From the Aspen Dam, he'd run down.  The wound on his knee had slowed the boy, but it wouldn't stop him.  He couldn't stop.  He wouldn't.  It wasn't fair-- it wasn't fucking fair that no one was doing anything.  Everyone was moving on with their lives, and Celeste was still fucking missing.  No one was looking.  Did anyone even care?  The boy is angry at the world-- his siblings, his father, his other mother, his grandfather, everyone who had ever claimed to love her.  Though he didn't know what went on where he couldn't see it... would it have mattered if he did?  Would it have mattered to the boy who just desperately and wholly wanted his mother back and whole?  

Grateful to see and smell the borders of a pack in the distance, Tama drew near.  While he wasn't usually one to wave around his family name like it was plot armor, it certainly provided a little extra political elbow grease when he needed it.  He would try without it first, but he didn't need to worry about packs being unfriendly, at least.  Approaching the border, the boy's voice... well, he's still just a yearling.  The words come as a shout, frayed at the edges where he struggled to control the emotions.  

"Excuse me!" There's a polite enough start.  "I'm looking for my mom, can anyone help?"  He's loud, worried, not shrill but... well.  If it takes too long for someone to come find him, he'll just walk along their borders and keep yelling.  Making an ass of himself was fine, had always been fine, and would continue to be fine-- this is his mom we're talking about.  

TAMAGOYAKI

Dagrún's wounds were finally healing well. She bore scabs from the scrap with the tiger and while a few might scar all in all she considered herself lucky. She paused in her patrol to lift up a hind leg and scratch at the sores on her neck. Ahhhh… that felt good. She'd need to pester the healers for a bit of ointment to help with the itch but that could wait til she finished her rounds.

Dag got to her feet to continue when she heard a young voice screaming out at the border. Something about a lost mother? Uh oh, well that didn't sound good. Dag didn't recall seeing any unusual wolves around that could be a missing mother but she had seen plenty of large predators. Trotting to see who called she saw a black and white yearling with a bleeding knee. "Easy there, you've reached the borders of Ethne. I'm Dagrún, who are you and what can you tell me about your mother?" If she had a description maybe she could keep a look out for the woman, or hell… match it with one of her packmates. She certainly didn't know everyone's sexual history or if they had a few bastards running about.

His joints ache, his muscles too. Chest burns. Now that he's standing still, Tama can only wonder how far he's run. Too far, probably. Too far. He's come so far and he's still failed to find her. Everything hurts. Everything hurts so fucking badly, and that bitterness would only be aimed inwardly this time. Taking a shaky breath, he was about ready to call again when his gaze fell upon the woman.

She stands taller than him looking worried but... well, okay, Tama had shown up as rather a lot. Frankly, he still was. The words bubble forward, a flood. He can't stop them-- he's sorry, but damn. Though he's a yearling now, Dagrun is faced by nothing more than a little boy who desperately misses his mom.
"I'm Tamago, m-my mom's name is Celeste," he hiccups, barely able to hold off a sob. "S-she's a bit shorter than me, h-horns like a ram, black and white," he can't stop the tears. No, the boy is ragged, he's tired. He's worn. Holding it together wasn't an option anymore. "She's the n-nicest and I love her, and I miss her," and here he is, breaking down on your doorstep about it.

TAMAGOYAKI

The boy's voice was shaking, hiccups interrupting his speech. Dagrún didn't recognize the name but as soon as the boy began the description of his mother and mentioned the ram horns she knew exactly who he was talking about. Dag grimaced. "Ahh, shit." That matched the description of one of the patients in Ethne. The poor woman had been jumped and beaten and as far as Dag was aware the woman was in piss poor shape, unlikely to survive. Of course she'd have kids, Ethne seemed to be a magnet for tragedy and violence lately.

"Listen kid, she's with our healers but she's hurt bad, really bad. I'll take you to see her but don't expect any sort of welcome. Last I heard she was still out cold."  Dagrún stood and turned back toward the packlands, waiting for awhile in case the boy needed a moment to process the news.

With all the trespassers that have their way onto Ethne land lately, Haydée has been running more and more patrols and that is exactly what she is doing when a young, harried voice finds her. Small paws turn and quickly cut a path through the foliage, until she spies the familiar form of Dagrún and another, unknown monochrome boy. They are talking, the boy hiccupping and asking to see his mother Celeste which causes the Leader’s stomach flip-flops. The woman had been beaten and left inside Ethne’s borders and… well, she isn’t healing.

Memories of the death of her own father begin to raise as the Combatant talks and she swoftly pushes them down and calmly walks up to the pair. Green eyes flick up to Dagrún as worry and sorrow roll across her features and she comes to a stop near the woman. Looking to the stranger, Haydée offers a him a small, warm smile as she gently says, “I am Haydée Kedieo, Leader of Ethne and I was one of ones who found your mother. Come, let’s all walk together and we can answer any questions you may have.”

Haydée has allthe gritty details of how the woman was she found and just how poorly she is doing but the young woman hopes to spare this boy all those horrible details. It is also her responsibility to prepare the boy for the worst… but that is something that she is not ready to do.


"Haydée Kedieo"