Cut Rock River tear open my mouth to bite my tongue

What did he do wrong?

Kjell’s mouth twisted to one side as the girl stayed in that sheepish position. He might have come on too strong the first time, but the dark male was absolutely certain he’d gone much better the second time. Maybe he’d allowed himself to natter on a bit, but surely it wasn’t that bad. Was it?

Unused to questioning himself like this, the dragon prince actually fell into silence for some time. Ears folded to the airplane position as he lost himself to thought, only pausing to glance up when he heard that squeak again. It was something, he supposed, that she was trying to communicate, but even shy wolves usually tried to get a word out or two. That, or they ran off before you could get a word out edgewise.

Twisting his mouth to the other side, he tipped his head again, and this time, he received a thanks. Not a verbal one, but it was a language he understood all the same. Ears flipped back forward and the swarthy male wagged his tail, tongue flashing out to return the friendly gesture. “Can you talk?” he finally thought to ask. She could at least shake or bob her head, he supposed. “Can I call you Signy?”

And there was the question she needed! Immediately, her burnt orange eyes met his and she shook her head seriously before remembering herself and forcing her gaze towards the ground again. It was hard to know how to act around so many new strangers. Pip had avoided even members of her pack for most of her life save for her littermates. But now she was forced in the company of so many new wolves, and thus far, none have proven themselves to be bad in any way.

Crystal (@Yvly) had found her when she was hopelessly lost and brought her to her home with kindness and acceptance she'd never expected. @Veho and @Jynx had accepted her into their ranks, though Pip hadn't seen the female since then. And here was this male - Kjell - saving her from the dead beaver that lay nearby. Maybe...strangers weren't as bad as she always made them out to be in her head.

His second question had her gaze lifting once more. Pip tilted her head a little, the dark tip of her tail wiggling across the river's surface before her mouth parted slightly in silent laughter. That was one she'd not heard before. She was Pip with the Bella Coola wolves, Squeak to the Grizzly Hollow wolves, and Signy to Kjell. In truth, it was enjoyable to hear the new names she was given each time. Signy was by far the most creative and earned her appreciation in full.

Relaxing more, Pip stood to her full height, which was still laughably shorter than the male before her. She nodded with a smile. Of course he could call her that. With it understood now that she couldn't communicate like normal, the little female breathed a sigh of relief and finally turned to her injured leg.

It burned fiercely now that she was giving it her attention. She made a careful attempt to place weight on it and quickly lifted it back up. Nope, she most certainly could not do that. Two deep punctures from the beaver's thick orange teeth were made clearly through the muscle just above her left hock while the remainder of the leg below that point was marred in multiple gashes from the beast's claws. At least the cold water was helping to numb the pain some. She worried how it would feel when she tried to leave the water.

Turning back to her new companion, she smiled anxiously. He wouldn't happen to have any skill with wounds, would he?

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Progress! They were making progress.

He’d been right in his assumption she could answer yes or no questions, and already that would make any effort to communicate worlds easier. That she couldn’t take was a vital bit of information. Of course, it raised dozens of other questions. Had anyone tried to teach her? Had it been an injury that rendered her unable to speak? They could go through these things one at a time, but with no way to explain, he couldn’t imagine Signy wanting to have that conversation.

Even to the bachelor, that seemed a bit rude.

So Kjell moved that to the back of his mind, and moved to her side instead, casting a wary eye over her wound. While he knew a bit about plants, it was how to poison another wolf, and nothing more than that. (Avari was not the healing type.) Humming softly, he glanced back at his new companion. “Well – do you live anywhere around here? I could take you home, if you want. I could even carry the beaver for you.” He couldn’t help her, and quite frankly, did not want to be responsible for the young wolf should the beaver bite turn into something much worse, like an infection.

The yearling held still as Kjell moved to examine her wound, chewing worriedly on the inside of her cheek. Pip glanced at his expression while he was looking away from her, trying to decipher what he thought of it. Was it bad? Really bad? Would she not be able to walk right? Or run ever again? The thought had her trembling all over again. There were so many things the young one found frightening. The possibility that she'd not be able to flee anymore was more than a little uncomfortable for her.

When he looked to her again, her gaze danced away carefully. She'd learned early on not to maintain eye contact for too long unless she wanted to get bitten. She nodded her head shyly and again angled her muzzle towards Grizzly Hollow lands. But...should she really lead a stranger into pack territory? It seemed very wrong. And yet, he'd helped her, too. It seemed just as wrong to leave him behind. Not to mention she probably did need the help getting back.

@Veho had been kind when Crystal (@Yvly) had brought her. Perhaps he would show the same kindness to Kjell. Oh, but what if he thought the male had injured her? Would he attack him outright? @Blitz probably would have. He'd always been so protective of her and @Niq'x even if it wasn't a fight he could win. So reckless. She thought of her siblings fondly for a moment before her thoughts returned to her predicament.

