Warm sunlight bathed the land in its light as two figures moved across the flat landscape known as the Algoma Prarie. The warmer temperatures were welcome in the South, especially when the woman’s base was in the North. She had returned there briefly to meet with her brother again, a bit of reassurance that all was well, and then she had left again. Ngurulivu was content with wandering the world, though she knew it served a dual purpose. She hadn’t forgotten about their remaining sibling, Claire, nor the promise she had made to the three of them. Nuru had told her brothers that if nothing else she’d ensure that Claire knew what had happened to Faolan, even if it took the rest of her days. But now she had a bit of an edge to her search… and perhaps it was oddly fitting, Ngurulivu thought. Her sky blue gaze shifted to the skies above her where, winging on high, her newest travel companion made his way above her. He was already keeping her pace rather well and the woman was grateful for it. The kestrel, a bit of a bold and even cocky individual, had welcomed the idea of traveling with a wolf. Whether it was out of pure boredom, or perhaps some great intervention, Ngurulivu didn’t know. What she did know was that Splatter seemed here to stay. “Hey, Ruu,” The bird called to her using the nickname that her siblings tended to favor. “Wolf ahead, silver and gray coloration. Shall we check it out?” Nuru’s ears perked at this. It could be her sister, though she didn’t want to get her hopes up just yet. She hadn’t seen Claire in so long she could have literally been anywhere in Boreas or Auster at this point, though she had been hesitant to head to Auster… It was like Boreas but different, and the further she traveled the further away from her brother she would be. It wouldn’t be fair to go that far without Flo. She drew in a breath and called back to her companion. “We’re going. Lead the way!” "Talk, 'Think.'

She often went back and forth between Auster and Boreas. Her ancestor's homeland was in the far North, after all, and she kept feeling the pull to venture back from time to time. Though the trips were long and took several days to get there and back, maybe even a week or two each trip back and forth depending on the weather and how fast she traveled. She wasn't too far from Auster, she had made it to the Southern lands by the time she decided to take a break. She slowed her pace a bit, Tan flying above and keeping an eye on things from the air. She had been a great help, and although she was older than Claire, the bird was still spry and quick to beat her to many punches. She was a great friend and asset. Though she had to admit, sometimes Tan made her sorely miss her mother. A chirp from Tan let her know that someone was nearby, a figure of monochrome colors coming into view. Although it had been quite a long time since they'd seen each other, Claire couldn't mistake that coat for anyone else's. "Nuru?" Her ears perked and her tail began to walk as she quickened her pace, "Nuru!" She cried out as she raced towards her sister. "Speak

It had been long, far too long since Ruu had seen her sister. She raced toward Claire, her sister calling her name as she, too, raced for the two of them to meet. Nuru felt her heart racing in her chest. A flicker of anxiety passed through her, for while she was happy to see her sister again the weight of the bad news she bore rested heavily on her shoulders. She really wished she didn’t have to carry the news of their brother Faolan’s death or the fact that Gargie hadn’t shown up yet. Still, she wouldn’t change this meeting for the world. The moment they were close Nuru slowed, coming to a stop only once she was next to her sister before she wrapped her head around Claire’s neck. “I’ve missed you so much.” Nguruvilu closed her eyes and exhaled. “I just wish it could have been on happier terms… Claire… I need you to listen to me.” She drew back, all traces of a smile having fled from her lips. “Faolan is… he’s dead. Gone.” Ruu drew in a steadying breath. “We allowed someone into our circle. Someone we thought we could trust. But he betrayed us, and we were attacked by slavers. We fought hard but Faolan succumbed to his injuries.” Her blue gaze lowered. “Gargoyle stayed behind to ensure he was put to rest, urging Florian back to Boreas, to come to find you. He said he would be coming but… I don’t know sis, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since that day.” She lifted her gaze and whined. “Florian has been living in the North, around the Pines and the Red Forest.” Tears had started to sting her eyes. “I’m sorry… we never should have left home.” "Talk, 'Think.'

The happiness she felt at seeing her sister again as they embraced was on a whole other level than she was used to. She didn't want to let her sister go, but the happy reunion was short-lived when Nuru stepped back and told her she needed to listen. "I missed you, too," Confusion painted her features as she too drew back. Settling on her haunches as she tried to prepare herself for whatever it was her sister was about to say, though she wasn't sure exactly what sort of news she needed to prepare herself for... And then it came. “Faolan is… he’s dead. Gone.” All of a sudden, she felt like the earth beneath her feet had shattered. "Wh...what....?" “We allowed someone into our circle. Someone we thought we could trust. But he betrayed us, and we were attacked by slavers. We fought hard but Faolan succumbed to his injuries.” She felt a lump begin to form in her throat as Nuru's gaze found the ground. Claire began to struggle to fight back tears, and she was sure Nuru had been in the very same position she was in now. “Gargoyle stayed behind to ensure he was put to rest, urging Florian back to Boreas, to come to find you. He said he would be coming but… I don’t know sis, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since that day.” Her sister's gaze rose to meet hers again, and sure enough, the pair of them felt the sting of pain and loss. "I...I can't believe it...Faolan..." They had lost a sibling. A pain that she knew all of them felt. While they hadn't spent the time she wished they had together, he was still close to her heart. They all had been. Even if they hadn't talked much..."And Gargie...I haven't seen him yet...what if he's still...still in trouble? What if he found Florian and they were together? I...we should look for them, shouldn't we? I..." Her breath hitched in her throat as her emotions threatened to choke her. "We...maybe Greed would know what to do...he joined the Hallows with me...we've been traveling together ever since...everything..." She hung her head as the weight of the news sat on her shoulders. "Speak

The news was hard to pass on, but Nguruvilu knew that it needed to be said. Claire deserved to know. They hadn’t spent much time together since they were children, but Nuru loved her sister, just as she did her brothers. She wanted them all to be okay, but… the fact was she just didn’t know what to do anymore. She had come here with Florian, but he seemed hesitant to leave the North, and hesitant to live his life. Ruu knew they had needed to tell Claire, but now that she had told her sister what had happened she wasn’t sure what the next step would be. She whimpered a little, her ears falling back against her skull. Claire brought up some good points. “I know Florian is waiting for me back in the North. He’s set up a camp of sorts in the Redwood Forest and hasn’t strayed as far as I have. I wish I could say that there was a possibility Gargoyle found him, but…” She felt guilty, that lump in her throat forming. “I’m a bit unsure what we should do, sis… Even if we were to go get Flo, and go searching for Gargie…” She trailed off. What if he had gotten into trouble? What if they weren’t strong enough to save him? What if another of them… died? She drew closer again, wrapping herself around Claire to try and offer them both some comfort. “Talk it over with Greed, and I’ll keep an ear out. If nothing else, head North looking for Florian. I’ll try to get him down to the Hallows to see you when I can.” She drew in a breath. “...and I’ll keep eyes and ears out for Gargoyle too.” It felt like the best course of action right now. They certainly couldn’t do anything without a plan. "Talk, 'Think.'