Fallen Tree Cove live and fight the shadows

For Nash :)

A thin deposit of fresh snow had fallen across the area overnight. Old trails and scents were erased, but the snowfall also left behind a new blank page to collect the signs and tracks of any recent passersby.

Stella had shaken off the cold of the night and pulled herself to her feet early, early enough to get out and check if there were any fresh tracks to be found. She was less concerned with prey today, though the yearling girl would certainly not pass up the chance to secure a meal if the opportunity arose. Basic survival and filling caches was always a concern, especially in the winter. But she was far more concerned with the missing Cove members, and their kin visiting from the chasm. Young and old faces that may be in need of help. She pushed her searches in a different direction each day, trying to not disappear too far off herself but fearing she was not doing enough all the same. She tried to remind herself she'd gone off at similar time last year, but being on this end of things, that was hardly any consolation to her worries. She'd been a few months older then, and the season being less demanding and a little more experience could make all the difference. Still, anything could happen - her Pa had all the strength and experience in the world and it didn't matter in the end.

Recently it felt as if everything had been spinning out of control for the Vuesain and those around her. She wanted to find everyone else she could and tell them all to stay put, stay safe, to stop letting bad things happen, but that would probably be just as useful as telling the sky to stop dumping snow on them. So instead she hauled herself over a fallen tree trunk, searching the view on the other side for anything of note.

This morning, however, the snow had no new stories to tell. She let out a huff of frustration in spite of herself, the sound louder than she'd intended in the stillness and quiet of the morning.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2023, 08:06 PM by Stella.)

Every morning that brought with it a new layer of snow was both a blessing and a curse. Nash hoped to find new tracks, but also worried the fresh powder would further bury the young children lost beyond their borders. He still dared to hope they were all alive, elders and puppies alike, but he'd been out on his own in this before. Hope was growing difficult with every sunrise.

He wasn't the only one out checking for footprints, it seemed; as Nash rounded a small grove of trees he heard Stella's sharp exhale of frustration. His ears pricked and he picked up his pace until she came into sight. He gave a low bark of greeting, tail curling over his back in a friendly wave. "Good morning," he said as he joined her and gazed out over the untouched snowdrifts. "I've found nothing either."

It was quiet, but for the sound of the breeze and a distant bird of prey. It seemed too peaceful a scene, she thought, but she should not look upon any respite unkindly. If only it meant she could find her little sisters.

The crunch of footsteps in the snow and a bark announced Nash's arrival, and Stella turned to give him a nod of greeting in return, before turning her gaze back toward the snows. "Morning," she responded. She didn't mean to be terse, but it was not exactly the best of circumstances which had drawn her out here, though she appreciated his attempt at good-spiritedness.

It seemed he knew what she was out here, though, and was apparently having no luck either. Her frame sagging slightly, she turned to the Eastfall man. "I could search a bit further out, down one side of the mountain or the other. But it'd be a guess in the dark which way to go," she mused. Nash had not wanted them to go off alone, she recalled, and the thought of asking @Leo to accompany her on a trip occurred to her, but she was itching to do something without at the same time leaving everyone extra shorthanded at home.