Shilah's words dried up in his throat, giving way to whimpering sobs as he curled up tighter into a ball. He couldn't bear to look at the river any longer. He just hoped Seiran was ok but doubt was starting to creep into his mind again. What if she was gone to? What if he was alone? What if-
Shilah's head whipped back to the river as he heard a splash. "Mom?" He crept toward the edges but it was not his mother in the water, instead it was a stranger with markings similar to that of the Abraxas. He watched the strange wolf forge a path through the river and then up the canyon wall. As the stranger got closer, Shilah shrank back into the den despite the stranger's assurance that he need not be afraid. "Wh-who are you?" His fur stood on end as his ears pinned back but at the mention of his mother tears built in his eyes again. A wrenching cry burst from his lungs. "No! Sh-she fell.. she -hic- she's not there!"
