Blackberry Fields The Forbidden Fruit

Tagging a few of you guys in here @Minka @Lugh @Inali

He'd been gone for way too long. Tokino knew it. He knew that somebody was probably looking for him. It was why he tried so hard to get back to the borders so that he might call for help from the pack.

Grunting in effort Tokino limped forward through the thorny bushes. He didn't take the easy to travel paths that were clear of such thorns. Instead he took a straightaway route which would take the least amount of time to get to his destination. The scent of bear still clung to his tattered hind leg as he tried to hold it up. However it mostly hung loose dragging behind the gray male as he tried in vain to ignore the pain. The older wolf hadn't looked at his injury in a while knowing that staring at it wasn't going to do him any good. Besides it helped to ignore how bad the injury looked. Though the pain had quadrupled now since he had first received the injury. So Tokino still had an idea of how bad it was even without looking at it.

Brief recognition lit the man's eyes as he skirted one large blackberry bush and looked ahead. He recognized this area well. He was finally at a border. Stopping the gray man let himself lean on a bush ignoring the tiny pin pricks of the thorns (which was easy to do with the pain in his leg) and raised his head to howl.

Lugh! Ryka! Somebody! I need help! Tokino howled relaying the names on his deep tone before he paused in his call and slid sideways to the earth. The pain was too much, and he could barely stand on three legs anymore. That was how tired he was.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Beren had been setting out to do border patrol when a call broke through the air reaching his ears. Quickly he panicked listening to the male, the deep tone gave it away, call out for help. Looking around to see if anyone else was around he noticed no one and decided to book it. Running straight to the scene where the call had came from.

His eyes filled wide a bit at the sight of a much older male injured and laying on the earth. Rushing ahead he scanned over the male. "Oh my." He whispered to himself hoping the other would not catch him. The older male smelt of bear and it was obvious his hind leg was injured. "Sir, I'm no healer but I'm asking that you please tell me what happened so that I can inform someone right away in the case that someone doesn't show quick enough." Beren was sure someone would show but just in the case that he had to carry this male back to the healer's den it would be easier to tell the healer himself what happened. It wasn't like the older male needed to waste more energy by telling the story thousands of times.

Taking a seat he tried to comfort the male with a small smile. Beren had never been in a real situation like this before so it was like trying to speak a foreign tongue on the first day of learning it. Nearly impossible! While his mind was frantic he kept a calm and cool appearance for the injured male before him.

➳
So What Do I Do When Every Day
Still Seems To Start And End With You

As soon as Lugh heard Tokino's distressed howl he bolted, ducking and dodging everything in his path to make it to the Black Thorn Downs leader as swiftly as possible. He had no idea what could be the matter though he knew the urgency in Tokino's voice meant it unlikely to be something benign, and could be anything from a broken limb or cougar attack. As Lugh dashed past the medicine den, he considered grabbing something, but not knowing what he'd be facing nor what to bring, it would only waste what could be precious time.

As Lugh made it just to the edges of the territory, he could finally smell Tokino, joined by another, with the faint and utterly unnerving tinge of something that smelled an awful lot like rot. It was only once he was close enough to see the two that he could smell the lingering odor of bear. So, there was his answer of what had happened.

"Has 'e told ya what 'appened? 'Ow long ago?" Lugh abruptly asked Beren, hardly looking at the youth as he moved past him right up to Tokino. Lugh would have to get a good look to tell what he was dealing with here. Seeing the open gash on the side of Tokino's haunch, swollen and festering, looked bad enough as it was. But the red oozing between the cracks, dried blood snaking its way down through clumped fur, made Lugh's hair stand on end. The herbalist had to glance away and take a slow, deep breath. Through the nose, through the nose, can't throw up if you're breathing through your nose, he chanted in his head. Which did little to help the metallic odor that was burning up through his nostrils and turning his stomach.

Lugh looked back to Tokino, barely more composed though he was careful to not look at the gash for too long. "Don' get up yet." He ordered, before looking to Beren, "We'll need t' take 'im to the creek to get this washed out first and get some water in 'im, 'fore we can get 'im back to th' infirmary. Don't want 'im settin' too much weight on that, and 'e looks tired enough as is."

