a new symptom arises

I am far from home, Lyr thought, but as this crossed her mind she realized how silly it sounded. Home? Had she ever really known one? In youth she must have but those memories were long fragmented. Now the only home she knew was the place she rested her head, the place she lay down her paws.

Yet as she caught another glimpse of the goat she briefly wondered if it was best she not trust her head and her feet. Despite this, she raced off after the beast through the rain.

It had appeared in the south, strange and misplaced. Lyr had chased it absentmindedly, knowing she couldn't catch it, but when she reached top speed her world went spinning and she'd crashed to the ground. It was stupid really, that her next sprint was all the more determined. The damn beast would stop and wait for her to get up, goading her into following. False whispers and visual patterns only encouraged her more. She sometimes wondered if the rain was real or just her mind, and a part of her had known that the insistent voice that told her she must catch the goat was a fake. Unfortunately, it was then that she realized that that was fine, but she really did need to catch this goat.

The chase had led her to the base of the mountains, and then higher and higher still. It climbed easily as she fumbled behind it, growling to herself. There was some method to the madness, however, trying to drive it into a place it could not escape.

At last, she had finally cornered it. Walls towered on either side of them, a cliff preventing the goat from running off... She thought that now they would fight. Her mind was exhausted but filled her weak body with the feeling of strength as she prowled forward... Then sprang.

Time rushed by as she rushed towards the goat, even saw herself in its eye... but it was fast, and knew something she did not. The beast flung itself off the cliff, and Lyr screeched with fury, her paws sliding on the slick rock. Stopping just at the edge she glimpsed down and she saw it land gracefully below where Lyr could not reach it. She was about to snarl when the noise got caught in her throat and she realized just how high up she'd gone. Dizzy with the rush of fear, her knees threatened to crumble beneath her and she wondered idly if she was going to reach the goat after all.


ooc: SPREEEEEEEEE

A heavy rain fell from above. The man that typically wandered the borders excused himself for now. Rather than waiting to confused loners to pass over their washed away markings, he traveled over the border, intent on greeting the intruders before they found their way towards his home. The workaholic male was intent on separating himself from his obsessive trawling of the borders and acquaint himself with those he shared lands with. It was a missing piece in the very important puzzle of pack life. It was one thing to blindly protect others (Chulyin didn't know who he was protecting other than Mapplethorpe, Naira, and her children), but another to know who you were protecting and continue to do it anyway. Besides, he was still a social creature, and certainly all this blind waltzing around borders would eventually have some negative effect on his psyche.

His dark belt was saturated by the time he found the sloped path downward, paws treading carefully over slick rock. The urge to shake was overwhelming, but utterly pointless. His muzzle swept through the air, attempting to pull a scent from the air through the rain. It was difficult. Anything specific was all but impossible to decipher. There was the faint smell of prey, though he could not say whether it was old or new, and perhaps that of wolf as well. His ears swiveled atop his head, picking sounds out from between the raindrops. The faint sound of claws against stone caught his attention. So very faint it was that he almost could not say whether or not it was real until there was the more audible sound of something heavy against the rock. It was further below him, though not too far down. He moved slowly, tail high over his back, guard up. He would not assume he was walking into danger, but it never hurt to be sure. As he neared the end of the path, he spotted a soaked feminine silhouette, peering over the edge of the cliff. Amber eyes narrowed, wondered what she was doing. He barked once, hoping it would not startle her too much. He was far enough way yet that the sound was not explosive.

The man knew little of the mountain and its lore. Perhaps if he had, he might've been a bit more urgent in his actions. Instead, he acted out of instinct. <b style="color:#a51919">

awful post so sorry

(This post was last modified: Oct 07, 2013, 12:51 AM by Chulyin.)

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She could feel the weight of her sopping body beginning to tip over before she heard a sound above. It startled her, but also sent her head up instinctively to find the source of the noise. For a brief moment she spied the onlooker, a black face with watchful eyes. Handsome, almost, she thought as time slowed down... and then it was speeding right back up and her body was following her head and she felt as if she were spilling over. She was flung backwards onto the rock, away from the edge that had threatened to take her life. Her legs gained no purchase and so waived uselessly in the air until her head smashed against the rock and her body went still.

After the fuzzy feelings left her and were replaced with the shock of pain, she opened her eyes to the sky and tried to look for the wolf in vain. Her lips pulled back into a silent snarl as she lay vulnerable, hoping to scare him away. The rain made her pelt cling to her body and the shame and blinding pain were enough to render the use of her limbs useless. Like so many times before, Lyr found herself trapped in her body, hopelessly confused. She whimpered sadly and with immense effort managed to roll her heavy head over. Her snout was pressed against the wet, hard earth. She inhaled sharply at the smell of the blood that poured from the wound on her head.

