Astrus was running. She was did not have time to look back, only forward as her speed increased on the slick rocks. It had rained again, but the pale lioness was use to the weather. There were more important matters at hand. She needed to find Kristanf to tell him. Mother was gone. Not like dead...but gone! Astrus had looked high and low, but only came up short when locating her. Maybe Kris had seen her? She only hoped. It was so unusual for their mother to leave the safe home of their den. Although Astrus' father had been gone for a while now, Astrid still made sure she'd be home for the time in case he were to return.

Pink eyes spotted the family orange hair of her brother, speaking with the equally familiar being that was the family friend, Ciro. Ignoring the darker male for a moment, Astrus skidded to a stop just before her brother. She was out of breath, but she did manage to get out the words needed.

"Kristanf. Mother. is. gone." she said quickly, and shortly, sucking air greedily now that her muscles were no longer pushing her to move. "She not's at home!" Panic was setting into Astrus' tone as she looked frantically at her brother.

While Astrus was more of a homebody, Kristanf had already made himself home away from the den. He was still a freeborn, but he had been building up to go on his first Viking with Ciro and his captain's team.

"What do you mean, gone? She's probably at the water hole or something." The male pushed off the thought.

At the approach of the other female, Ciro's eyes narrowed at her words. He knew Astrid. She was not one to leave so easily. She was a skittish thing too, which he found was why Astrus still stayed with her, even though she was old enough to be on her own.

"No!" Astrus all but shouted. "She is GONE. G.O.N.E. Gone! I followed her scent to the border, but then it just..."

This caught Ciro's attention. Astrid on the border? Hmm.

Kristanf on the other hand, just pushed the thoughts aside. "I think you are way over thinking this, Astrus. See, mother is a grown lioness. She can go off. You do not need to watch her all the time." The male stated. "Right Ciro?" He asked his mentor, who only shrugged, keen on listening to the conversation more.

"No, you don't get it! Mother would never leave like this. She must've been taken!"

Now the dark male interrupted. "It'd be difficult for your mother to be taken from the land. She may be of thrall status, but there are..."

"Then where did she go?!" Astrus snapped, her teeth baring. "She is gone. Her scent is gone."

"Astrus, maybe you should go home and rest."

"No! I know what I am talking about. Please, I'll show you." The beige lioness did not wait for an answer as she took off in the last direction she had caught wind of her mother.

"I think she will be fine..." Kristanf muttered to Ciro, who shook his head with a hesistant chuckle.

"Let's go appease your sister. You know she will just keep coming over to bother you if you don't." The Reaver stated with a shake of his head, rising to his feet.

"Not you too.." Kristanf groaned, following Ciro and his sister.

---

Once at the border, Astrus stuck her nose right to the ground. Curse this rain, it was not helping! "It was right...here...somewhere." She was no tracker, but she was around her mother enough to know the scent she was looking for.

Being the seasoned reaver her was, Ciro'mekaitso tasted the air. Interesting. Astrid was here. But, she was not here alone. Who was that. Another sniff of the air. And another. His lip raised slightly, causing both a surprised looked from Astrus and her brother.

"That's not a very fitting look for you," Kristanf joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"What is it?" Astrus asked over her brother.

"She was here." Ciro started, golden eyes looking at the two Freeborns. "But so was another. I don't know this scent. It's distorted from the storm, but, I don't think it was from one of us," he said, referring to the Stormborn as a whole.

"Who do you think it was, then? Do you think they took her against her will...What if..." Astrus begun thinking the worst.

Kristanf shifted uneasily on his feet. He did not want to believe what Astrus was saying was true, but Ciro's words were starting to get nailed into his head.

The dark male thought a bit at Astrus' words. "I don't know. It seems a bit out of character for your mother, to be quite honest." He had known Astrid from Kaitrus, who had introduced the pair. The childlike personality of the thrall was always intriguing to the Reaver, time spent with her was never a dull moment.

"Well, we need to go find her!"

"Wait. We?" Kristanf blanched. "You leave the Myrsky Syntynyt? Hah!"

"I can do it!" Astrus defended. "Ciro, can you track her? I want to bring her home."

"Wait, don't be pulling him in on this. We are suppose to be going out on our Viking soon!"

Ciro thought for a moment, golden gaze shifting between the siblings. "I would need to speak to the Captain," he said after a thought. "But, this would be an interesting mission to say the least. I don't think I've ever had two siblings travel together. especially..." he hesistated. He knew Astrus was not one for reaving. She was like her mother just without the childlike mentality. Kristanf on the other hand, that boy may make Captain one day.

"I. can. do. it." Astrus stated, interrupting the male's hesistation. "I promise you."

"Don't believe her Ciro. She'll complain all the way," Kristanf scoffed, causing Astrus' eyes to narrow right at her brother. She didn't wait. Kristanf found himself on the ground, being pinned from above by his little sister.

"I said," she started with a growl. "I. CAN. do . this." Anger laced her voice. She was tired of being told no she couldn't, whether it be from her brother, other family member or even members of the pride itself.

"I will not tolerate the banter between siblings if this is the case." Ciro stated with a no-nonsense tone. "I will speak to the Captain. It will be up to him if both of you are going."

"Wait..both?"

"Right. You wanted to go out. Who knows how long this might take. We'd be killing two birds with one stone. And maybe you might even capture your first thrall." The dark lion said to entice the other. "I will meet you both by the cliffs with the final answer are dawn. Be prepared to leave by then. If you leave sooner," his eyes narrowed, not wanting to say the consequence for it. He knew Kristanf would listen, but Astrus, heart heavy with emotion, would probably take off as soon as she could. "If we are to do this, it should be the right way. Do we have a deal?" Ciro asked.

Kristanf murmured a whatever, and Astrus just nodded, silent.

"Good. Dawn. Tomorrow." He bowed his head as he left the two siblings. This would be an interesting mission indeed.


(WC: 1237)