Once he had the scent and taste of blood in his senses he had past the point of no return. Angry eyes flashed, blood lust their clear intent. Ash did not clear what he hit, he simply lashed out, a clear reminder to him of what he was in his past before the Lore. However, his prey was retreating and immediately he felt the lost. Gone were his thoughts of Duckweed and his precious daughter. Hungry eyes followed the monster, canine's flashing in warning. As soon as the stranger took off, Ash was quick on his heels. Perhaps his intent should have been to simply keep him away from his family, from his pack, but the russet Hervok wanted to kill. Wanted to feel the crush of bones, the crush of his opponents windpipe. And more than anything he wanted the coward to fight him and then lose. The former assassin would then watch, in pleasure, as the life drained from his face, no more. He would be doing the world a service, no doubt. However, the stranger's smaller build had an advantage and Ash's stamina was running thin. Panting, Ash yelled after him angrily, his paws finally slowly to a stop. Catching his breath, he looped back around to meet up with his daughter and grandson. He followed his scent back and then followed theirs, his crazed mossy green eyes catching them. He rushed over, heart beating quickly in his chest. Whether it was from fear for Duckweed's health or from his hunt he was unsure. Nostrils flared, sniffing Duckweed for any injury on the outside before turning to do the same. His voice was dark and gruff when he spoke, "We should get him back to Secret Woodlands so that Nina or Aideen can look at him. You should stay with him." Slanted eyes narrowed on his daughter, not wanting an argument from her. |
A darkness had settled in fast, terrifyingly fast, but fortunately he had been too out of it to really notice that he was dying. The water in his lungs was dense and heavy and for almost too long had he been still and quiet after being pulled out of the river, his lungs on the verge of giving up as the oxygen in his blood dried up. His survival depended on a coin toss - and fortunately for all those who cared, it landed on the side which sparked in his body some last desire for endurance, and as Nineva watched over him and licked at the blood and water soaking his fur, Duckweed sputtered, and finally he was rewarded with air.
Coughing up the liquid in his lungs and recoiling at the sharp pain in his lungs and head from oxygen starvation and wounds both, he was struck by the sudden rush of his senses returning, seeing Nineva's face swim into focus and smelling the blood as it trickled down by his nose and then came Ash's deep voice and the cold, he was so cold. Vaguely he recognised Nina and Aideen's names, and knew that he wasn't dead. And she must have saved him.
His laugh was tiny, a spluttered heh, as a little more water dribbled over his lips and he tried to focus on Nineva's face. "A-geh-geh-geh-gen," he whispered, faint lines of laughter creasing his expression as though it were hilarious but his muscles had also forgotten how to move. "Th-thank..." But then something far more important washed over how ridiculous it was and his brows rose in equally faint but genuine concern. He reached his nose towards her, needing her to hear. "D-don't t-t-tell my, m-my muh, mmm..."
And then he passed out, head coming back down with a gentle and vaguely wet thud.
The girl was far too absorbed in the suspense Duckweed's still lungs caused her to notice that her father was not immediately by her side. It wasn't until he returned, blood fresh upon her face, that she tore her mismatched eyes away from the horrific sight of her maimed friendly to fearfully look him over. A few deep, frantic breaths assured her that the blood was that monster's and not her father's, and once she was certain he was safe she returned her care and attention to Duckweed, nudging and lapping in a desperate attempt to spur the life back into him.
The sound would have been horrible to her ears if it did not mean something so precious. Her ears jumped to attention as her eyes widened with hope, every fiber of her being silently but powerfully cheering him on. The older boy had to make it, this could not be what ended him...
Her father's voice slipped into the air and her ears swiveled to meet them, while her gaze did not waver from her friend's face. She was too concerned with the revival occurring at her paws to fully register what Ash's words hinted at, and so he did not get the opposition he might have been expecting. Instead, her brows knit together as something that seemed like, but couldn't be, amusement seemed to pass over him. Her ears cupped forward, straining to make sense of his soft, stuttering words. His body, now yearning to live once more, was shivering and she crawled forward and draped herself over him to try and warm him.
Don't tell his mother? How could they even hide something like this? Duckweed passed out before she could even think of speaking to him, and finally, she turned her eyes up to her father. They were flooded with concern.
"We can't just drag him there," especially with all the possible skull and spinal injuries, but she knew her father would not allow what she most wanted, which was for her to stay here with Duckweed, keeping him warm and protected while @Ash went back for help. So she chose to compromise; "I'll... I'll go get @Aideen and Aunt Nina. Please, lay with him, I'll just be a minute, I swear."