How many years had it been since he had wandered the free lands? He had come along way, had been a king, and yet here he was once again, back to his roots. A loner. It felt… right, somehow. Trotting through the crags, he let his mind wander to days long past. He wondered if he could find the old den he used to sleep in during those long, winter months in his first year. Somewhere around here, he had saved a young girl from a raging owl. What was that puppy's name? Frowning slightly at the loss, Halcyon wondered if the girl had made it home after their encounter. Where was she now? In any case, he hoped her the best. But, he hadn't come to the crags to reminisce his puppyhood.
The scent was faded, but Halcyon was sure the large brute was around here somewhere. It had taken a long time to find his oldest friend's scent, but when you were a loner, there were only so many places you could aimlessly wander to. Ame. The boy who had saved the rogue's luck all those years ago. They were going to be a dynamic duo, an unstoppable force of mischief. And… then they grew up and Halcyon fell in love with a princess. Thinking back on those days made the wolf smile. How he longed for the days of innocent, childlike wonder. His days as of late had been filled with nothing but pain and anger. And like that, all his worries came crashing back home, actually making him stumble as a wave of anxiety washed over hime.
Pausing his pursuit, his eyes gazed at the river that fed into Iromar. His children were so close and yet couldn't be further away. The russet wolf had already made several attempts to sneak into the pack, but the boarders were too heavily guarded. On one occasion, he had been found and chased away by a large white wolf with jade eyes. Since then, he had kept his distance for fear of Blackthorne punishing Aspis or Archana for their father's crimes. A growl echoed from his chest as he made a silent promise. His children would be freed and Blackthorne's blood would stain his teeth!
With a huff, he turned away from the pack to continue his journey. Ame was close, he just knew it. As he had many years before, Halcyon wanted to ask his friend for a favor. Hell, even his wisdom would be helpful now! Ame had always been the smarter of the two. Brute force wasn't working in this situation and Halcyon knew his old friend would at least of some words of wisdom that could help the grieving father rescue his children.