Paradise Falls Missing Family

OOC: Indigo returns to Paradise Falls and calls out for @Ryder to rejoin.

Indigo sniffed her way back into the heart of her father's territory. She was covered in snow from pouncing through the carefully laid snow drifts, sending plumes of powdered ice up into the air with each step. When she came to a stop, she shook herself and howled out for her father. It wasn't the same desperate cry that had ended her first foray into the wilderness. She was starting to mature, her voice and frame strengthened.

"Dad! I'm back," she called to him, wherever he was in the expansive, snowy forest.

She thought she had smelled her mother along the edge of the river and tried to follow the faint scent. It had been hope that she might reunite her family that drew her out into the snowy world outside their borders.

Indigo hoped her father wouldn't be too upset for her wandering south in search of Hazelnut. It had been three months now since the disappearance of her mother, and though she'd adjusted to life with just Ryder, she found herself missing her every day. First her mother, then her grandmother, and even Atara had left them now. It made her sad to think about, their pack slowly shrinking. Perhaps with Ryder in charge they could grow again.

Ryder had a very good idea of what his daughter was up to, and every now and then he'd find traces of her while scouting. She hadn't left the Lore entirely, but still he wished she'd come back home. To rest, to eat a hearty meal, to keep company with. He worried for her, and had the nagging fear that eventually she would wander too far and he'd simply never see her again. Like Caspian...

When her howl finally sounded throughout the Falls, he let out a sigh of relief before jogging off to meet with her. There was nothing worrying in her tone, but still there was a small ball of anxiety turning in his chest. He couldn't be certain she was truly alright until he saw her. Once he did, his tail began to wag and a little happy light softened his eyes. She had come home, and not just out of desperation.

"Did you find anything?" he asked quietly as he moved to give her a wolfish hug. Ryder didn't expect an affirmative answer.

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2024, 03:41 AM by Ryder.)

When Ryder arrived, she stood to greet him readily. Indigo buried her face in her father's shoulder and she sagged against him with a sigh. Her tail wagged regardless, sweeping the snow along the ground.

"No," she said quietly. It almost hurt to admit the failure. She had sniffed every branch, stone, and burrow she could find for any sign of Hazelnut. Whatever she had smelled before was long gone. Her paws ached from the cold. She swallowed and tried to blink away the tears that tried to gather in her eyes.

"I just don't know where she would go," Indigo whined. Her head swirled with so many conflicting emotions. She felt like a baby, whining for her mom. She felt indignant, angry, and betrayed by the thought that Hazelnut could just walk away from them all. And a smaller, meaner part of herself said that it was her own fault. If she hadn't gotten lost maybe Hazelnut would have stayed. Maybe... Maybe everyone would still be here. A pebble of resentment stuck in her belly as she considered the last three months.

Indi looked up at her father with wide, shiny silver eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as she asked, "Why did she leave?"

No. He couldn't know it, but Ryder's thoughts followed similar tangents to his child's. Maybe it was a typical reaction to a loss like this. Or maybe she was unfortunate enough to be taking after him. With what little evidence they had to work with, it felt all but certain that Hazey was gone for one of two reasons; either a terrible accident had befallen her and she'd been swept away in the river, or she had purposefully used it to cover her tracks in order to disappear. If it was the latter, it was because of him. Ryder could think of no other explanation. He'd been too cold, the life he offered too lacking.

It hurt, and he felt guilty, but more than anything, it pissed him off. Especially in moments like these, when it was clear how much his and Hazelnut's shitty relationship impacted their poor daughter. Where would she go, why was she gone? Ryder felt his heart harden a little as a decision was made within it.

"... let's get you back to the den. Then... we need to talk, Indi."

His voice was soft, but unmistakably somber. This wasn't going to be easy, but it was the hand that had been dealt to them and Ryder would play it to Indigo's advantage as best as he could, even if it meant turning the cards away from her completely.