Sex: MaleHe had decided that he wouldn't go looking for Tinley after she disappeared the last time without word. It wasn't the first time she'd left him behind but at least the last time he'd known what she was doing. It bugged him that she could just up and leave him like that.
However, as missed her and believed that his nightmares had gotten worse in her absence. He was also becoming more worried about his partner. His resolve to not go after her was starting the weaken until he finally made up his mind. He didn't know how long he would he gone so as requested by Kyna he let the Matriarch know that he was going to look for Tinley.
So he'd set out in the early morning the snow was colder than the night before under his paws as he crunched his way through the trees. He had no scent to follow and no idea where he was going or where to look for her. She could have gone anywhere. It wasn't the first time he had gone looking for her with nothing more than hope that he found her. That had worked out pretty well the last time so he hoped for the same result this time.
For three days he traveled looking for signs of his partner despite knowing he wouldn't find them. He tried to stay positive that he would find her but the longer he traveled the more he lost hope they he would find her. He eventually found himself descending the mountain into what he imagine to he a dense forest in the spring and summer. He could hear the sounds of water in the distance though it seemed quieter than he thought it might be once the weather was warmer and the snow was gone.
He traveled through this forest stopping at a brook long enough to take a drink before crossing it to the other side. After traveling a little further he found something that caught his eye. It wasn't a normal sight. Fur sticking up through the snow, he wondered if he might have been lucky and came across an easy meal. As he grew closer he saw the thing buried in the snow was about the size of a wolf and the fur that he could see was dark like Tinley’s.
Pyriel stopped not wanting to go further, not wanting to know if it truly was her buried in the snow. He sniffed the air for any scent that might tell him something but all he could smell were the scents of scavengers. His chest tightened with the realization that if it was her they had gotten to her. He laid on his stomach in the snow not taking his eyes off the snow that covered the body. He rested his head in his paws and remained that way for quite a long time.
It was nearly twlight before he finally moved inching himself across the snow on his belly. A whimper filled the air around him, it took him a minute to realize it had come from him. Closer and closer he inched until he was mere inches away. Still he couldn't tell if it was Tinley under the snow.
Finally when he got past the strong desire to turn and run unable to face the fear that he had lost his partner for good he rose to his feet. Slowly he approached the lump of snow, carefully placing his paws so that he didn't make a sound. Finally he came to where he thought the head would be. Slowly he started to remove the snow from the face. He stopped when he had uncovered enough of the creatures face...there he found Tinley. He stumbled backwards his last meal threatening to meet with the snow at his feet. For a long time all he could do was stand there and stare wide eyes at her body.she couldn't be dead. Yet her body was motionless and stiff from being in the cold so long.
Knowing what he needed to do he took a deep breath before moving toward her. Slowly and carefully he removed the snow that had collected on her. He had to stop multiple times before taking a deep breath and setting his mind to finishing. As he uncovered her body he found the places where the scavengers had picked at it. He knew it was a part of life but he wanted to kill every single scavenger that thought they could do this to Tinley.
Once he had cleaned all the snow off her he just stood there starting a the dark fur that he remembered being brushed against him or that he had buried his face in. He remembered her voice when she had talked to him. The way her eyes had glittered when she said something especially when she was being obnoxious. Most of all he remembered how they had fought alongside each other for so long. He brushed the fur along her hip with his nose before dropping to his stomach once more and crawling toward her head.
“We should have never come to this place,” he told her in a whisper as he let his head reat next to hers. “You weren't happy in the heights and the chances at finding Mace seemed to have dried up. If we hadn't then maybe you would still he with me. What am I supposed to do without you Tinley, who will I talk to about my nightmares. Why couldn't you stay here with me?"
He stayed next to her for a long time, well into the night. He talked to her for some of that time and let the tears fall at the loss of his best friend. When he did fall asleep his nightmares were even worse as visions of Tinley being killed filled them. Having spent the night saying goodbye to his friend he moved to start a grave for her once daylight returned.
He spent hours trying to dig a hole for her grave. The ground was frozen and cut his paws but he didn't care. It was time to lay his partner to rest properly. When he had finished he went back to Tinley it was time to let her go and say his goodbyes.