▹▹▹▹//Last paragraph is the important one if you don't want to read everything c:

Her father had left her. Again. After he had sworn! After he had promised! Wasn't it bad the first time when he had disappeared for what felt like months? Wasn't it bad enough he had left her with a total stranger- a man that he was familiar with, but she was not? Even if she had grown used to the arrangement, how could he? Such bitter feelings were not typically something that burned inside Clementine's little chest. But she was bitter, she was oh-so bitter, and she was angry. At first, she hadn't thought anything of it. At first, she had been worried. He had left in the morning as he always did after making sure she had breakfast, going to attend to his duties in the Clan. With her lungs having been so poor as of late with the changing of the season, it was little surprise that she had stayed inside and occupied herself otherwise.

But then he didn't come back. At first it was a day, then two. And then Clementine knew she couldn't sit still any longer. She didn't know anyone else in Sunhaven where he had moved them; there was no one that she could depend upon but herself. Even then, this was perhaps the stupidest and craziest thing that she had ever done. Pierce would have killed her, yet she would almost rather accept that then to wonder why she wasn't good enough for him. It had been a little difficult to pick up her father's trail at first, but once she had found it, she knew there was no turning back. She was going to find him, one way or another, and if that meant his trip took longer than he thought, or he had been whisked away into some grand idea of moving them again, she would know. Regardless, the travel was hard on her small body, and honestly terrifying to be doing something like this alone, but she had persisted and found that the closer she got, the stronger the presence of her father was. It was... oddly comforting, really, despite the bumps and noises on the path as she went, which ultimately led her here.

There was no denying the clear scented markings of a border now that she stood in front of, a large grassy plain beholding her with tall building-like structures in the distance. Her breathes wheezed sharply in her chest as she finally brought herself to stand still and sit, as much as her paws jittered with fears and nerves, her bright gaze quickly scanning the surroundings, trying to find him, trying to even get a glimpse of him somewhere. "I-i-i"she began in a soft, whispered stutter, her voice barely carrying. She stopped, then took a deep breath in, trying to force her voice as loud as it would go, breathy and light. "I-i'm looking for my father. His.. His name is Pierce... Is he here?"Clementine held her breath, hoping that someone heard her, and at the same time, hoping that someone didn't, quickly trying to straighten herself up and look as presentable as possible, stiff and rigid as she waited. Her small little body nearly huddled against some tall stalks of grass, as if she just wished she could disappear on the spot.

She knew what it was like to be left behind by parents, though her case was somewhat different. She knew where her parents were, that it was a place she couldn't follow. It was better than being left wondering, and yet, a part of her would have probably said that it wasn't. She wanted them to be there with her, to be alive and to be there for her to love. But none of that was something she thought about often. Really, she avoided it, pushing it to the back of her mind whenever it popped up. It wasn't the best, but it was better than being broken up over it.

The news of murders had been circulating and, while she was afraid of being next just like everyone else, she still couldn't stay cooped up inside. She liked to roam, to be able to go outside and play, though she did sometimes wander too far. That's how she found herself there, both guided by her own paws and the voice of someone at the border. She had never been out this far, but since she was apprentice age now, she decided it was alright.

"Hello! I don't know anyone named Pierce, no." she starts off cheery, greeting the girl with a big smile, then an expression of thought forms on her face. Was there a Pierce? If so, she had never met him. "Well, what's your name? Maybe we can go look for him!" whether he was here or not, she didn't want to leave her here, and by the looks of her, she wasn't well, either.

So Isabelle would stand there, waiting for her response, trying to appear welcoming. Maybe she would stick around, whether her father showed up or not. She would have liked to have someone else her age around. Sometimes things got boring, being around all the adults.

