Freezer Burn

Tsuga crept north, trying to pick up any trace of the kid's scent. He felt awful, truly. She wasn't his responsibility outright, but he'd given his word that they could travel together and that he'd see her safely to somewhere that suited her. And letting her get swept off by a mudslide probably wasn't the best way to go about that, huh?

The memory of that night was hazy and washed out by adrenaline, and he'd spent enough time running it back that he knew the line was starting to blur between true recollection and just hopeful guesses. They'd been heading north... mostly. Or at least threading their way between pack lands, and had chosen to go the long way around some less hospitable terrain. But ever since he'd zigged and zagged all across what he thought was familiar terrain, and come up empty.

So now it was time to expand his horizons. Galena had to be around here somewhere, and he'd be damned if he let her go without knowing he did everything possible. There was a real chance she hadn't made it out of the storm, but the amount of guilt that clouded his mind at that notion was not to be borne. Not unless he wanted to spend the next season or two vomiting up guilt every time he tried to choke down a meal. He shook his head to chase the thought away. No one was dead until you saw their body, and even then who knows? He'd met a Ravenlocke or two who'd probably swear even corpse wax could be healed with the right arrangement of words.

For now he'd scan the tundra for any sort of familiar sight or scent, or even just a local who might have seen a charcoal and tawny yearling wandering through over the last few days... Necromancy would have to remain third or fourth down the list, at least until he was mentally prepared for more drastic measures. 

"Talk" "Listen" Think