I was alone, I took a ride
I didn't know what I would find there
WC: 527. Sorry for the delay. Spent a while puking my guts out.
Another road where maybe I
Could find another kind of mind there
Trouble is really in the eye of the beholder. In a similar situation, another might have become defensive or suspicious. Surely, Grace's own brother, Gabriel, would have immediately jumped to his own defense, vying for approval, insisting the righteousness of his behaviour. Silly Gabe, so obsessed with right and wrong, and the approval of others. Really, they were a picture of irony, his large form shrouded in insecurity, while his slight, unassuming sister lived in relative confidence. She'd never seen a reason to worry, really - negativity could only breed greater negativity, and she didn't wish to attract such things. She usually found that a positive attitude tended to draw positivity toward her. And hey, who didn't want positivity in their lives? Well, actually, come to think of it, Grace had known some people who seemed to simply thrive on drama. Why, she couldn't begin to imagine... she was much more a fan of peaceful interactions and cannabis, herself. But nonetheless, she didn't much care for negativity, or even regard it as a possibility.
So when Anatole said that he had been looking for her, she thought little of it, aside from thoughtful curiosity. She couldn't hide the bit of surprise from her face at his words, however - Anatole hardly seemed the type to nag or carp, really, so she imagined that he was looking for her with good reason. She watched as he spared a curious glance at Taj, who was watching the male attentively with shining, black eyes. Emerald eyes returned to her turquoise, and she smiled genially. Hadley. Of course, he was a stranger, and he had been on pack lands for some time. Naturally, the scout would want to know about him. She couldn't fault him for doing his duty; after all, she did hers without fail, and she understood the need for every member of a tribe to contribute what they were assigned to do. Her parents had taught her that well; even her father, a thoughtful man, had done his work - albeit, at his own pace, and in whichever order suited him. A trait that Grace had inherited, and one that had driven her mother quite mad.
"Oh, Hadley. I came across him a week or so ago." She wasn't precisely certain of that time frame; Grace wasn't much for keeping track of such minutiae. She thought of the world as a flowing river - it did not stop because the sun died down behind the horizon, nor did it begin only when it was reborn from the ashy darkness of night. But others found this information useful, as they could not see into her mind, and she didn't wish to be a bother. She went on, "According to him, he was a slave. He seemed quite broken, and expressed a desire to escape. I didn't want anyone to go on hurting him, so I brought him home to get cleaned up and figure out his next move." There was a pause, and then a frown creased her thin face. "Actually, I've not seen him in a while. I figured that he'd gotten his affairs in order. Hasn't he?"