Happy splashes and puppyish whines filled the air as young Lucia played in the shallows of the Little River under the watchful eye of her mother. Kiara sat on the river's banks and allowed her thoroughly damp coat to dry in the midday sun. She had just finished playing with her only daughter, upon whom the young mother doted on. With no other puppies to care for, Kiara focused all of her time and energy on playing with Lucia.

From what Kiara could tell, although Lucia looked like an arctic wolf (apart form her fur coloration) the puppy had taken on her father's tolerance for heat. Lucia played noisily in the stream, completely ignorant of the sun's persistent glare. Her mother on the other hand, was hot and panting. Although the dip in the Little River had done wonders to cool her off, the summer weather was almost too much for Kiara to bear. Without any more energy, Kiara was content to watch her daughter as she sat lazily on the banks.

Loosing Kohaku had been a blow to her confidence and her heart. She still mourned the loss of her son and as Kiara watched Lucia play, she imagined Kohaku was playing alongside his sister. Kiara knew nothing of her son's fate, all she knew was that he had disappeared one day. Granted, the young mother had her theories. He could have been killed by another predator, or stolen by Amy. Amy seemed to be the root cause of all of Kiara's problems, so it wasn't all that ridiculous of a theory. Unfortunately, there was no evidence to show that the yellow mutt had taken her son so Kiara was left to simply wonder where he had gone and what had become of him.

It was so hard to prevent herself from wallowing in sadness. Even if her pain wasn't as strong as before, it would take her a long time to get past the loss of her son. Kohaku, despite his rough nature and tendency to get into trouble, had been a happy little wolf whom the young mother had devoted herself to wholeheartedly. To suddenly loose such a strong bond, the heartbreak was beyond words. Even so, Kiara still had Lucia. The tiny female had become her mother's shining light, a beacon of hope and a survivor against all odds. To see Lucia playing in the water without a care in the world, it was enough. Kiara's sapphire eyes glowed with both happiness and longing as she watched the tiny puppy splash in the shallows.

Kiara's thoughts were interrupted by the approach of an unfamiliar member of New Dawn. Kiara turned her great head and her ears pressed against her head lightly as her tail began to wag. She could smell the other before she could see the approaching wolf. The female strode towards Kiara with an air of purpose, her scars a combination of old and fresh. The grey stranger approached the mother-daughter pair with a smile on her face and a yip to announce her presence. Lucia paused in her play for a moment, but continued without much thought on the matter.

When the grey female gently nudged Kiara's shoulder, the subordinate took the opportunity to quickly inspect the other's scent. She smelled strongly of Noah and questions immediately sprang into her mind. When Fayne introduced herself and announced herself as a delta, Kiara ducked her head in an attempt to show even more submission. Hello. I'm Kiara and that is my daughter Lucia. Kiara's chest swelled with pride and her eyes glowed as Fayne complimented her daughter. She was about to reply when a familiar scent and black form appeared.

Zalen! Kiara ran up to greet the alpha with licks to his muzzle and a wagging tail. Lucia began to pay attention when the Alpha's name was called and she ran up Zalen to greet him as well. Kiara whined happily, but the back of her mind questioned the presence of both New Dawn's delta and alpha.

Kiara stood in the delta's presence, unaware of the knowledge that the female possessed. Kiara had heard that Amy had attacked a wolf of New Dawn, but the young mother didn't put Fayne's injury and the news together. Some part of her brain didn't want to acknowledge the obvious, especially not in front of her daughter.

Pride in her daughter and choice of name swelled as Fayne continued to compliment Lucia. The puppy was her mother's source of joy. Sapphire eyes turned to look at the carefree pup who splashed in the shallows. Kiara could almost imagine what her daughter would look like when she grew, and what a heart stopper she would be. A tiny smirk played at the female's lips as she imagioned all the troubles Lucia might get into with males. Until then, she would be her mommy's little girl.

