Chinook Coulee This pain can't be imagined

OOC: Backdated to 11-10-17

She was running, running through the forest of her home. Everything was cast in a yellow glow that distorted and twisted everything she saw. Her paws were pounding against the ground and her breath came hard each lungful seemed to stab her chest. Frantically her eyes searched for a way out and away. Away from what she didn't know but she knew that she needed to run. Run from it. The horribly dark thing that was chasing her. A menacing laugh filled her ears a cry slipped out her lips. Adrenaline course through her as she ran tail between her legs. She ran until her paws were bloody and her lungs wanted to give out. But she couldn't stop yet it was still chasing her.

Isaura found herself racing by the river and she slowed limping her eyes darting here and there knowing that she had only a brief amount of time before it caught up to her. Turning to the water she tried to get a drink hoping to ease the dryness of her throat. The water burned against her tongue the normal cool liquid burning and tasting bitter. She pulled back knowing that she needed to move confused and scared about why the water wasn't normal. Her movement was stopped as jaws clamped around her the scruff and a paw on her muzzle forced her face below the water's surface. Fear leaked from every fiber of her being as she tried to escape. Tried to get away as the water burned against her nose and eyes. It was here and it was her brother.

Outside of the dream where she slept next to @Ruari, her body began to move as she fought her demons. Her ears were pinned and her tail was drawn close between her legs while her lips curled upwards in the barest snarl. Fear wafted from her and a fearful whining came from her throat as her eyes moved behind closed lids.

Sleep had taken it's good old time coming to the shadow that night after he and Isaura had settled into the cave. They were lucky to have come across it as they traveled north. Finding his brother's body had been too much for him and all he could think about was getting away from that damn brook. Deaglan's face haunted his dreams just as his mother's and his siblings. Curled up next to his blue eyed companion he would make sure her face wouldn't haunt his dreams either.

It was getting colder outside meaning he would need to talk with Isa about their plans. As he laid his head on his paws letting his eyes finally close as ye drifted off to sleep he made the promise to himself that he would talk to her soon. They needed to rest with a long day of travel ahead of them the best day. He couldn't give his mind too much time to dwell on what he'd lost because of his own stupidity.

His slumber didn't last long. Movement and whining beside him woke him his attention quickly on Isaura as he realized she was having a nightmare. “Isa,” he said gently licking her crown, “Isa wake up,” he tried again nudging her this time with his nose. Whatever she was dealing about Ruari could see had her terrified.

(This post was last modified: Nov 15, 2017, 08:05 PM by Ruari.)

 

His fangs were digging into her neck as she struggled to push herself up and away from the water that would kill her if she didn't get a breath of air. Why? Why was he doing this? She hadn't done anything! Panicking she clenched her eyes shut and thrashed her head back and forth trying to shake the paw from her face but it simply pushed her into the rocks of the river bed. Her chin scraped and stung as she continued to fight. It was getting harder every move seemed to get slower. Claws scraped against her muzzle as she tried to futilely push back.

A soft touch to her head caught her attention. It didn't belong to the dream. Only pain was here and the burning. Isaura struggled to put the pieces together as she tried once more to push back. Once more she failed. Her vision was getting dark and she could feel herself getting weaker.

Her name came through it all. A voice. A voice she knew. From where? How did they know her name? Another touch this time more insistent than the first and with it the nightmare's grasp on Isaura broke though her brother's words still filled her ears. If I see you again you're dead. I promise you that sister.

Gasping Isaura pushed herself up into a hunched sitting position. Her eyes darted to the trees that surrounded them searching for her brother's form. Was he here had he found her? Found them?...Them? Her mind seemed to trip as she processed that she wasn't alone as she seemed to finally notice her shadows presence. Blue gaze met his and when she saw his eyes it clicked that she wasn't in danger. If she were why would they still be here and not moving, running even?

A shuddered breath escaped her as she clenched her eyes shut trying to calm herself, ears still pinned to her skull. A nightmare it had been a nightmare. But it had felt so real. She could still feel the water burning her against her face and lungs. Another shuddered breath. She was fine...right?

Since finding his brother Ruari still wasn't sure of the course he would take with his life. He didn't know if he should carry on with the search for their father that he and Deag had started or move on from the past. With winter coming he wondered if maybe he should just concentrate in getting him and Isaura through it then make a decision. These were the thoughts that had kept him awake since the day they'd found his brother and now all he wanted to do was get as far away from that place as possible.

Having had his fair share of nightmares it wasn't difficult to figure out what was going on with his blue eyed treasure when she woke him with her movements. He tried waking her gently at first not wanting to startle her too much from her dream. It didn't seem to work, her nightmare seemed to have to great of a hold on her keeping her locked inside it.

