First People: La 'lor Ae

Ranger

Sam's frown only deepens as the ranger enters his office, she'd been here over thirty minutes now. Was Eli not important enough to warrant his immediate attention? It had been a fight the last three days trying to get the police and rangers more involved in the searches. Everyone she'd dealt with had all looked at her with sympathy in their eyes, and she wanted it to stop.

She wanted them to go out and do something, and stop acting like her son was dead. Her fear had morphed into rage over the days since she'd lost him. What kind of mother could lose her child? An impulsive camping trip, and desperate attempt at gleaning some joy out of a stressful summer of twelve hour work days and very little quality time with her children had become a nightmare.

The stern faced, and weary ranger moved to stand in front of his desk. His tall, dark and handsome good looks were still in tact well into his late thirties. He was in amazing shape now though, more fit than he'd been in his late teens even. Something she'd noticed the day they'd paid the camping fee at the gate, and she had run into her old high school crush to her shock. He wore his ranger uniform paired with his grandmothers beaded necklace tucked under the collar, his raven black hair still always braided into two thick plaits and hanging down past his chest. His sun kissed bronze skin is credited to his Nisqually ancestry, god he has always been so painfully beautiful, and under any other circumstances she'd appreciate it.

David's expression speaks volumes, and his arms are crossed over his chest as he looks down at her. She has got to be the fiercest mother he's ever dealt with, he thinks to himself. That is really saying something when considering he had been a wildlife park ranger for going on fifteen years now.

"Samantha, I know you are... more than worried, and I can't begin to imagine what you're feeling right now but.." He begins, but she cuts him off.

"It's been three days! Your people are supposed to know this forest inside and out, how can you not find a teenage boy?" She hisses, her eyes welling up with tears again. Like a knife to the gut, he realizes he still can't stomach seeing her cry, after all these years.

"There are rivers, canyons, and wolves out here Sam. After twenty four hours the chances that he..." He speaks softly, his deep voice breaking on the last word as her face crumples, again she cuts him off.

"Stop! Don't even say it." He hears the threat in her words and presses his lips together. "He is still out there and he is alive! If you can't find him, then I will do it myself." She visibly swallows her emotions down and raises her chin to level those eyes on him, they had always looked like a stormy sea to him.

Once, he had known her best, was closer to her than anyone in his entire life, and she had known him best too. They'd gone to the same schools as kids and his younger sister was her childhood best friend long before his interest peaked in her in the ninth grade.

When she'd left this cesspool of a redneck town almost two decades ago, he knew she'd never dreamt of coming back.

"I'm sorry, you can't go out there alone. You will get lost, or worse, you have your littlest boy to think about Sam, and he needs you right now. I'm sure your husband is worried sick back home as well." His feet shuffle on the ground and his dark eyes fall to them.

Fuck.

Time and place man..

Recovering, he breathes deeply. "Please just allow us to do our job. I swear to you, we are doing everything in our power and so are the police." He speaks with a clear confidence and watches her hug herself tightly, eyes darting away from him. He steps closer to her, fingernails digging into his palms with the effort of not pulling her against him. The truth was, he'd been out there solo just this morning, and he'd pulled every single favor he'd ever accrued in this town and they had nothing. The urge to just hold her and promise her anything and everything he could offer her nearly overwhelmed him.