Spectral Woods Every nightmare started out a good dream

please let @Nori post first but otherwise AW

Archer Valle

This was taking too long. It was his own fault, really, for not taking care of himself. He should have known that he wouldn't be able to simply run across the landscape of he didn't eat, or rest, or... anything else he should be doing, really. Now he knew where his daughter was - or where she had been a couple months ago - and he couldn't reach her!

Nori was helping. She kept him accountable, made him slow down. If she wasn't with him he might have run himself to death trying to get up the mountain. As it was they should have been there by now!

But he needed to rest again. He knew it. He knew Nori would probably notice soon, if she hadn't already, and rather than risk a lecture he reluctantly slowed. "Can we... rest, for a little bit?" he asked, a little embarrassed by how winded he sounded. He looked around, spotted a craggy outcrop of rocks in the sun, and slowly headed their way. A nap in the sun couldn't hurt.

The travel was slow, but Nori didn’t mind it much. In fact, she was a little grateful for it, in a way. It gave her time to process things without rushing to their next destination, and it meant that neither of them were pushing themselves too hard. Archer was in bad shape still, which was even more evident today in his sluggish movements, and she had been ready to suggest a break when he beat her to the punch.

Huh. Well, that was either an improvement or it meant he was feeling more like shit than usual. It was still nice that she didn’t have to be the one to bully him into taking care of himself.

“Yeah, course we can,” she assured, brows drawing together in concern. She padded along with him til they reached the outcrop, studying the dark-furred wolf. “Can I get ya anything?”

Archer

Nori kept pace with him, even as he slowed, and was that a gleam of triumph? Or maybe he was projecting. Either way her brows drew with concern and she quickly acquiesced. He hadn't expected an argument of course, but it was still a relief that she simply accepted his... frailty, and didn't make a big deal out of it.

Her offer was kind but still Archer internally winced. He couldn't go home like this - what would they think? Maybe once they had Ally they could slow down a bit. Maybe stay a week or two at the Cove... Nori could visit her family and Archer could finally recover knowing his daughter was safe.

But he had to get to her first.

He glanced back to her as he reached the outcrop, an appreciative smile on his face. "I just need a moment to catch my breath, and then we can be off again." Better to have short, frequent breaks than long ones, right?

The rocks were warm under his paws and Archer was reminded just how grateful he was winter was over. It meant they could find warm places like this to bask in the sun-

He heard the quiet rattle just a little too late, leapt back in alarm just a little too slow. For a moment he thought he'd escaped as he watched the snake disappear into the crags, and then the pain hit him. Blinding, burning pain spreading up his leg. He looked down, blinking at the two bleeding marks in his fur in surprise.

And then the panic set in.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Going up the mountain was making her antsy. It was hard to head back up there for the first time in years, especially after what had happened, but having Archer with her made her feel less anxious about it somehow. It didn’t seem so difficult, with someone by her side.

“Yeah, I could use a break, too,” she assured, padding alongside her companion. In truth, her head was starting to ache, and maybe a little nap would do her some good as well. Besides, she was never one to turn down a chance to slack off.

It was a beautiful day. A nap in the sun like this sounded like just what she needed, and she was willing to bet Archer felt the same.

What happened next was too quick to register immediately. Something moved, swift and precise, and hit Archer’s leg.

A snake, her mind supplied numbly, watching as it slithered away.

“Hey, hey,” she began rambling immediately, the moment her friend looked down at his leg. Stepping closer to him, Nori tried to weave herself into his line of sight. “It’s not even that bad, right? It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, and she knew it, but having the both of them panicking wouldn’t do anyone any good. Even if her heart had suddenly leapt into her throat, hammering hard.

She had no idea what to do.

Archer

Archer stared at his leg. He watched the blood drip, ooze so slowly into his black fur, dribble onto the stone. He didn't realize Nori was talking until she ducked in front of his face. He slowly looked up at her, deafened by the pounding in his ears. His chest was tights with terror.

There was something he could do. There had to be something he could do. @Clover had taught him something, she had to have. She taught him so much, he just needed to think-

But he couldn't. He couldn't make his mind work through the panic. His leg burned, it hurt so bad, and he realized he was softly whimpering with each panted exhale and he stared at his friend.

