The sounds of the night spilled over into his nightmare. Or was the nightmare the world of ferocity and pain and screams that he woke up to? Kiche awoke all at once, suddenly on edge as he pressed himself to the floor of the old bear den, cowering like the terrified child he was. Disoriented by the blindfold of sleep, he was all but convinced that the world was ending, ending tonight, ending now. On the verge of pissing himself, he scrambled backwards until he felt the dirt wall pressing up against his hindquarters. In horror, he listened to the demon cry of the monster, the the piteous squalling of it's victim. I'm next. He was sure of it. The demon would come for him next. Terrified, unable to do anything but shiver, he listened.

And he knew that voice.

In an instant he was back in reality. Vlar! That horrible, apologetic voice could belong to no one else than that poor woman with whom he had reconciled and clumsily nursed back to health. What she was doing here, he could not understand. Although he knew nothing of the animosity several members bore against her, he got the feeling — well, no, he knew he was not a welcomed sight. A strange, paternal instinct woke in him. Perhaps Kiche was still a child himself, but he thought of Vlarindara as... Abruptly he tossed his head, confused as to what she really was to him. But he knew one thing: he had to protect her.

Without a second thought —which, perhaps, would have been a good idea— the ginger man flung himself from the dark belly of the den, erupting into the moonlight as a gold and silver saint. He was not surprised to see that Elettra stood over the emaciated, dirty Vlar... It appeared that part of him had known that she was the monster all along —because she was always the monster. Listening to his instincts, his great, earthen head lowered and his ears folded backwards as he fell into a defensive stance. Surprisingly, his tone was even, "Let her go, Elettra. Vlar has been through enough." And wouldn't he be the one to know? He had put her through half of it. He had been the spark that lit the flame, and it shamed him. Vlar didn't need this. Vlar needed help, protection... Vlar needed to be loved.

The night was in full force and she had had no luck finding Raigo. If anything she hoped he was home already, and had seen Vlarindara himself. Surely he would not let any harm come upon her? She would be some half dead stranger looking about, and a number of members could chase her off. This time she wanted steady advice upon the matter. If she could not trust in her own judgement, then who was she? Half of her expected Vlar to be hanging around the borders, or maybe where Jayse had left her. Actually when the thought had occurred she went to Jasper Rocks to make sure. In Vlar's state she could probably thought she had had some wild dream, and be sitting there trying to decide what next to do. It was a miracle she was still alive, walking even, and though Jayse did not know her home in Riddle Heights she would assume any where would be a long, hard walk. Best she could hurry from one end of the forest to another she knew she needed to be there when Vlar returned.

Her legs pumping hard beneath, she began to swept from one brush of dirt to the next tracking Vlar's very messed up trail. It weaved from the hollow, and back again. It would almost seen away, when last it boldly broke forward in the direction of the old bear den. This placed a partial smile on her face remembering the beginning. The same time it only brought on all that had followed, and she had to breathe in a fresh taste of air to keep her mind on the present. Kade or Valiant could be just a good of threat as Elettra. Kiche she had no way to know how his mind worked, and if Vlar would be friend or foe. What a mess. She cursed herself in the slow releasing of her breath. Why couldn't she just ban those who hurt her, and forget them? It sounded so simple, and sweet. She could not, and why her life was nothing more than a sick cycle carousel one rough spin after the other.

She moved faster welcomed by the landmarks of home she did not mistake the commotion, nor sounds of pain, and anger. Lovely. She she most had not wanted, and had to deal with first hand. An a growl began climbing in her throat, the burn of heat raising up her white, and silver hair in dangerous pointed waves. This was the last straw, and if Elettra saw fit to leave her position so be it. Jaysyek had made up her mind she would have no part in Vlarindara's death one way or another.

Mismatched eyes were narrowed, her ears flattened against her head she strode into the hollow ground with a high rolling snarl of command. It would likely not be enough. Elettra had suffered much, and was ripping into Vlar like a fresh cut of meat. Who knows if she would stop until the anger had made it's coarse. Jaysyek would not utter a word, but rush forward to come to Vlar's aid, again telling herself Vlar would not die because of her. Fluid motion, making her a white blur amongst the dark of night she brought herself over Vlar's head where most the striking was taking place. She did not have time to wonder if she was already dead, she loosened her lips, baring all her teeth, and growled while viciously snapping the air near Elettra's head. If that did not get her attention Jayse had ever intention of prying wolf from wolf.

The night after bonding with Jaysyek had seemingly fine-tuned Borden's senses to be synchronized with her whereabouts. As the male Second of Grizzly Hollow, he had yet to find his ground, where he truly stood and how he would continue in his quest for leadership with a higher rank to fortify his incentives. Though the fading scent of his beloved still drew up a frenzy within him, he paced quietly along his normal patrol route... until the sounds of a disagreement shattered the air and the steady rhythm of frantic footfalls darted past him a good distance away. He stopped in his tracks to assess the situation but ultimately presumed if something like a dispute had erupted among the ladies Jaysyek would be there to be the judge of such a spar. Peacekeeping, he now knew , was something she strived for more than anything else.

He broke into a run, trailing after Jaysyek to stumble into a rather startling scene. At first he had thought the lithe ivory figure on the ground before the dark lady had been Jayse, but upon closer inspection as he leapt forward to Kiche's side, Vlarindara's amber eyes identified her as she struggled to place a good amount of distance between her and Elettra. Borden quickly crept up alongside Jaysyek's right side, raising his hackles and holding his tail highly over his back. If he had not been very aware of the circumstances at hand, he might have openly charged the female Second; but he realized that if any reprimanding was to be doled out, it was Jaysyek who held that privilege above anyone else. Borden watched as the pale lady asserted her dominance, not at all fazed by her display of power. His muzzle wrinkled as he too bared his teeth, taking up a protective stance to block Vlarindara from Elettra's path. After what they had all gone through as a pack, Borden was convinced that no one under Jaysyek's reign ought to suffer any more than they already had to.

oh dear. I hope this doesn’t get confusing. Short and crappy to keep this going.

He should have known that any words he spoke would be wasted. This creature was a monster. She nursed her wounds and let them fester in her soul. She held on so tight that she could let nothing else in. Elettra was beyond forgiveness, beyond the law –she had become the law, it appeared. And there was no convincing this monster of the law that she was wrong, and thus his diplomacy fell on the deaf, distracted ears she had folded up against her head as if to barricade herself in her own boiling anger. Every jarring motion that ripped and tore at Vlarindara cut him just as deep.

But to just stand here and watch as this tortured soul was punished and torn would be blasphemous. In an instant, he understood what God had put him on this for. It was a singular duty: defend the innocent, protect the weak. Vlarindara needed him. Suddenly, his soul that had been so broken and so frozen for so long burst into life. The fire that had been ignited in his heart flickered in his eyes as he rocked back onto his haunches, shifting his weight in preparation to lung at Elettra. Before he could let himself go, however, others arrived –Jayse, with Borden in tow.

Leaping backwards swiftly, Kiche allowed his pale leader all the room necessary, wondering if perhaps he should just let her handle it. Neither Jayse nor his liege lord said a word –they were merely two imposing figures of one mind that loomed protectively over Vlar—and a flicker of surprise stirred in the saint’s soul. Had the broken couple reconciled? These questions, however, were out of place on this battlefield, and Kiche shoved them aside. Given no direction, but not wishing to fuck anything up as he did so often, the red man merely added his thunderous growl to their own rumbling harmonies as he swung around to stand on the other side of his pagan angel.