Lugh glanced about, seeing no one else had arrived yet, and they'd likely need a little more muscle than a yearling and a tiny herbalist to move Tokino without dropping him. And Lugh needed Ryka if he wasn't going to vomit all over the patient. Lugh tipped his head back, letting out a call first and foremost for Ryka, though urging anyone else nearby who could lend a paw.

(This post was last modified: Jul 15, 2014, 08:44 PM by Lugh.)

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Tokino huffed loudly as he lay there waiting for somebody to come. Though he was still alert for any signs of hungry coyotes or gods forbid another friggin bear to smell him and come investigating. Luckily enough other creatures weren't what found him first. Kino's head snapped to the side peering angrily through the bushes as the sounds of rushed heavy paws skittered over the earth. He sighed in relief as a pack mate appeared. Tokino thanked his luck that someone else had been checking the border nearby, for there was no other reason this dark man would have gotten to him so fast.

Oh my my ass! Help me get to the den so someone can fix this. Tokino only ever cursed when he was angry or hurting, and as he gestured to his leg pain shot through his back at the movement. He cursed under his breath as the pain kept him planted to the ground. His ear heard Beren's worried voice and with a snarl the gray wolf answered.

About a week ago a damn young adult bear came a knocking while I was on a patrol. It was young and inexperienced. Thought I could just scare the thing away, and I did. Chased that bitch all the way towards the woodlands. However I didn't notice the surroundings and accidentally cornered the creature. It was then that it finally turned and fought back. Got my leg with one swipe of its claws just as I got it's nose in my teeth. Tokino might have been exaggerating a bit with the distances and the fight, but his wounds were evidence enough that at least half of his story was true.

All of the sudden a second wolf arrived. Tokino expelled a deep breath as Lugh appeared asking what happened. Bout a week ago., He said grimly while listening to the healers advice. Ironically enough Lugh's advice was to sit still whereas Tokino had wanted to keep moving to get to the den. An that's why I'm no healer... He thought while glancing at the wound. It had taken him a long time to gimp back to the border with his wound. A week of his disappearance from the territory.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Speech.

It had been too long. A week. A week of not seeing Tokino. A week of searching high abd low for his scent, barely stopping to eat and sleep. He was her friend. Basically her father. The very thought that something must have happened to him to just disappear out of the blue made her want to retch. She looked nothing like her usual self. Her eyes had lost their spark, and she plain looked exhausted. She was tired, but she had pushed herself to find her alpha. To no avail. The petite scout was about to head out on another 'find Tokino' mission when a howl ripped through the skies. A howl so familiar that it made that lost spark in her blue orbs appear like it had never left. She couldn't recall ever running so damn fast in her life. As she broke through the bushes, she caught the gist of his story. Anger fought with her concern and in the end, both won out.

Ignoring the healer and youth at her side, a storm brew in her icy orbs. "You stupid old man! How many times do I have to tell you, you're too old for this shit!," she practically screeched. If Lugh and Beren knew what was best for them, they wouldn't dare interfere. She usually never let her anger get the best of her, but whenever her and Tokino were together, they just butted heads naturally. "You're lucky you're alive or I would've hunted your dead ass down, brought you back to life, and killed you with my own fucking paws! I could've died of worry, idiot!" Her voice kinda got choked at the end and she burried her face into the nape of his neck, like a little scared child. Her anger had deflated and she only felt concern now. The relief in her tone as she spoke was palpable. "I thought you were dead, Kino," she voiced in a whisper for his ears alone. Giving herself a moment to gather herself, she pulled away from Tokino. She was all buisness as she turned to Lugh, careful to not be anywhere near Tokino's battered leg. "Give me something to do," she spoke to their healer.

Tokino's recent absence had most certainly not gone unnoticed. At first, Ryka figured that he might have taken a lengthy trip throughout Relic Lore, perhaps to catch up with some old acquaintances. She knew very little about the man, so she couldn't really come to any conclusions. But after a week had passed, there was still no sign of him. Now, her speculation turned to concern. Where was he? Why wasn't he back yet? As a Leader and a father to two growing pups, he surely would not abandon Black Thorn Downs. Ryka tried not to dwell on it too much, reassuring herself over and over again that the gray male would eventually turn up.

