Sig didn't put up a fight when Blue suggested he simply follow his senses and head toward the mountains. It was obvious Sig was being pulled toward the rocky edifice, and no trace of Eivind was coming up among the trees. Though Blue was a seasoned hiker, they were moving at a merciless pace and the young human was getting tired. Blue's legs were burning from following the zigzagging wolf through the woods, and part of him simply wanted to toss the bag and gun from his shoulder and collapse onto the cool green grass. Taking a break, however, wasn't an option.<br/><br/>At the edge of rock face, Blue paused, staring up and carefully mapping out the path he would need to take. Sig took the lead, keeping his nose low to the ground as they slowly ascended the craggy rock. It wasn't long before the small wolf had transformed back into a handsome man, relaying to Blue the information he'd been able to sniff out, vague though it was.<br/><br/>"Another wolf?" Blue whispered, watching his every step as he traversed the precarious path, though it wasn't so steep yet that he couldn't spare some brain power on wondering what Eivind could have been thinking.<i>That doesn't make any sense. If it was just another wolf from the pack, Eivind would just ignore them, not chase them up a mountain. And he wouldn't run from another wolf. No, he must have done the chasing. But why?</i><br/><br/>Sig was patient and attentive, taking Blue's hand and helping him to continue up the rock when it seemed like Blue was beginning to severely tire. "I'm okay," Blue reassured, but the longer they went, the steeper the cliffside became, and the slower Blue could climb. He groaned as they crested a particularly trying bit of rock, breathing hard when they reached the top. He looked to where Sig was pointing and grimaced when he saw deep claw marks etched into the cliff's surface. They followed warily, inching their way to the spot where the claw marks in the rock suddenly shifted, and blood stained the edges. Blue dropped to his knees at the stain, now dry, and gingerly picked up a tuft of brownish red fur that had gotten trapped in cracks in the craggy mountainside.<br/><br/>"Oh no..." he bemoaned, peering over the edge and seeing no further traces of his mate. "I knew it," Blue growled, bringing himself to his feet while still clutching at the sad clump of hair. "I fucking<i>told </i>Alaric something had happened! Eivind's hurt! That's his blood and he's lying somewhere hurt and alone!"<br/><br/>Blue hardly listened to the words Sig was using in an attempt to soothe his storming, fretful mind. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, tried to remind himself that falling into a raging panic wasn't going to help anyone, especially his lover. At the very least, Sig had managed to find some trace of him, and that was better than no trace at all.<br/><br/>"The gun?" Blue choked, shaking himself from his silent seething and directing his focus to the man in front of him. "Yes... maybe, maybe he'll recognize it like you said. And he can yell? Or howl, if he's a wolf? I read once that wolf's howl can be heard for up to six miles in the forest." His breathing was shaky as he pulled the rifle forward and turned his body, pointing it out so it was facing over the edge of the rock, away from Sig and any hard surface. Blue wasn't a hunter, but his father had still taught him a thing or two about guns, and at the very least Blue knew how to shoot the damned thing.<br/><br/>Thankfully, Blue had no actual target, nothing to focus on other than finding his mate. He brought the rifle up to his shoulder, keeping his shooting elbow up and level with the other elbow directly beneath the barrel. Feet shoulder length apart, body straight and steady. There wasn't enough room on the rock to balance himself if he wasn't careful and forced to recoil. The gun felt incredibly heavy in his already tired arms, but that didn't matter. None of his own discomfort mattered now that he knew for certain Eivind needed him.<br/><br/>The sound of the gunshot was deafening. Blue knew it would be. They hadn't time to search the cabin for ear protection, something Eivind must have had if he ever did hunt with the rifle, and Blue knew his ears would be ringing for a long while after enduring the noise. He hefted the gun back over his shoulder and stared out blankly to the horizon, thick with green and stretching on for miles. Sig was right. Eivind had to be somewhere close.<br/><br/>"Come on, baby, tell me where you are," Blue begged, hoping desperately that Eivind was at least in somewhat of a condition to recognize the sound of the rifle and respond, to call to them so they could follow.