She wanted it.

A thousand ideas rushed into the wolf's mind, and she took a moment to think. Would Mother approve? She had approved of Yewberry, after all, and they needed to bolster their numbers. Mother wasn't here now, anyways, and so it was up to her to decide.

Carefully, she picked up the Gemstone, holding it between her teeth as gently as she could. There was a small nook, beneath a rock, she had spotted nearby, and so she carefully tucked the Gemstone under there, so she could retrieve it at a later point. She feared swallowing it if she tried to carry it, or losing it if she tried to bring it with her.

Stretching out her paw, she groaned as she found herself putting a bit too much weight on her crooked leg. But she was determined, and she deepened the hole carefully, making sure the Gemstone would be hidden away from any prying eyes.

Lowering her head, she nudged the stone into place, using her nose to push it to the very back of the small tunnel she had created. There, that would work, wouldn't it? A small 'hmm', and she knew she would need to be able to find it later. So she ground the side of her face into the rock, leaving her scent, before digging with her back paws, leaving her scent in the dirt, as well.

And with that, she was off again.

The she-wolf's stomach growled, and she stumbled.

When was the last time she had eaten? She couldn't remember. But, Caves, she was hungry. The goosemoose licked her lips, finding herself looked around, distracted for a moment from her search for her Mother.

Surely, she could stop for just a moment? Take a moment to find some food? But... well, in her state, she wasn't even sure she could hunt.

And someone must have been looking down on her, then, as a cavemouse charged at her, chattering, and she only had to snap her jaws, and it was dead, gulped down. It wasn't much, barely even a mouthful, but it helped ease the pain in her stomach.

Rolling for magical presence...

Jayberry finds a red-flecked black Bloodstone, rough and crystalline. It lays in her path and possibly pricks her paw as she eats her mouse.

This gemstone once belonged to a Pupil (+2) level Mexican Cottontail rabbit.

@Jayberry

The she-wolf shifted her weight, swallowing her meal, only to yelp, almost choking, as something pricked her paw painfully.

Raising her paw, and licking her lips, she was surprised to find a handsome looking Bloodstone, black with specks of red. Oh, it was beautiful. Probably one of the prettiest Gemstones she had ever found and, looking at it, she could sense just a flicker of magic.

"Oh, hello." she murmured. Well, wasn't that interesting? Two Gemstones, while searching for Mother? Was that some sort of sign? She decided to take it as one, and leaned down to pick up the stone.

The she-wolf hurried back to where she had stored the other Gemstone, wanting to get back to searching for Mother as quickly as she could. But she was careful as she pushed the Gemstone into the tunnel, marking it again for good measure.

The stone secured then, the she-wolf trotted off, wanting to finish her patrol. Mother had to be somewhere, and Polaris was the best place to start from, wasn't it? The source of Magic, a great place to hide and heal.

This was where she had staggered after being so badly injured, Tunnel N no longer home, no longer safety, just another Tunnel, curling up until she no longer felt as though she were dying. The Magic that sparked in the air had given her an energy she was lacking, given her the energy to eat and drink when she wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and sleep until her wounds healed.

So it made sense that Mother would be here, too. So despite the ache in her bones, the pains that were growing worse, she continued on the path, seeking out any signs of Mother.

Her head slumped lower and lower as she walked, ears drooping. She was growing more and more tired, limping as pains and aches grew more pronounced. But she needed to do this, to cover the rest of Polaris. And she was so close, she had covered over half of it by this point.

What was that?

Raising her head, a sudden flash of energy rushing through her, she looked around. She could have sworn she had caught the beating of wings but, looking overhead, she saw only a fluttering Hallowed Caller.

The she-wolf gave a low groan, something inside her grinding, threatening to snap. Why, why couldn't it have been Mother?

She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Mother truly fly, but there was always that small chance. Why couldn't that Caller have been Mother? The wolf moaned, shaking her head, and glowering up at the Hallowed Caller as though it, personally, had taken her family from her.

The Hallowed Caller fluttered off, and the she-wolf sighed, suddenly feeling very, very tired.

She felt weary down to her bones, an exhaustion greater than any she had felt before settling in. What was she going to do? Mother was gone, Huckleberry and Cloudberry and Yewberry captured, and Elderberry... Elderberry was dead. Father was still missing, and Baneberry was exiled. It seemed, she was the only one left. And she was terrified.

Jayberry had never been a leader. She had always been happy to follow Mother, to do as she ordered and dole out punishments, had only ever had to make sure others followed orders, not actually implement them. But now she was in charge, at least for the time being, and it was the scariest thing she could ever imagine.

But this was just temporary, it had to be. Mother would come back, and together they would get Huckleberry, and Yewberry, and Cloudberry back. And then the five of them would find Blueberry, and they would be a family again.

That was how it had always been, and how it always will be. Didn't it have to be? Life... life never changed, her family was her constant. Had been there since she hatched. They had to be there for her...

didn't they?