And sure enough, he did. When his distressed cry filled the air, Ryka had been busy refilling one of the caches. Instantly, she snapped her head up, azure eyes wide with concern. Lugh's call soon followed, and she replied with a brief howl to assure him she was on her way. Tokino was back alright, and there was no doubt, that something terrible had happened. Without a second thought, she abandoned the site of the cache, oblivious to the smudges of dirt over her nose. Moving at breakneck speed, she crashed through thorny bushes, past small clearings, and hurled over fallen logs until she had at last arrived at the borders. To her relief, Tokino was not alone. A young dark male she didn't recognize was already there, along with Lugh and a visibly distraught Inali. Slowing her steps, she emerged, several burrs and thorns snagged within her coat. "Tokino...thank goodness. We've all been worried sick." She whined softly. Except for his mangled hind leg,at least he was intact.

Just looking at the scene before her, and the injuries her Leader had sustained, she didn't need to know what had happened. All of the evidence was right there in front of her. The stale stench of bear and the raw, bleeding flesh of his leg painted a perfect picture for her. Even in his injured state, the Tiaroth female would give Tokino the respect he deserved. Immediately falling into her role of healer, she adopted a stern, clinical demeanor. Gently she inspected his wound, taking care to note any severed tendons or broken bones. It was a deep, substantial wound. Turning to Lugh and Inali, she spoke with the calmness only a well practiced healer could have. "One of you, see if you can go find a sturdy piece of tree bark. We will have to use that as a makeshift splint until we can get you to the den, Tokino. In the meantime, someone head back to infirmary and fetch me some Black Hawthorn. It'll help ease the pain." She wouldn't admit it, but she was feeling slightly nervous putting her skills as a healer to the test for the very first time in front of her packmates. But she was needed here, and there was no backing out.

As a wolf, who he assumed to be a healer, appeared Beren sighed softly. Nodding he was quick to speak, "Bear attack. He was trying to fight back but it managed to get it's claws to his leg." It was more brief than what had been said from the older male but it was enough information to get them somewhere. Listening to the other speak Beren was quick to do nods and mental check lists.

Before he could mange to get another word out a small female showed. Obviously angered. Beren was displeased with her tone to the older injured male. Allowing a small bark to escape his mouth he looked to the woman. "I know it's not my place to be telling you what to do and say but I believe now is not the time for an outbreak of angry words miss." Perhaps had he known the female and male's relationship better Beren would have let it slide by, but he didn't so he deemed such things unacceptable. Giving a quick glare he watched as yet another wolf appeared on the scene.

More orders where thrown out and Beren was quick to act. "I can go get the Black Hawthorn." Looking to everyone there Beren quickly backed up and ran off to the infirmary to fetch the Black Hawthorn. Although the male wasn't perfect with herbs he had heard about some of them and it was just his luck he was able to tell what Black Hawthorn was. With no time to waist he moved himself as fast as possible. For this was a very serious situation.

➳
So What Do I Do When Every Day
Still Seems To Start And End With You

Damnit was the only thought that Minka could think, just repeating it over and over again in her mind as she moved at breakneck speed through the territory. The week had been hell, everyday growing more and more tense as Tokino's absence grew longer, everyday sending Inali out searching and having her return with nothing. She had of course assured the children that their father was alright and was just on a trip and would be home soon, but they were intuitive enough to pick up on the pack's stress. When the deep baritone of her mate had finally broken the silence today Minka had been with the pups, and though her instincts screamed at her to go find the grey male she didn't know what scene she would find, whether the pups should see. So instead of going straight there as she wanted she had wrangled @Noble and @Kova into the den and made them promise to stay put, much to their disappointment.

