It was good timing, he thought. He was glad he had somewhere else to be, and something else to focus on, when the news of Zelda having given Taviora to Midna had broken. It had caught him off guard and though he had wanted to run to Zelda, to ask what had happened and what he could do to help, he had instead taken his leave as soon as he could. Shem had waited just long enough to seem polite and dutiful but he had been simmering the entire time. First, Coszcotl had been murdered in cold blood, and Niyol had departed soon after in some self-proclaimed effort to get stronger. Shem had called out for Asriel but no reply had come, and with Zelda busy and his emotions in a mix, he hadn't wanted to look for his mother either. Above all else, Shem didn't want to become a burden, and with his mind where it was, he had certainly started to feel like one...

So, Ghost had been more than a good break from it all. With her mission, he'd be able to wear a different identity for a short while. Perhaps he'd be able to work his feelings out by the time it was all over, or at least keep himself busy enough that when that when it was over, he could express them as wildly as he needed to without seeming bitter or being misunderstood. Shem didn't hate that Midna had been the one to be given Taviora, after all. He just hated not knowing. Why had Zelda felt that way, and why had Midna agreed? Why had his grandfather been murdered, and why had Niyol seen it so important to get stronger? Why had Shem not been the one to chase his murderer down, and why had he not been anywhere near trusted enough to know anything before it happened? He shook his head and began to jog faster, entering the crags with a mighty sigh. Focus! Nobody wanted to befriend or trust somebody with such a messed up mindset. He had to slow down and breathe, and then he had start finding Lucia.

How, though? He had to find her without finding her father. The morning air was still and cool, and he used it to his advantage. Rather than seek out a specific scent, he did what he could to avoid any distinctly male scents, honing in slowly but surely on those that could be Lucia. Not a child, but not old, and alone enough that she hadn't been with her father for at least a day or so. It truly was a good distraction.

When he'd found a scent that could be her, he began to follow it then, more carefully than before. "Lucia?" He called out quietly, pausing after each call and listening closely, trying to conjure up a story to tell if he was somehow caught by Exodus. "Lucia? Ghost sent me. Are you here?" He paused again, head tilted as he listened so closely that he began to squint, as if it'd somehow make his hearing even better. So far, it didn't seem like he'd attracted Exodus' attention, but how long could that last?