He opened his mouth to speak, couldn't, swallowed and tried again. "What-" but what even could he say? "Ally," he said.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Nori knew next to nothing about healing, but she had been warned about snakes. Warned that they could kill someone within minutes, hours, days if the wolf was exceptionally unlucky. It was a painful death, she knew, even if she hadn’t seen it in person.

Her head was spinning, thoughts racing, heart pounding. Without treatment, wolves who got bit by snakes died. The realization felt like she was being doused with ice water.

They had nothing to treat it with. Nori wasn’t a healer - didn’t even know where they could find one. Up on the mountain, maybe, but their pace had been so slow already, and there was no way they’d be able to reach sanctuary before the venom ran its course.

Archer was going to die.

Nori took a few breaths to steady herself, a sudden pang of grief crushing her chest. It wasn’t time for that, she knew, but her eyes still stung and it felt like she couldn’t quite get enough air.

She pushed it aside, for now. She’d have all the time in the world to grieve later, but her friend might only have these next few moments.

He said his daughter’s name, and Nori felt the sorrow like it was a physical wound. They’d been trying so hard - Archer had been trying so hard, - and the fact that they were never going to reunite was devastating.

“Yeah, Ally,” Nori said instead, plastering a smile on her face. “We’re looking for her, right? We know where she’s at. She’s real close now - just up the mountain.” Her tone was a lot lighter than she felt, and she forced her tail to wag encouragingly. “You’re gonna find her, and she’s going to be fine, and you’re going to live the rest of your lives in that swamp you told me about.” She was lying, and she knew it, but what else could she do? There was no one she could ask for help - nothing she could get him. She didn’t have a cure or a healer or even water for him to drink.

Just empty promises.

(This post was last modified: May 16, 2024, 02:18 PM by Nori.)

Archer

He knew there was something to be done about snake bites but he'd never encountered a rattlesnake before. Weren't they supposed to warn you first? This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to find his daughter and go home, and do right by his father and support his brother through leadership and reconnect with his ma and-

Patches of Nori's words broke through the panic. He spun and stumbled toward the mountain, as if he could make it there that day. It looked further away. Was that possible? To be further away? No, it couldn't be. Maybe he just felt so much smaller. He just had to get there. Ally was up there, and Aquene- Aquene. she was a healer! She was a GREAT healer. She could help him.

His leg hurt and his chest felt tight but a mania had taken over Archer. He had to get to Sanguine Cove.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Archer turned to head toward the mountain again, and Nori was about to make him stop. Encourage him to rest, to lay down and take it easy. But what good would that do, at this point? Instead, she padded alongside her friend, matching his pace and casting him glances out of the corner of her eye.

“See?” she said instead, ears angling toward her companion. “It’s not so far now. If we hurry, we might make it there before nightfall.” There was no way, even though her brain was trying to run through scenarios. If she ran ahead, could she get a healer down in time to help him? Would she be fast enough? It might take a day, but could Archer last that long, or would he die in agony all alone halfway to his destination?

Images of him writhing on the forest floor as venom burned in his blood invaded her mind, and she swallowed hard. There was no way she could let him deal with that on his own, even if there was half a chance she might be able to get help. She knew that it was more likely he’d die by himself before she even reached the mountain.

Instead, she continued along beside him.

Archer

As he moved Archer's panic slowly settled. He was aware of Nori beside him, murmuring encouragements he knew to be false. He'd always been pragmatic. He knew he wouldn't reach the Cove - might not even reach the mountain - but this time... he appreciated her lies. They kept him focused. Maybe with enough drive, with her help, he could make it...

His paws faltered but he kept pushing, biting down a yelp every time he stumbled. He looked onward, eyes fixed to the peak he knew sheltered his daughter. As long as he didn't focus on the distance he could do it. He had to believe he could do it...

Archer stumbled on, carried by his sheer force of will and the desperate NEED to see his child again.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

He seemed determined to continue on, and Nori wasn’t going to stop him. She wanted to, sort of, to get him comfortable and maybe calm him down. But if this was what would help him, if this would keep him going, then she wouldn’t discourage it.

Maybe, if they moved fast enough, they might get there in time. Were there treatments for snake bites? Maybe they’d have something up at the Cove.

It was an incredibly hopeful thought - unrealistic, even - but Nori needed something to keep herself going as well. Something was threatening to drag her down, pull her under - a sort of exhaustion that only came with grief. But there would be time for that later, so she filed it away in the back of her mind and matched Archer’s pace as they headed toward the mountain.

fade <3