That was why she was now late coming onto the scene, and the tawny fae drove herself to go faster though her muscles already screamed in exertion. Finally after what seemed like hours of sprinting Minka made it to the borders, and what she saw was horrific. Instantly the golden eyes settled on the seeping wound on Tokino's hind leg, her nose was filled with the scent of bear and what could only be dry blood. It brought back memories of when they had first met, when her own leg had been sliced open and the man had practically carried her to Willow Ridge to see @Elettra. This time though, this time he had been alone, she had failed him.

Pushing forward without a second thought, only half hearing the orders that Ryka was barking it was as if she was in a daze. Moving past Inali the alpha moved in beside her second, brushing gently against her to signify that she needed to move. When she did the tawny face instantly pressed into the thick fur of her mate's neck and she breathed deeply, taking in his scent. After a long moment she murmured gently, "What did I tell you about being careful? Our pups need a father, and I need that father to be you." Her voice was tense, though the words were obviously meant to lighten the mood slightly.

Pulling back Minka was more composed than she had been when she had entered the scene. Beren was returning with the herbs as she did so and instantly her instinct to lead took over. Looking from one to another she knew that there were too many members here to be helpful, and they would be tripping over one another. There was no way in hell she was leaving, but someone had to. Ryka and Lugh were necessary, Inali was helping the healers by fetching something or another, but Beren's talents could be used elsewhere. He spoke of wanting to teach, now was the time to prove himself, "Beren, go to the children, try and keep them occupied and away from the infirmary until I come for them." Turning to look down at her mate it was clear his exhaustion, but she had questions she needed answered, after all it would seem at least for a little while she would mostly be leading solo. "Where was the bear last seen? Do we need to warn any of the surrounding packs that an angry bear might be at their borders?" She waited for the response, ready and waiting to send Inali should need be. Then she moved backwards so she hung about on the outskirts, watching as the others moved around, she would be there for Tokino, even if she couldn't help.

(This post was last modified: Jul 17, 2014, 03:57 AM by Minka.)

Lol tryin not to make a mess of this lemme know if i missed something important!

Lugh listened anxiously as Beren relayed what Tokino must have told him earlier, though the bear attack seemed evident enough. As Inali bustled on the scene, the flurry of expletives from her mouth was the last thing he expected. He scurried out of her way, light yellow eyes watching her cautiously as he whined apprehensively, half worried she might jostle his injury and make it worse.

Lugh released a small sigh as Ryka showed up on the scene, asking for a splint and black hawthorne. Beren had already scurried off for the black hawthorne before Lugh could say a word. He sure hoped the boy knew what he was looking for and didn't get mixed up and grab the wrong thing, though he was sure him or Ryka could figure out if whatever he returned with was the right plant. "I'll get the stick," He told Ryka, before scurrying off into the bush, digging about looking for something that would work as a splint. It was a task that at least let him get away from the acrid scent of blood momentarily. By the time he grabbed a stick that looked about right and returned, he saw Minka had also arrived, along with Beren and the hawthorne.

Lugh set the small bough of wood at Ryka's paws, glancing up at her. "I've never made a splint before, think you're gonna have t' figure that one out," He told her, "We should stop 'im by the creek on the way though, that wound needs t' be cleaned." He then grabbed the hawthorne leaves from Beren with a nod of thanks, which he was thankful they were indeed the right plant, which he then carried over to Tokino. Kneeling down, he placed the leaves right in front of Tokino's snout where he could reach them. "Chew 'em, but try not t' swallow the leaves." He instructed, before backing away in case Ryka needed room.

Important events in the apparent order that they happen (PM me if you see errors)

Tokino Howls
Beren appears
Tokino tells Beren what happened
Lugh appears, asks what happened
Beren tells Lugh about the bear
Tokino says he's been gone one week
Lugh tells Tokino to stay put
Lugh calls for Ryka
Inali appears
Inali yells at Tokino
Ryka appears
Ryka asks for a stick splint and hawthorne
Beren goes to get hawthorne
Lugh goes to get stick
Minka appears
Beren comes back with hawthorne
Lugh returns with stick, gives to Ryka
Lugh takes leaves from Beren, gives to Tokino
Minka sends Beren back to den to watch cubs
Minka asks about where the bear is

(This post was last modified: Jul 17, 2014, 04:21 AM by Lugh.)