Masque froze in place the second she entered the den. Soma was nowhere to be seen and her scent was already fading. She had left for just a bit, maybe half the day, to hunt down sticks for them to arm themselves with but there had been a bird, then a squirrel, then the sun had hit the leaves of the trees just right and the light danced on the earth with a splendor she could not resist to wait a moment and enjoy the sight. By the time she had returned to the den she had forgotten why she had left. Now the den was empty and her sister was gone.

SOMAAAAAAAA!!! She howled into the air. Before the last note of her cry finished ringing through the trees the girl was off! Nose to the ground and pace so fast she was kicking herself in the chin, Masque tore down the meandering path her pale sister had taken. There was an intensity in the pup that had never been seen on her features. Lost in fantasy, reality struck in the danger of missing her sister. As she ran, so did her thoughts. She wished she could find someone to help her. Teza, Cenna, even Tepi would have been welcome at her side, at least she would not have been alone. But alone she would be.

Masque dashed through the trees and howled again as the scent of her sister grew stronger. She burst into the company of pups, her voice a strange mixture of whines and yaps. With no idea of what she was doing, she ran two laps around the couple before sliding to a halt next to Soma. At once her nose traveled all over her to make sure she was all in one piece. Satisfied she jumped and twisted to face Aiden, fuzzy fur bristling to create a black and tan fluff ball. A whiney growl keened from her mouth and she sat in front of her sister with a thump, her masked face shining with concern from every scar. Looking between the two of them, and knowing Soma was unharmed, Masque calmed herself as much as a puppy could. Who are you? Her face fell and ears drooped. With a groan she leaned into Soma. Momma is going to be soooo mad…