Searching For Astra..In A Blizzard!

• • A bad bad winter storm has started and becomes worse as Scioto finds out Astra choose then to leave and maybe it;s his fault so he goes out into the storm and into the woods to find her, will he find her or be too late?**

Scioto sat at the tavern and took a long drink of his ale, he was in a foul mood and no one dared went close to him as he would glare at them and they would have enough sense to leave him alone.

Astra was clearing some tables as she has found part time work in the tavern and walks up to Scioto and offers a smile, “Hey, whats going on Scioto, anything I can help with?”

Scioto shakes his head, “No, you can’t. Unless you witnessed what happen in my office, did you see anyone strange around there? Outside the window? Would have been last night or very early this morning”

Astra shakes her head, “No I am sorry. I went to be early last night and then didn’t get out till maybe an hour ago.”

Scioto growls, yes he is upset and seems to be want left alone, “Then leave me alone.” He didn’t mean to say it and in a slightly angered tone, he is just in a bad mood due to his office being a total wreak and then he has the owner of a shop complain to him about their roof leaking, his day is just slowly getting worse by the hour.

Astra frowns and backs away “Sorry, didn’t mean to upset you. I could ask around if you like”

Scioto shakes his head “I have guards to do that, least I hope I do as lot a good the other two did.”

Astra sighs and then speaks “I have been thinking, I know you offered to let me stay in Ferravale and offered me a home even and that was kind of you and I have an offer to maybe work in the tavern.”

Scioto only wags his tail, he has not listened to a word she has said as he is still going over his office and what happen. He lost coins and a couple fancy daggers, and a couple other odds and ends, he looks up at her after what seems like forever and blinks and then glares clearly upset still and annoyed “Your still here? I said leave-me-ALONE!”

Astra looks near tears now and turns to head to the doorway and on out of the tavern.

Scioto wags his tail and looks to the door in time to see Astra head out and frowns a little as he sighs, he stands to go follow her when a guard stops him and starts talking to him, he sighs more and motions the guard to sit as they have a small meeting.

(Couple Days Later)

Scioto glances around, He has been so busy cleaning his office and trying to find out who may of basically destroyed his office he has not done one thing he should of seen as important also, talk to Astra.” Seeing a guard the cat walks over and asks, “Did you see where Astra went?”

The guard shakes his head “Not since she was heading to the gate with a knapsack”

Scioto blinks and blinks as a snowflake hits his nose and then another and another, “Looks like snow.” It isn’t too long till the snow starts falling a lot more heavy. He checks in the tavern and in the home he gave Astra, at the same time he makes sure the villagers are ok in case the snow gets worse.

The guards help and shrug when the other cat isn’t found and the snow soon shows this is going to be a very bad storm. What the guards mainly miss is the lone figure of Astra heading down the path away from the village, over her shoulder a simple knapsack and her cloak around her.

Scioto has already made sure his daughter was ok and with her main guard, he sent other guards around to check on other villagers and frowns as in a short time snow is starting to cover the ground and the wind is starting to howl as large chucks of snow falls around him and he shivers as the storm gets worse very quickly.

A guard approaches him, “Sir…it seems Astra left, last seen an hour ago”

Scioto frowns deeply, “Left? In this? There is a storm out here!” He goes to his home to get his thick cloak, his blade is at his side, a small bag of food, rope, and he heads off down the path out of Ferravale and into the snow storm as it comes down and only gets worse and worse as time goes on.

Astra walks through the blinding snow and frowns as it’s the kind of weather you can’t see the paw in front of you and its very cold as the wind howls all around her and she frowns. She got all turned around and is now lost, lost in a blizzard!

Scioto keeps the hood of his thick cloak up as he walks through the snow, “Astra!” He calls out and his ears flatten against his head. A gust of wind threatens to knock him down but he stands his ground and squints and he looks forwards or least tries to as all around him is just swirling white and it’s getting into his face also.

Astra is not too close to Scioto and even if she was the wind and snow make it difficult to see anything or hear anything. She covers her eyes to try and not get so much in her eyes, she sees a house and goes to it, it seems no one is inside and so she tries the door to see its broken and steps inside shivering, She looks around and finds a couple chairs and a table left by the previous owners and with flint starts a fire in the fireplace quickly for some warmth.

Scioto stumbles once and slowly stands back up, he had ducked into den once but after a short while backed back out as a noise seemed to say it was a bad idea. The wind still howls and the snow still falls, little bits of light try to escape the clouds but fail to help the storm settle down much and the chieftain blinks in swirling snow as it becomes harder to see and his vision burns some, he goes to rub his eye just a little and tenses up, now it’s even more blurry as he tries to look around threw very blurry vision and squints as he thinks he sees smoke, where there is smoke there could be a campfire and maybe Astra..”Astra!” He slowly walks forwards and gasps as his footpaw hits a patch of ice and he falls forwards and does one of those sort of front rolls down a hill, he groans as spinning around and around is no fun and neither was slamming into the tree, luckily nothing was broken but he will be bruised, he looks or tries to look towards what could be a house.

Astra is inside and happens to peek outside and blinks when she sees someone crash into the tree across the field, she ventures out into the biting cold and swirling snow hoping it to be friend and not foe.

Scioto stands slowly and dusts off his cloak and limps forwards a few feet, he shakes his head as his vision worsens due to all the white snow all over and he has been in it the past hour or hour and a half maybe, “Astra..(rough cough)” He falls onto his knees, yeah he can’t go any further.

Astra looks around and her eyes widen when she sees Scioto and rushes forwards, “Scioto?!..wh..what are you doing out in this?” She goes to help him up and towards the house.

Scioto allows the help, “Looking for you..I am so glad to see….find you” He frowns and lets her help him inside with no complaining.

Astra leads him inside and by the fireplace “I am sorry..the only dry firewood was the table and chairs left here, it’s some abandon home…you were looking for me?” She looks surprised. She helps him out of the wet cloak and his tunic should dry also, her own cloak is dry so she lays that around him.

Scioto nods and shivers, he seems to stare forwards as he keeps her cloak around him “Y..YES….I w..was” He frowns “ Eye…hurts and I’m..c..cold” He reaches out a paw, his one eye is slightly swollen and a little pinkish red, no not from any anger issues it’s from all the snow and reflections off the snow, he has snow blindness as for now his vision is gone, hopefully just temporary” Astra where..are you still here I can’t..can’t see” A small bit of panic in his voice.

Astra takes the paw and examines his eye, she frowns and is not really much of a healer but knows or least has heard of some things “Snow blindness hopefully temporary..” She looks around and finds some bandages she keeps and uses it to wrap around both eyes as it’s just easier that way. “Trust me, this will prevent further damage and you need to stay by the fireplace. I am sorry I don’t have much to make a meal, wasn’t planning on getting stuck in a blizzard.”

Scioto remains still as she places the blindfold over his eyes and coughs, he lays down by the fireplace slowly getting warmer, a bit too cold but luckily he made it somewhere warm in time, he lets sleep over take him.

Astra checks him to make sure he is ok and sighs, she lays down beside him in an effort to keep him warm and smiles, “I love you Scioto” She is soon asleep as well.

Scioto makes no movement or mutter if he heart Astra or not, he is asleep beside Astra and both stay warm by the fireplace with a nice decent size fire while the snow storm outside slowly lessens its war against the Mossflower Woods.