"speech"

▹▹▹▹Unlike everyone else, Clementine had heard no such rumors of murders or chaos occuring in the depths of the night. She had no inclination of the true dangers that she had just walked through- and by some miracle- made it safely. That was the innocence and the protection that had been offered by her isolation. Her ignorance and her loneliness were all atrributed to this one fact. Hence, she had no idea what sort of danger she was in being all the way out here by the border, but perhaps thankfully for her, it was still daylight. Thankfully for her, someone was there to greet her. A cheery looking girl who looked her age- despite Clementine's stunted height. The big smile on her face was momentarily daunting, and her words sent a spike of fear running down her heart, her face falling slowly. Doesn't know a Pierce? No! She had to know! He had to be here! She knew he was here! Right? He wouldn't just leave her!

For a moment, she was stunned speechless as her thoughts whirled and emotions bubbled in her chest, her breath wheezing for a moment before it caught in her throat with a cough, snapping her out of it as she drew a breath in and looked back up. "I... I'm Clementine. Clementine Parker," the answer came, as steady as she could manage her voice with the fear of her father not being around sinking into her soul. Maybe we could go look for him! Her body tensed with the immediate threat of 'stranger danger', but it was far, far too late for that. Instead, she found her head slowly nodding before her mind caught up to the question, her desire overtaking logic. "That's a good idea. He has to be around here somewhere, please..."

▹▹▹▹Clementine froze at the sight of her father in the distance, emotions bubbling back up in her all at once as she stared upon his familiar form, pinrpicks of anger and relief, sorrow and joy all at once flooding her as she found herself embraced before she could even shift to move a paw. He had gone, he had disappeard, without a single word, and yet here he was, blubbering his same apologies with near crocodile tears, the same sight she had been greeted with the first time he had gone, the first time that he had left her on her own, wondering where her only family had gone. I'm here Clem, he said, as if she were no more than an image that threatened to disappear, still finding herself sinking into his fur in relief as her little paws clung to him, even as he began to pull away. Her gaze upturned to him all the same as he began to speak his explanations, half-truths and subtle words, a vague answer to his lack of appearance in the recent days. It's okay now he insisted, which made Clem's brow furrow softly. She wasn't stupid, as much as she wanted to believe him- if he really didn't leave of his own accord, if there really was just a 'misunderstanding' he had to clear up, he would have said that! Wouldn't he?

She barely had time to register anything; his appearance, his slightly dishelved appearance, the guilt and concern written around her face, his hesitancy and the familiar scent of his fur, now mingling with that of the area around her, just another thing to seperate them again. "Staying?" her little voice echoed, her gaze slowly drawing around the area and Isabelle for a moment. Staying, again? Moving, again? There was a faint glimmer of hope and... something else in her father's voice, something that she couldn't really pinpoint. Was it uncertainty? Was it something else? It was harder and harder to read her father lately. Where once she was willing to accept anything he said with no more than a bat of an eye, she was beginning to grow, beginning to question. And perhaps that was for a good reason as Moon soon appeared next to them all, making Clem jump faintly at the sudden voice as her gaze swung upwards.

Sorry the voice chimed, false and slitered as a snake, uncaring. Dadnap for a Kidnap. The words took a few moments to sink in, the almost lighthearted joking of the phrase severly undermining the truth of the situation, her gaze turning back to her father and his previously vague words, and back, her head working everthing through. He was here, he wanted to stay- he wanted her to stay again, and he had been kidnapped? Sunhaven had takaen someone? And their previous leader was now being called a crazy- Well, she couldn't say such a word without being repirmanded, but everything was dizzying. "Dad?" her voice said again, more softly, more confused and concerend as she took in his ragged appearance once more, her paw softly touching his cheek as a frown pulled at her face. "They took you, and you want to stay here?" she asked, more softly, nearly whispered to his ear as disbelief began to cross her face. She didn't get it... She didn't get it one bit. But, then again, Isabelle had been nice- Was she even considering this? Was her father mad?! At the same time, she could not leave him. At the same time, what did Sunhaven have to offer her? Her little head swam uncertaintly as she took a faint step away, turning her gaze back to Moon, who seemed in the present moment the most in charge. Everything else in her body was telling her to hide, to cower at her father's side, but there was another part of her, taking in her father's appearance here and his presence that made her stand a little taller. "You... You didn't hurt him, right? You didn't do anything?"