Paradise Falls blackout

All welcome! They have not crossed borders!
Borders, Sunset, Few Clouds, 40.91 ° F, 4.95 ° C

Lost.

Lost.

Lost.

Had they mentioned they were lost? Frazzled? Bewildered? Death would have awaited them if not for the fact that spring seemed to be truly here. The subtle rise of temperatures gave them enough of a break from freezing.

They missed @Sovanya more than anything else.

They missed hide and seek, they missed eating the scraps, they missed and missed and missed. It was perhaps what carried them onward with stilt like legs. The thought that eventually they would run into their bigger friend again. That eventually the sun would be brilliant, that hide and seek would be in warmer places rather than snow drifts.

Only trees had grown tall and the soft sound of water alerted them. All of this led her to the stark conclusion that this was nothing like the tundra their friend had been in. No, the world seemed to slope in a more welcoming way. How had they come here?

When had the world stopped being barren and instead full of life?

In anyone else, this might have inspired hope! A sign of good to come! Instead Haunt could only feel the sudden pierce of a deeper dread. One that said they had gone very wrong somewhere on their path. That they would never see the good friend again. The proper thing would have been to call out as they had this grand revelation. Maybe find directions or ask if anyone had seen such a girl before.

Instead they stood and began to softly whine.

Lately, Colette had been keeping busy. Keeping her mind off of certain things by occupying herself with daily tasks, and it helped, at least to a degree With this spring likely to bring two litters to the falls, and a couple of former residents now no longer present, the pack did indeed need everyone it could get. She had no intentions of walking out on them now.

Even so, it was rare that she’d be out past sunset. The forest could already be trippy enough to navigate with one eye, add darkness to that equation and things just got worse. Even rarer still was it that she’d be the first one to greet a stranger at the borders.

But a scent trail later, and here she was, closing in on a potential guest. If not for scents, by looks alone Cole might’ve mistaken the stranger for someone that’d once been a part of their pack.

Putting on her best friendly smile and welcoming face, the ghost sauntered forth. ”Can I help ya?”

Was that mother?

What was mother doing here? How had mother found them? This wasn't home, they had not found their way back far north. This was mother, this was mother, this was —

Not mother.

The voice gave it away in a sudden rolling flash. The soft whine in Haunt's throat died down into a mere whistle. Help was good and kind, but often came with a price. What on earth could the sack of bones give in return for help? They knew the answer would be nothing, because nothing they had was good enough.

Especially not when they were —

Lost.

They blinked owlishly and waited for the next words.

Cole paused once she was within a couple of lengths of the stranger, and allowed her good eye to study the other. The other was small, thinner, and young. Probably somewhere around two years old. Not someone Colette perceived as much of a threat, but the ghost knew better than to judge based on stature.

It was the disposition of the other that had Colette’s attention. Quiet, uncertain. Not what she had expected of someone who had ventured so close to a pack’s borders. She’d anticipated some sort of groveling, a request for shelter or perhaps membership - or maybe the delivery of a message from.. someone or some other pack. But none of that.

Lost. It was the only thing the stranger replied with.

Smile fading a tad, the ghost let out a soft breath. ”Where are you trying to go?” It was the next best question she could think of.