Dead Empress Backwater The sun shines on everyone

She was glad to see him finally engage with the icicle, and have more than a somber expression on his face. Clover was sure there was more underneath all his layers, but it would take time to reveal more, and they had plenty of time. No sense rushing into things too quickly.

She watched as he cracked it a second time, and for a moment Clover thought she imagined seeing his tail moving a little. It would be good to encourage his child-like wonder while he was still young, before responsibilities caught up to him.

Her head shook in response to his question. "Not yet, he's likely just waking up about now." A small smile appeared on her face. Viorel was certainly not an early riser, and his night owl tendencies amused her, for she could never stay up so late. It was just in her nature to rise and fall with the sun. "We can go find him together if you need something from him, but perhaps I could help?"

'Not yet,' she answered, and his small frown returned. He had already checked for the wolf where he normally slumbered, but maybe there were other places he went to rest? The woman offered to help him, and he hesitated without good reason for doing so. His green eyes looked about, as though he might find an excuse, but came up empty. His thin shoulders shrugged.

"Yes. Please," Asmund answered, looking back up at Clover.

"I um. I want to find Viorel."

Maybe she could offer him the same protection, but if she couldn't? It wasn't a risk he wanted to take. Already she looked too much like his own mother, it was easy to project the images of her murder onto this stranger. Viorel was safest, so the sooner they were with him the better for them both.

It took Asmund a few moments, but he finally agreed to her offer to help seek out Vi, wherever he may be. He insisted that he wanted to find Vi, and if he didn't want her help then she would defer to their leader as per Asmund's wishes. There could be a multitude of reasons as to why he didn't want her help, but she wouldn't question him about it. "Alright, let's go find him."

Clover oriented herself with the trees around then, eyes squinting slightly as she thought about where he would be. It was still morning, so he was likely either still asleep or about to wake up. She knew he usually started his day with a border patrol, but hoped they would catch Vi before the man set off.

Figuring a good place to start would be somewhere around the pack den she slowly set off at a leisurely pace, the strange-looking icicle far back in the recesses of her mind now that she had an important task to take care of.

EXIT