Wolf Packs || Balthazar & Rye || Fragile Peace AU
danIt wasn’t uncommon for a servant at Black Manor to inform Rye that Balthazar was out when he showed up. That was commonplace enough. What was more uncommon was the servant’s reluctance to tell him where Balthazar had gone. He expected that Balthazar was tending to matters of the Court, or sparring o the training grounds. But the servant didn’t give him either answer, instead muttering apologies and bowing before carefully excusing himself too abruptly to be considered respectful in any circumstance other than the fact that Rye was there often enough that the servant knew he wouldn’t be upset by it.
Still, it was odd to not be invited in to wait for his friend. He had never accepted the offer, but it was usually there. He turned to leave, intending to return home and ask Robin if he’d heard from Balthazar recently, when a large, familiar figure emerged from around the side of the manor. “Mars?” Rye questioned curiously. The hound seemed agitated, more so than he often was, and huffed impatiently as Rye walked too slowly for his liking towards him. Rye reached out when he was close enough to pet Mars, but he turned and took off before Rye could touch him. Something twisted in Rye’s chest, uncertain and painful as he took off at a sprint after Mars. If Mars was here, then Balthazar was close by. He knew that much. But then why was the servant acting so strangely if Balthazar was there?
“Balthazar?” Rye called out. He could barely see the shadow of another creature, hunched over in an almost animalistic way. But Rye couldn’t mistake him for anyone or anything else.
@dance-of-war