As he gazed over the edge at the woman, he quietly maligned himself as she started. She began to tip forward and his jaw clenched, unsure of whether or not it would be wise to make a jump for the ridge below, perhaps try and grab her before she tumbled to her death. But he was certain that, although the jump wasn't far, the rain could make such a feat lethal. She caught herself, but far too suddenly, and the moment he watched her reel backwards and collide with the stone, he withdrew, making a break for the path to get to the cliff she was perched upon. This wasn't quite the interaction he'd been expecting, though he always seemed to find himself rescuing poor women from this mountain. Within, he was mostly indifferent, but nonetheless he could not leave any innocent (in his eyes, at least) bleeding to death on a mountain.

As he loped carefully down the path, he found himself on her level, heard the growl she let out through the rain. The noise caused him to stop, his posture lowered as he crept forward slowly now, trying to make himself less threatening. The scent of blood was strong through the rain and his nose wrinkled. <b style="color:#a51919">"Don't move." He said, trying to make his usually quiet voice heard over the rain. Her form was clear now, and he slowed even more, each step taking multiple seconds on the off chance she decided to not be in pain anymore and wanted to go for him. He was no expert in herbs at all and therefore was at a loss of what to do other than lead her back to the Pass, or at the very least shield her from the rain.

He eyed her carefully, trying to gauge a reaction from her before he closed the rest of the distance. Her wound would need to be cleaned and they would have to find a shelter. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that he had walked past a small alcove. It seemed dry enough, at least for one. <b style="color:#a51919">

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He was coming closer now, wasn't he? For a moment, she couldn't see but only sensed his paws through the stone. A cold wind spattered them with more rain and she took note of her environment. How could she be so stupid? The manic high that had come over her was faded, and hunger and weakness told her of the toll her journey had taken on her. 1, 2, 3, 4...

She turned her head towards him and blood dripped down her eye. It moved quickly in the rain but she suspected the wound was not bad. Immediately she thought of the things she could use to staunch the blood flow but one sweep of the area and she realized how fruitless this place was. Not a single plant was hiding in the crags of the grey rock. She scrabbled to get up, but then he was saying something to her, don't move, her ears picked it up over the sound of rainfall and suddenly she burst out laughing.

Of course, just as the feeling was returning to her limbs did it rush away. She fell to the rock again, giggling hysterically. "Be my legs!" She called back with shaky words, her tongue not quite making the sounds she wanted. The cold wind hurt her lungs, but it felt good to laugh so hard. It had been too long that she had held it in, and though she felt dizzier than she had in moons, it was worth the nausea creeping over her. With another giggle she wondered what he would look like covered in her puke. At least the rain would wash it away, she thought and was provoked into another fit.

(This post was last modified: Oct 07, 2013, 01:36 AM by Lyr.)

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that, while he could smell the blood, the look of it wasn't so bad. Especially with the rain coming down, it made quick work of the blood on her face. His words seemed to have triggered something in her, and he withdrew slightly as she moved to rise. Space, he supposed, was important. But he did not expect what she was to do next. A quick intake of breath was his only real reaction to her sudden outburst of laughter. Was she...In shock? He wasn't sure what was so funny about all of this and that thought was evident upon his face, unchanged. His eyes were a bit wider, as though he was suddenly more weary of her.

She called out to him, and he moved in again, finally closing the distance, leaving a few feet between them only. <b style="color:#a51919">"Do you...need me to?" Chulyin asked her quite seriously, though certainly her question must've been a joke. As they both stood in the rain, her with a slightly bloody head injury and him with very little sense of humor, he found himself wondering what drove him past the borders. But he remained in place, on the off chance she literally was just in a state of shock and ended up giggling herself right off the edge of the cliff. <b style="color:#a51919">"You should not be in the rain," He added, still emotionless. He glanced, again, over his shoulder, <b style="color:#a51919">"There's a bit of a shelter..." His voice trailed off as he thought the whole offer rather pointless at this point. <b style="color:#a51919">

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She stopped her wild laughter just enough to hear him speak. Did she need his help? Assessing the situation she thought her laughter was encouraged by madness. Was she truly going insane or was this shock? Her usual deadpan face crawled back onto her features as she tried to think of the symptoms of shock but couldn't. Just in case, she resolved to keep her laugher to herself. The last time she'd made that promise she'd kept it for a while. Perhaps this time she'd keep it long enough to find safety.

So here she was, paralyzed, with a brute offering to help. She shook her head, this time with fierce determination. She would not allow him to touch her, it was enough he stood there gawking at her. Irritable and graceless, she pushed with great might against the earth. Standing was the difficult part and every muscle in her body tried to stop herself from achieving this goal, but after a struggle she accomplished this feat. A grin crossed Lyr's face but then she remembered the wolf and scowled at him. When she eyed the shelter a little ways away, it seemed much farther than it actually was. But then, tunnel vision seemed to have that effect.

Shaky and cautious, she took her first step, trying to not get angry at herself and failing. Voices told her to stop, she wouldn't make it anyway, and to die until they were screaming, screaming loud in her ears and her stomach was turning and so was the world and with a terrifying mewl she begged of the onlooker, this time serious, "Be my legs!" she slurred, and then, so quietly she might not have been heard, "Be my calm..."

