He couldn't believe this could have happened to them. Growling, Denver grabbed his coat and stomped out of his quarters, lasso shouldered and slim dagger tucked. He wasn't taking any chances these days, now that Ichika had taken Maggie. Salsola had taken some of their livestock, sure, but Magnolia was a canine same as them. Weren't they supposed to be a peaceful pack? Holding hostages isn't peaceful, he thought angrily. The stupid animals weren't even worth that much. He had wanted to free her, wanted to follow her and do whatever it took to get to her. Denver would have shed blood, would have even killed if it came to it. But Salsola's leaders had already begun negotiations for her release, he knew, and any irrational act on his part could affect Magnolia's safety. So instead, he walked.
The Confidant's movement was stiff, his mind muddled and focused more on his friend than anything else. Magnolia was more than a friend, he'd admitted to her, and he thought she felt the same. Denver wondered what she was thinking now, wherever they held her, alone and scared. Immediately, he regretted wondering; it only made him feel worse.
Denver headed north for a while, dazed and trudging through the cool, breezy morning. It may have been coincidence that he ended up on the outskirts of Salsola's stables. The corral was in sight, too, and the musty scent of piss, shit, and hay became too familiar. Taking shallow breaths of the stench, he stepped around a large, fly-covered pile of manure and moved around the corral, eying all of the animals warily. Pale blues found the sheep, and with them the two taller, thinner animals. Llamas, they'd called them. He'd never seen one in person, but he'd heard of them. One was mostly white, with a large brown spot covering it's chest. The other was the color of milk chocolate. Curious creatures, one came right up to the fence to sniff at him. Thankfully, Denver wasn't close enough; he stood a few feet away, glowering at the beasts and wondering how their lives had come to equal Magnolia's.
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