When she didn't wake up with his first try his efforts became more insistent. He didn't stop until she finally seemed to have come out of her nightmare and woken up. Then he gave her a moment to regain her bearings.

He watched as she rose into a sitting position and as she seemed to be looking around he spoke. “You don't have to worry Isa you're safe,” he tried to reassure her. Then he moved closer to her and brushed his muzzle against hers, “I won't let anything happen to you,” he spoke again quietly so as to not overwhelm her. Then he went silent as he resumed licking her crown to help calm her.

After a few moments he stopped and met her blue gaze, “Would you like to talk about it? Maybe it will help?” He didn't know if it would help her to voice what her nightmare was about since he didn't usually talk about his. Talking about it might help to calm her so that she could get back to sleep. They had long day ahead and he wanted make sure she got enough rest.

 

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

She could still feel the way her brother's fangs dug into her neck. How his claws scraped against her muzzle as he pushed it below the water's surface. Isaura still couldn't help but feel that nagging urge that they needed to move and get away from this place. He could be here lurking in the shadows around them, she shuddered at the thought. Her shadow spoke his words reassuring her that they were safe.

Closing her eyes her mind she struggled to force her body her body to relax. To stop from feeling the prickling that warned her of danger, the way her breath came a bit too fast, and how her body trembled. A soft whine escaped her. Why couldn't she calm herself? Her shadow moved closer then to tell her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her as he brushed his muzzle against hers. She almost flinched at the touch but this wasn't someone that was out to hurt her. This was Ruari, her shadow, and she couldn't believe that he would seek to hurt her. Slowly she relaxed into his touch as he licked her head. Her shaking began to slow and she leaned against him using his presence to calm her further.

He pulled away after what felt like a brief amount of time to meet her gaze as he questioned if she wanted to talk about it. Isaura hesitated a moment. Would speaking help her? She had tried to keep these nightmares to herself going to walk them off when they had made her restless. This time had been far worse than any other time. She could still feel the effects though they had faded drastically.

I was being drowned. She finally murmured as her gaze clouded. I couldn't escape and he was forcing my head beneath the water. I tried to fight back Ruari. I tried but he was too strong. Isuara found that now that she was talking she couldn't stop. It was like she had wanted to spill her secret and now that she had started she needed to finish. No one was there to help and he came oh so close to ending me. Our father called him away at the last minute though. Before he left he told me if he saw me again he would finish me. My brother tried to kill me. Why would he do that Ruari? Why? She looked to her shadow sadly her gaze searching.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2017, 05:21 PM by Isaura.)

He was worried about his blue eyed treasure and what had happened in her nightmare that could cause such an effect on her. She was awake now but hearing her breath coming too fast and the way her body trembled he was sure she still felt it. He'd had the same experience with his own nightmares that he'd had about his adoptive father. Ruari remained quiet for the time being offering gentle touches to help calm her hoping she would realize that she was safe and nothing would hurt her. She was with him now and he wouldn't let anything happen to her if he could help it.

Doubts did surface in his mind of past promises to protect and he had lost his siblings and his mother. The most recent being Deaglan, he hadn't been able to save him from succumbing to his injuries. The shadow had to shake those thoughts from his mind. Isaura was different, he had made her a promise and he had every intention of keeping it even if it cost him his own life. She was all he had now and she was too important to him to break his word to her. His ears pinned forward as the whine from her filled the space around them. Finally she seemed to be calming as he felt her start to relax into his touch. He hoped his words of reassurance were helping too as he tried to get there for her while she recovered from her nightmare.

After he felt like she had settled down considerably he pulled away to ask if she wanted to talk. He didn't know if it would help but it was worth a try, that was if she wanted to talk about it. He'd already made up his mind he wouldn't push if she didn't want to talk. He understood not wanting to talk about nightmares, it was often that he didn't want to talk about his own. Fortunately he didn't have to worry about getting her to talk about it because she started on her own.

The shadow's yellow gaze never left her as she spoke describing what had happened in her dream. He didn't speak giving her the chance to say all that she needed, he worried an interruption would cause her to stop and he felt she needed to get everything out. Once she started she didn't stop until her gaze cake up to look at him. “I don't know why he would want to hurt you Isa,” he said calmly licking her cheek, “He could have many reasons and none of them your fault but I won't let him hurt you. He will die before he ruffles one tuft of your fur,” he said tone becoming cold at the thought of her brother hurting her. “You are safe with me and I will always be at your side, remember that,” he added brushing his muzzle along her chin.

 

He was watching her she could feel it as she spoke. Telling him about her nightmare, that had been more like a twisted memory. It had happened almost exactly like her dream had played it. She hadn't been running though she had been doing a border patrol and he had followed her. That was the only thing that she could think of. He had followed her and waited until she had gone to get a drink. He had attacked her then forcing her head below the surface.