She couldn't stand having someone watch her struggle.

Once her laughter subsided, he felt a bit at ease again. Her laughter had been startling, unnerving. Perhaps if the situation had been different, he might've laughed, or at least cracked a smile, but he would not encourage whatever this female was currently going through. Certainly it wasn't healthy? Clearing his throat, he took a few steps back as his offer was rejected, holding himself near the edge of the path to keep out of her way. Quiet amber eyes watched her as she struggled to get to her paws. He wondered what damage had been done, as she'd really only hit her head. Surely standing shouldn't have been too hard. Chulyin reminded himself, however, that he was no medic.

His eyes averted as he caught her scowl. He'd only intended to help, but perhaps he'd put her off somehow. Chulyin was more than aware of how he "was". But he found little reason to adjust himself for others. He would not laugh like a maniac to appease this injured woman. At the same time, however, he would not leave her alone in the rain either. As she struggled forward, he moved back a step with every step she moved forward. For quite some time, there was only the sound of rain between them, though the man could hear his own breathing in his ears. His muscles were tense, as though he was only waiting for her to tip towards the edge again.

His eyes finally lifted again from her paws to her face, suddenly aware that she'd spoken. The same words as before, but there was no laughter alighting them. Then a few more words, quieter, but he heard them. Without a word in response, Chulyin swept forward, moving between her and the edge. His movements were still careful, though he did not wait for approval from the woman. He pressed himself against her, prepared to take her weight. He wondered if she was fit to make it to the alcove. It was not far, but he found himself a willing volunteer to literally carry her should she be unable to propel herself.<b style="color:#a51919">

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It was torture waiting, but then there he was, at her side. She sagged into him, her weight held. A few moments passed before she felt reassured and she took another step. This time it was easier to move but she didn't dare let herself become confident. Sleeplessness had wrecked her and even as the mental fogginess slowly drifted away and the voices became hushed, there was no denying the ache in her legs, the growl in her belly, and the stinging of her wound.

But these were the things that also grounded her. They moved together, him against her, and she heard his breath in her ear and his pelt against his own. His body was muscled where hers was curvy, and this fascinated her but also distracted her. Attention was rapt once more on the thought of getting out of the rain, but of course this made the journey all the slower. Who was this wolf and why was he helping her? It appeared her senses were beginning to return.

When at last they had reached it, she felt strong enough to walk under the overhang on her own, but still she was brought to the ground. This time it was slower and more calculated. She simply did not have the energy... Which was just fine, she had most of her body covered enough. Perhaps after a nap she wouldn't have a chill? That would be nice... To nap...

Enough space was left for some of him, but unfortunately she expected him to be mostly left out. She wondered if he would stay. Strangers usually kept to themselves... But his touch had been gentle. "I'm not exactly sure what just happened," she began hesitantly, "but I do believe you just s-saved my life." A shiver ran down her back. Maybe it was his bark that had got her away from the edge, or maybe his help walking her to safety... But somewhere along the lines he had saved her, and this both annoyed and awestruck her. "Does this happen to you often?" she wondered. "A mountain dweller surely must encounter graceless fools like me often..." Her tone was bitter and she dared not meet his eyes until after she finished speaking.

(This post was last modified: Oct 07, 2013, 02:37 AM by Lyr.)

He supported her weight easily, almost too easily. Clearly she was a loner or else she wouldn't have been so...Light. Perhaps it was natural for females to be this way, though Naira had never been a waif. Aniu, perhaps, was a different story, though Chulyin could not say he ever remembered a time when he had to help her on her way. He scowled at this though. This woman was foolish enough to climb the mountain in this condition. He was relieved in knowing that he'd come across her, saved a stranger from falling to their death. He would hold his tongue, however, regarding the woman's foolish ways, for it had not been too long ago that he'd been a travel-weary loner who dared to climb the cliffs.

He focused upon the rain upon his pelt and the wet beneath his paws. They were nearly to the alcove and she moved away from him to the shelter. He paused, watching her again until she'd settled, glad that she hadn't just collapsed in the dry space. Once she'd settled, Chulyin moved away from the edge to the front of the alcove. He'd already resigned himself to the torrent, and settled without complaint before her. He did not bother lying down, but rather let his soaked tail move around his haunch, amber eyes focused upon her, still uncertain. He gave no reaction to her words. Perhaps he had saved her life, but he didn't give much thought to it. She was alive. That was all that mattered. He wasn't sure, however, how to answer her question. She sounded angry. <b style="color:#a51919">"Not often, no. Only one other time, in the dead of night." He answered her honestly, a minor shrug altering his posture for a moment. <b style="color:#a51919">"Are you alright?" He asked, though the question hung in the air as though there were more words waiting behind it. He'd taken Mapplethorpe's oath, but she was injured...Perhaps an exception could be made. <b style="color:#a51919">"My home is not far from here. You may recuperate faster there." <b style="color:#a51919">

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