Despite the jovial greeting of the three subordinate females, Zalen maintained a serious and heavy demeanor. It was clear to Kiara that he wasn't in the mood for any lighthearted meeting. Kiara stepped back and her blue eyes grew worried. Fayne's question only added to Kiara's anxiety and her worry grew. Zalen's words only cemented the mother's fears. What did they need to say to her? What could be so bad that it had both the pack's delta and alpha seeking her out to speak to her? The arctic mother's head bent low to whisper as heartily as she could to Lucia, Go back and play, we are just going to talk about boring grown up things. Nodding quickly, Lucia ran back to the stream with a wagging tail and a happy woof.

With Lucia at a safe distance, Kaira sat down and positioned herself so that one eye remained on her puppy while the other was focused on Fayne and Zalen. What is going on?

Confusion and worry had caught up to the female as she realized the seriousness of the situation. Something was very wrong, but what, Kiara could not guess. Another question formed in her mind as she watched Fayne hesitate before speaking. Why were they discussing something that was obviously important with a subordinate wolf, and a brand new pack member at that? Why would the Alpha and Delta wish to speak to her about something that was clearly sensitive?

Fayne's words made Kiara's heart stop. Her eyes widened as she froze, still as a statue. Kiara saw nothing, she smelled nothing. All she could do was listen in shocked horror as Fayne spoke. The young mother was prepared for bad news, but nothing so deeply personal as that. Kohaku. The word was practically inaudible, and Kiara's voice shook as she muttered the name of her lost son. He was alive. Kohaku was alive. Kiara couldn't believe her ears. Her puppy, her son, her little boy was alive! And he was with Amy.

The moment was bitter-sweet. To hear that her son was alive and growing well made the white mother's heart soar. However, the news of his caretaker made Kiara's heart sink just as much. She could only imagine the terrible things Amy was doing to her son. He was so small, so young. He always managed to get himself into trouble and was far from the brightest of the bunch. The horrors she must be inflicting upon him.

Kiara only vaguely notice that Zalen was comforting her. Her mind stood in a state of shock, not entirely sure what to think. Slowly, like the first rocks of a rockslide, the arctic wolf began to feel something. A bubbling anger grew from within her soul and as it gained pace the fire quickly consumed her. Anger blazed in Kiara's eyes. She looked out towards the distance where she knew Ichika once lie. White heckles raised and black lips pulled back into a snarl. Where is he? Where is that yellow dog? Kiara's body shook and her muscles tensed. She wanted to find Amy and rip her to pieces. How dare Amy take Kohaku! Where is my son? When I find that...that dog I will make her wish she had never laid eyes on MY SON!

Stunned, Kiara's simple mind couldn't even register the comfort that her pack mates were offering. She didn't notice the submissive behavior of Fayne who by all rights should have demanded such a behavior from the alabaster mother. Nor did she notice the pain and anger present in both higher ranking wolves. All Kiara could think about was her son, Kohaku. His name swirled around in her head like a tornado. Just the fact that he was alive was enough to throw her off her game. To hear that he was with Amy, it was worse than thinking him dead.

Savage anger flooded her mind. Kiara wanted to run, to fight for her son. It was hard for the scarred mother to think of anything else. Yet, there was a single thread that connected her to the land. Lucia. Frustrated and with nothing to take her anger out on Kiara began to pace furiously back and forth. Vicious snarls flew form her lips like curses and her eyes blazed with an unrivaled hatred for Amy.

As she paced, she listened to Zalen and Fayne speak. Their words were painful to hear. Kiara didn't want any future promises, she couldn't wait. The longer she waited, the more precarious her son's welfare became. How long till Amy killed him or corrupted his young mind? Kiara paused in her pacing long enough for Zalen to give her another comforting lick, but it was clear that Kiara was in no mood for comfort. She wanted results.

The comforting splashes of Lucia's play had stopped. Her mother's sudden transformation into her angered state had not gone past the puppy. Lucia sat on the river banks, watching with large round eyes. Kiara, somewhat placated by her daughter's presence, strode over and wrapped her body around the small puppy. Lucia gave a whine, afraid and confused. She didn't know what was going on, she didn't realize the trouble her brother was in.