White Fir Notch homing beacon

@Ryker; {Solomon} is present too.

She knew now why Marianna had been so vehemently compelled to always plunge herself into the snow this time last year. Damned if she didn't feel too young for it, but Lucia had it too know. That itch, that overwhelming stench, that slimy feeling that was inside her skin and couldn't be gnawed or bathed away. It had almost kept the siblings from being able to strike out, her parents worried that their daughter, not even in her second year, would fall prey to some opportunistic male. Maybe that was why Solomon had been sent with them, or it had been his availability that tipped the scales in their favor.

But any man that looked at her cross would get a firm swat on the nose, and more if he pushed his luck; as always, the girl was overconfident in her ability to hold her own despite (or maybe in spite of) her small stature. Plus, Ryker always had her back, and Solomon was a good enough guy. Dad seemed to trust him, anyways. So she wasn't worried, just annoyed. Thankfully it was almost over, according to her mom's lesson on the season, but apparently this trip wasn't.

"Wasn't it right here?" she asked aloud, clearing becoming exasperated. Her paws hurt and she was cold. It seemed winter was giving them one last kick in the ass before helping itself out the door, because the air was frigid and the wind hurt her snout.

"Wait..." Lucia stopped in her tracks, but leaned forward, neck stretching out and eyes narrowing as she peered between the trees ahead and saw a glint of the water and the snowy grey of what must have been mountain. It was right here, or at least, had been. Shit.

"Dad ain't gonna be happy."

She wasn't happy. Where the hell was everyone?! The pack was gone.

(This post was last modified: Mar 28, 2018, 09:23 PM by Lucia.)

The world around them was so quiet and cold, Ryker wondered how his nose and paws hadn't fallen off just yet. Despite his sister running ahead, he stuck close to Solomon. He wasn't fond of this time of year, particularly when the snow stuck around, since it seemed to make his eyesight that little bit worse. Everything was white and grey and it all just mixed together unless he really focused and if he focused too much, he'd get bad headaches.

And it was also since every girl in proximity seemed to go crazy. And this year, so had his sisters. Which is why he had joined Lucia on her journey, because he wasn't going to let her go about by herself.

Though Ryker worried over his sister as she rushed ahead of Solomon and him, he quietly told himself she wasn't going that far ahead.

In fact, she was still within ear shot so when she explained 'wasn't it right here?', it was loud and clear enough to jolt Ryker out of his thoughts.

He had been caught up in his own thoughts, frowning as he too thought about where the smells of everyone was. They had to be fairly deep into pack lands and yet he couldn't smell anyone or anything that should be here.

And if they were so deep, how had no one noticed them? Surely they hadn't left had they? At the very least, Emrys and Jynx wouldn't have just left would they?

"No, dad's not going to be happy at all." Ryker mumbled as he sidled up next to his sister, glancing around as he squinted at their surroundings. "Though maybe they had good reason to leave? The pack wasn't very big when I left after all..." Part of Ryker still felt guilty about leaving, with barely a word to anyone but he couldn't stay within the trees. They had felt suffocating without his family.

Solomon knew the kids well enough by now, and certainly wasn't about to wind himself chasing after Lucia every time she galloped ahead of them. He hung back with Ryker, his favored of the two, beryl eyes displaying his boredom openly as they slowly panned about. When the girl's voice reached back to them, a frown tugged at his lips and his gaze snapped ahead. Don't tell me... Were they lost? If these kids had gotten them all twisted around, his patience was gonna completely disappear.

He picked up the pace, a bit more urgent and assertive in his gait now. But then they joined her, and listening to the cubs talk, he realized what had actually happened. If they really were right about where they were, and hadn't done something stupid like walked to the opposite side of the Spring as the pack actually was.

"... did we come all the way out here for nothing then?"

After all, if the pack really did dissipate, it probably would've been better for Gent and Raela to just not know, not to mention the kids. He looked them over warily, waiting for sadness or distress, and not entirely sure what he'd do if they came.

Lucia leaned into Ryker's shoulder once he reached her side, a soft but frustrated puff of air escaping from betwixt her lips. Good reason to leave? What could that be, though? Even if they didn't have a lot of wolves with them, this would still be home, wouldn't? She chewed the inside of her cheek and stepped forward a few paces, sniffing the snow as though it could give her any clues. Hoping to catch something, anything, recent.Nothing.

Had it been the same reason her parents had moved? The Asurns?

Solomon interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to face the two boys, scoffing audibly at the older. Their escort, like they had really needed it. She'd been grateful for his company so far, but wasn't about to tolerate any talk of running right back home.

"No," she told him firmly, "visiting was just a side thing, we're here to... to stretch our legs."

So to speak. The worry returned to her gold eyes as they drifted, looking over the forest yet again.

"... we need to find out what happened though. If we can. Mom and Dad'll want to know. ... I want to know."

She had loved the wolves they'd left behind, specifically @Jynx, @Emrys and @Sylva. Lucia wanted to know that whatever had happened to the Notch, they all were alright now.

“Luci’s right, this was just a side visit,” Backing up his sister as he turned to glance at the man, because though he did like Solomon, he wasn’t too fond of the man’s words. This had been their home, they were born here and had grown up here for the first part of their life. They had to find the answers to what happened to them.

“Maybe they’ve just moved somewhere else?” Ryker suggested hopefully, not wanting to believe the pack he grew up in and loved dearly, despite everything, just up and scattered to the winds as well. His blue eyes moved over to Lucia as she moved to nose the snow, as if looking for a smell. He wanted to know what happened too, just as much as Lucia did.

So following her example, he moved in a different direction to Lucia, in hopes of finding something that could give them a lead. There had to be something.

Well what the fuck. Solomon rolled his eyes at Lucia's indignance, before settling his gaze on her brother. Alright fine, he supposed their parents would be appreciative of the information. That would work out for him, at least make this trip worth it. If they found answers, that was.

"Yeah, you could definitely use some longer legs," he teased the girl before shaking out his fur and sighing.

"Alright then. Where do we go to find answers?"

She didn't mind Sol's slight attitude or his little quip, quite used to the man's personality by now. Instead, she focused on the question, chewing her lower lip in thought while staring at Ryker, as though they could connect their brain power and come to a solution quicker.

"Would the Rye know? Or that Craw guy's pack? They like, talked, right? Or were allies or something?"

Man, she really didn't know much of anything about the Notch's allegiances. Gent had given them some names, a few that could be trusted and a few to watch out for, but he hadn't told them what to do if everyone was just gone.