had not been abducted or taken against her own will. "Pacing a trench in the snow won't help anything," she announced, nudging Askan's shoulder with her nose before trotting off a little further, deviating from the path he'd already invented, and pressed her nose to the ground to try and find some scent to follow.

It was just as he had feared. Askan knew it was pointless, that it was unlikely that Castel would have picked up on something he hadn't but, what could he say? He was clinging onto any and all tiny scraps of hope he could find. The problem now was that it was like trying to catch smoke, try as he might it would always escape his grasp. His hope was quickly succumbing to panic, and it felt as though there was nothing he could do to stop it.

At her words, Askan couldn't help but scoff. Would it really? Was it really that easy to brush worries to the side and just say everything will be all right? Of course it wasn't, no amount of soft spoken reassurances were going to make him feel any better. The only thing that could do so, the only person, was Gods knew where! But perhaps she was right, maybe they would find her. Maybe they would bring her home and refill the hole she had left behind. It was possible, the Selwyn knew that. But would it happen? Would they be so fortunate? Unlikely. Positive thinking could only take him so far before logic caught up and made him see reason.

Castel was just trying to help, he could see that, but he didn't really want to be touched by her or anyone else for that matter right now. He shrugged off her touch with a grunt and stepped out of reach. Where he felt safe, as could be anyway.

"I know! What else can I do? This isn't getting us anywhere? There's nothing out here to the west. The tundra goes on and on and that's it. Why would she even come out here? We should..."

They should what? Did Askan have any better ideas? Of course he didn't, he was just as lost as Drestig was. Like a tiny little boat caught out in a massive storm, tossed about by the waves with no end in sight.

Askan watched her trot ahead, before he followed with a defeated sigh. This was the least they could do, he supposed. Maybe. just maybe they'd find her. Or at least they had to try before Drestig decided to call it quits, that it was a lost cause, that Percy was truly gone forever. Pressing his nose to the snow, he breathed deep. Two noses were better than one, if they were going to do this he had to try as well. He had to pull his weight and keep an eye on Castel. Lest she got 'tired' again.