The storm went largely unnoticed by the ebony man, like everything did. For the past months he had been a recluse, patrolling borders and the surrounding lands on his own, or resting in the den, that was now so cold and empty. At first he had been ablaze with emotion, sorrow, anger, his mind reeling. He had gotten his revenge, he had made sure those monster's were gone forever and could never hurt anyone again. Then the numbness had come, filling him slowly, stretching out like icy tendrils from his heart and consuming everything else. What was the point, so he had gotten his vengeance, he had sated his thirst for blood, what did it matter? She's gone!

So he had started sleeping more, only leaving the den when he needed to eat. First he had simply taken from the caches, but in the end he couldn't justify that, what with Nayeli having pups and everyone else working hard to keep the pack stocked. And it was spring after all, plenty of critters running around, easy pickings. So he began hunting, still only for himself, by himself, but it was a start. As the days grew longer, it became harder to stay cooped up. His hunting trips grew longer, taking him further away from Oak Tree Bend borders. But he still remained as detached from the rest of the pack as he could, leaving early and coming home late, avoiding the main gathering areas, and especially avoiding the communal den; he couldn't handle the thought of new life, new pups. Not when...

Whenever he slept, he dreamed of her, saw her happy and alive, face smiling, eyes sparkling. Then he woke up to find the space between him empty and cold, and he would remember... It was typically after those dreams that he would long to get out, away from the den, and the Bend, and all the wolves full of good intentions and painful memories. This time he crept out into a lazy rain, nothing that affected him particularly, he didn't care whether it was sunny or cloudy, cold or warm. Mud could make tracking easier, too much rain could wash out the scent and make it harder, it didn't matter; There's nothing to do about it... It was only after trotting for some time trough the drizzle, that he realized just how soaked everything was, already his legs were covered in mud, an image that brought uncomfortable memories to the forefront of his mind.

Growling irately, the dark man shook his head, ears flattening back, close to his skull. The rain, now that he was aware of it, felt like a personal insult, like the heavens had specifically decided to make everything more difficult to him; Well you go ahead! Not like it can get any worse... He lifted a leg to start moving again, but froze mid stride as his eyes lifted to fall on the clear path of wreckage up ahead. It seemed the storm had passed right over them, and for a moment he wondered why the lightning hadn't woken him up. Then he shrugged it off, again, what did it matter? Still, he moved in closer, feeling the scent of charred wood burn in his nostrils. The thunderstorm had taken down one of the true giants of the woods, even larger than the mother oak at the core of the pack land. Lightning had struck her and cracked all the way through the trunk, making the mighty giant crash to the ground, taking several of the surrounding trees with it.

As the silver-tipped scout slowly circled the tree, he felt a sudden spark of emotion, an unexpected relief that this had happened at the edge of the land, rather than the center. But that was only until his ears caught a terrifying sound, a low, pained whimper that made his blood freeze. In a few, swift strides, he rounded another cluster of branches and saw the horrific sight. Jessie was crouched in the mud, whining desperately, her nose hovering in front of that of the burly, black wolf who lay trapped under the fallen tree, body obviously crushed under the mighty weight. And the distinct scarring on his face left no doubt about his identity; Hotei…I love you. Drestig tore his eyes from the, horrifically still, body and turned them on Jessie, his entire body locking down for a moment as he stared at her.

Seeing the grey woman like that, so thoroughly gripped by despair was not just shocking, it was incomprehensible. So often, he had joked with himself that she couldn't feel anything, and now here she was, clearly writhing in the grasp of feelings he only knew all too well. He hadn't known for sure, but he had speculated, catching the way they interacted with each other whenever the pack gathered, the occasional slip of words that offered a hint. The exact nature of their love was still unknown to him, probably always would be, but it was clear, seeing Jessie's face now, that they were in love. The dark male's face mirrored her sorrow as he forcefully regained control of his body, staggering over to her, trying desperately to figure out what to do. One look at the giant trunk told him that moving it would be impossible, and even if the whole pack somehow managed to do it, Hotei's body would undoubtedly have been crushed under the weight. "Hotei..." He breathed hoarsely. He wanted to jump up and put his paws on the tree, push it aside to free the burned wolf underneath; Screw the rules! But he knew it would be pointless. "No." He whispered, eyes drifting back to Jessie, curled up in the mud, whimpering desperately. And he remembered that night, how she too had been the first to come to him.

Lowering his hunches to the mud, he sat so close that his hip touched her flank, lowering his muzzle a little whine softly into her ear; I'm here.

Word count: 1,003

Jessie did not react to his presence, not even noticing it as all her attention was for her dying lover. Drestig didn't blame her. He found himself wondering, if perhaps, if he could have found Silver still alive and shared her last moments with her, maybe it would have been easier. Looking at the mud stained woman and her burned love now, curled into each other as Hotei tried to battle the pain, he doubted it, this was not better.

The dying man stirred, and his equally dark friend's attention returned to the presence, his eyes wide with sorrow as he watched the other battle the pain. Hotei spoke to his mate, and Drestig forced his eyes away, trying to give them their privacy as best he could. He did not see the exchange between them, but it was not hard to guess what was happening while his back was turned; they were saying their goodbyes. The ebony scout hung his head and slouched his shoulders in grief, feeling powerless as his closest friend lay dying, right next to him. Why didn't the Bend have a healer anyway? Why wasn't there someone who could do something to save Hotei?!

Hearing his name spoken in the larger male's hoarse, pained whisper, Drestig turned back around, brows furrowed in agony as he looked down at Hotei. It was obvious that death was close, and the man was fighting to hang on and get everything said. The smaller lad leaned forwards, stretching his head down to bring his ears closer to Hotei's mouth, making it easier to hear his exhausted whisper. The words send a small convulsion through Drestig's body, his ember eyes squeezing shut for a moment as he battled the pain; No, don't! Please don't... But he could not deny the reality, and he forced his eyes back open, meeting the wounded guardian's dimming gaze. Clenching his jaw, he nodded solemnly, forcing his tongue to speak a reply; "I will, I promise! Don't... Don't worry." His voice was croaky, and the reply seemed weak, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

As Hotei returned his attention to Jessie, Drestig straightened back up, leaning back to allow them this final moment; it couldn't be long now. He heard the dying mans last whispered declaration of love, and for another stabbing second he was taken back to that night; What I would have given to hear her say that, one last time..! He registered a tensing in Jessie's body, noticing the change in the atmosphere as the sound of Hotei's strained breathing ceased. Drestig forced himself back to reality, looking down at the dead body in front of him. Hotei was gone.

Jessie lay frozen, staring at her dead lover, and Drestig let her be, simply sitting stonily beside her, close enough to offer comfort, though it probably wouldn't help much. He knew the pain that was coursing through her, but there was nothing her could do to sooth it. Finally, he leaned his head back and howled, a long, low, sorrowful note, informing the pack of their loss, and calling for @Triell's presence. Once he finished, he looked down a Jessie, a shiver running down his back as he saw the blank stare on her face. "Jessie?" He whispered. He wanted to let her grieve, but her passivity was scaring him, and he felt like he needed to call her back from whatever distant place she was drifting off to; "What can I do?" He knew the answer; Nothing! But he needed her to speak, even if it was just to yell at him. He would largely prefer her dry, standoffish bossiness to this statue like state; Come back..!

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