Gar felt guilty the rest of the day, but he knew Kindra’s moods. He waited until the next morning to go to her tent and try to make amends. “Kindra?” he said as he knocked on the doorframe. No one answered. “Kindra, please. I need to talk to you.”

Silence. Not even a “go away” or “leave me alone”. She was really upset. “Kindra, really, I need to talk to you.” He pulled aside the door flap. No one was inside.

Gar turned to scan the tents nearby. He hadn’t seen her on his way over, but she could be in the woods. He spotted Monk’s sister, Heather, and jogged over to her. “Have you seen Kindra?”

She looked up as she thought about it. “I rarely see her since she’s off bed rest. I believe the last time was a quarter moon ago.”

He couldn’t believe it. “You haven’t seen Kindra for seven days?”

Heather shrugged. “She avoids everyone.”

“Thanks.” If she wasn’t in her tent, she must be one of two places: her mourning rock, or their training grotto in the woods. He checked both, but there was no sign of her, and no sign of footprints in the snow.

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Dread pitted in his stomach, settling low and sharp. The last he’d seen her, she’d been walking upriver. North. Something was wrong.

He knocked on the High Priestess’ doorframe and entered. “Have you seen Kindra?”

She looked up from her herbs and thought about it for a moment before she answered. “No. I don’t believe I’ve seen her for a quarter moon.”

His shoulders dropped. How could Kindra be so absent from tribal life that even the High Priestess, whose door faced the Odion tent, hadn’t seen her?

“Is something wrong?” The woman asked.

“I…uh,” Gar fidgeted. He didn’t want to admit that they’d had a fight, nor the reasons they’d fought, but it would be pointless to lie to the High Priestess. She could see through a lie as easy as he could see through an open door. “We got in an argument about her father’s death, and the last I saw she was walking north, and she hasn’t returned home.”

One arched eyebrow lifted as the High Priestess looked at him. “North? How far north?”

Gar rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought she was just going to her mourning rock, but...she did mention saving Kaye and stopping the Obsidians right before she walked off.”

“I see. And you didn’t try to stop her?”

Gar glanced at the rug beneath his feet. “No.”

The High Priestess turned to her basket of herbs. “Then I suggest you find Monkey, Alder, and Cougar and bring them here immediately. I’m going to need warriors if I have to go to Fie Obsid and beg her back from the chief.”

“Yes, priestess.” He bowed and left the tent to gather his friends and get the canoes ready.