It had been a long day, and Mercury had no desire for it to end. Not yet. The image of Wren bleeding, and lying just over the next crest, waiting for him to help her, wouldn't leave his thoughts. How could he give up on her? He had made her a promise. He had sworn himself to her, and her goals. He had thought… he had thought they would have a future together. He had truly let himself believe. Foolishness, he already knew what happened to those he loved.

Grid searching was tedious work, and he made his way back in the direction of where the blood had been found as he started in the next grid. Solar chittered angrily in the air above, demanding he stop, and rest. But the logic of fresh eyes and paws did nothing to sway him.


"Speech"

Something had truly been wrong. Wren never did show up to talk to him, and it was only with Mika’s urging that Beau got any rest at all. The ashen cream yearling had been worried, rising early, and set off with both Blind and Trill to search for the woman, or for Mercury in case he had any idea of what had happened to her. Worry gnawed at his gut as he padded fretfully along, Trill keeping an eye on the air as he moved purposefully on the ground. “This isn’t like her,” Beau told Blind as they padded along. “She was always there, quick to respond to us, quick to…” Trill’s call above him caught his attention and Beauregard lifted his head. There, passing some of the pines, was Mercury. Beauregard didn’t think, he leaped into a run and went to the man. He looked worried, his airborne companion looked frazzled, and Beau could only assume the worst as he padded up to the dark-furred man. “Merc!” He whined. “What has happened?” He feared the worst when it came to Wren… but he didn’t want to assume that all was lost with her. Not yet… "Speech," 'Thought.'