If it came to a fight...she would simply have to get between the pair of them. That lovely thought had the meek wolf blanching under her fur. Pip had always made a habit of avoiding all confrontation possible, too frightened to deal with the stress that came along with pack squabbles. But Kjell had helped her, and if she had to, she would reciprocate. Especially if it was her fault to begin with.

The yearling carefully turned around and began limping to the river's edge, taking a breath before steadily limping up the slippery slope towards home. Her good back paw slipped once near the top, but she recovered quickly with her front paws and pulled herself up the rest of the way before turning to look at Kjell with an embarrassed smile. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind if she went slow.

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Unaware of all the doubts swirling around Signy’s mind, the male’s tail began to wag with a bit more animation. At the very least, she seemed open to the offer of help. It seemed the least he could do – any charming man knew you weren’t supposed to just leave a damsel in distress stranded in the woods…or next to a dead beaver, as the case may be. She’d remember that down the line, or she’d tell someone.

Well, okay, maybe that wasn’t true in this particular case, but Kjell wasn’t eager to test that theory out.

And if he were a bit lonely, well. He didn’t need to own up to it. As the pack wolf began to move herself away from the gentle lap of water, the swarthy male slithered down to the shoreline. There he scooped the fat beaver up into his mouth, cradling it carefully in his jaws to prevent any further damage before turning about. Trotting after his new companion, Kjell quickly fell into line at her side, trying to place himself that she might lean against his shoulder if she need be.

Charming. Wasn’t he charming?

If there wasn’t a beaver, he might tried to assure her – as it was, he was happy to be a crutch as they slowly made their way to Grizzly Hollow.

Though horribly embarrassed by the need for it, Pip did use him as a crutch several times along the way. His strong shoulder had saved her from falling onto her face at least once when she attempted to use her bad leg again. Instead of running her face into the forest floor, she smushed it into his warm chocolate fur and thick muscle beneath. Nervously, she wagged her tail and her gaze skipped to his before dancing away again.

He must think her so stupid and slow to have not been able to get away from that beaver. And now she was stumbling around like a broken puppy who needed help walking across a den's floor that a mother would usually kill mercifully to spare it a hard life. Thinking poorly of herself, Pip lowered her head a bit while they walked, though part of it was exertion as well. Each hop in her hind end caused her bad leg to jar painfully. Now that the river water wasn't sluicing across it, blood began to ooze from her wounds and drip down her leg. She was no better than prey! Stupid, useless prey that was a burden to her pack, both new and old!

By the time the pair reached the pack borders, Pip was panting openly now with her eyes pinched closed from the stinging pain. She should call for her Alpha. Inwardly, she knew that was what was expected. Call, and ask for permission. But pain was making her desperate. Worriedly, she looked up at Kjell. Perhaps he would have better guidance than anything she could come up with. Her chirps could only travel so far.

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Kjell remained by his companion’s side dutifully, remaining sturdy each time the younger wolf stumbled. What a champion he was, he thought quietly – but there was no one would see, who would premiate him for his chivalry. Strangely enough, this did not dissuade him from his self-assigned duty. They moved slowly, and his patience prevailed until they reached the well-marked border of Grizzly Hollow. The scent of several healthy adult wolves slammed the loner in the nose, and where Signy stopped, so did he.

She was chirping, and he could only guess that she wanted help moving further into the border.

With a huff, he dropped the beaver carcass beside them and finally turned to eye his companion. “This is far as I go,” he warned her, lifting his nose as he sniffed again. It was difficult to determine if anyone was too close, but he did fancy taking his chances trespassing. Kjell might not have thrived as a subordinate, but he well understood the common mechanics of wolf interactions. In fact, the others might even think he had hurt his new companion here, and with her unable to vouch for him…

No. It was too dangerous for him to continue. Shaking his head again, he glanced back over at Signy with an apology in sunset eyes. “Sorry, gem. Don’t think yer alpha would like a trespasser. Y’okay from here?” A thoughtful pause. “Should I call someone before I leave?”

She couldn't hide the disappoint in her gaze. Pip wished her circumstances were different, wished she could thank him properly and tell him how truly grateful she was for his help. She was no one to him, and yet he'd risked injury himself to come to her aid. Sadder still was that she knew it was best for him to go. As she was unable to explain what had happened, a misunderstanding was the only certain outcome from him sticking around.

The yearling's ears flickered, catching that word again. Gem. It brought a smile to her face. He must think her pretty then, like the gems she'd found in tide pools and caves along the shoreline. She wasn't so sure she agreed with his assessment. At least, no one else had told her so before. When Kjell asked if he should call for her, she nodded once before moving in close to lick at his muzzle again. Pulling back, she wagged her tail slowly at him, wishing she could wish him well on wherever his paws carried him and that she had hope they would meet again. Since she could say none of this, Pip instead moved towards the beaver and nudged it towards him. He deserved something for his trouble. It probably wouldn't taste as good as the fish she'd hoped to catch when she first set out that morning, but it would have to do.

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