Her shadow told her his voice calm and reassuring that he didn't know why her brother would want to hurt her. A kiss to her cheek then he told went on to say that there could be many reasons and that it wasn't her fault. She knew it wasn't her fault but she didn't understand. SHe had done nothing to him. She hadn't pulled a prank. She hadn't taken his favorite sun-bathing spot. It seemed like one day he had simply woken up and decided that she was his toy do with as he wanted.

Isaura was pulled from her thoughts as her shadow continued to say that he wouldn't let her brother hurt her and that he would die before he touched her. She blinked at him she had never heard his voice sound so cold before and she could tell that he meant what he said. If her brother did show up to harm her he wasn't going to get very far. He might come. She whispered as another shiver went down her spine. It wasn't just a dream he actually tried to drown me after his other attempts failed. That was the one he got the closest to reaching his goal with though. His other attempts had been more subtle but he must have gotten frustrated with his lack of results and decided to take a more direct approach. Aeolus never fights fair either he waits for when there's a higher chance of him winning.

She shivered again suddenly cold. Laying back down next to her shadow he told her that she was safe with him and that he would always be with her as he brushed his muzzle along her chin. Isaura pressed herself against his side greedily taking the warmth he offered as she rubbed her cheek against his. And I will always be at yours. She murmured back. She knew that she couldn't offer the same protection that he offered her and in truth, she felt like she was getting the better end of this 'deal' than he was.

He didn't like that she was having nightmares, a girl as sweet as her shouldn't be having them. He listened as she spoke letting her get through till the end so she could say all that she needed to. He hoped that in doing so it would help her, that by telling him it would give her some peace. As she spoke he didn't know if it was just her mind trying to deal with some other problem she was facing or something else entirely.

Still the shadow offered her reassuring words and comforting touches. What he couldn't do was give her a solid reason why her brother would want to kill her. There were many reasons that he could think of but none of them involved her being at fault. He didn't see how she could be Isa was the most good natured wolf he'd ever met and she deserved a brother who loved her, not one who seemed to hate her for no reason at all.

One thing he was sure of was that her brother wouldn't get close to her and if he had to he would die protecting her. There was too much bad in the world for someone so pure as his Isaura to be taken from it. She was the light to the darkness that had been stirring inside him since he and Deaglan had ended their adoptive father's life. Some of that darkness came out when he told Isaura he would kill her brother if he tried to hurt her. She informed him that he might and then it all made sense why she was having the nightmares. Her brother had tried to kill her before and Ruari assumed that was what she was doing there in the lore with him. “How many attempts has he made?” How badly did he want his sister gone. Then she gave him a warning, “We will stay alert for him Isa but you don't have anything to worry about. I'm here and as long as I am here I will do everything I can to keep him from hurting you,” he told her, “I won't let him take you from me.”

He saw the tremble of her body as she shivered but he didn't think it was from the cold. Instead the lingering memory of the dream and what her brother had done to her outside of it. He curled himself protectively around her when she laid down next to him. His eyes closed as she rubbed her cheek against his before she told him she would always be at his side. “I wouldn't have it any other way Isa, you are the best thing that has happened to me.” He placed a kiss in her forehead, “You need to know I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I can't lose you like I have so many in the past.”

(This post was last modified: Dec 04, 2017, 02:15 AM by Ruari.)

 

Her brother had tried to kill her before but how many attempts had he made? She didn't know for sure. There were instances where she thought he might have played a part but she simply couldn't be sure. Some were more notable than other however like the time when the den collapsed but that could have been due to all the rain that they had had that week. Another where some of the other wolves had gotten rough with her during a meal because they had wanted to make sure that she had known her place. At the time that had been a common thing for her especially when they had caught something larger like a deer or elk. Had Aeolus played a part during those times in hopes of her death she couldn't say.

She knew that he had traded out some plants that their healer had given to her to eat when one of the other wolves had gotten sick to stop it from spreading to them. Instead, she had gotten sick, sicker than all the others. His scent had been on the plants so she knew that he had some part in that. Then there was the time when he had pushed her in front of a charging buck. He claimed later to have tripped but she knew better even though the others had believed him.

I don't know. She finally responded. I know of at least two possibly three but there were other things that happened that he could have been apart of but I don't know for certain if he was or not. She didn't want to think any further than that because some part of her didn't want to look at all the things that had been done to her so she shied from looking too closely at her memories. Especially when it all felt so close with the nightmare lingering in the back of her mind.

Her shadow told her that they would remain alert and that she wouldn't have anything to worry about. She could only hope her shadow was right because she had no way of knowing if her brother had followed her or not. Ruari continued to say that he would do everything he could to keep her safe and that he wouldn't let her be taken from him. She felt herself warm just as much as she felt dread bubbling inside her. To know she was safe was a blessing but she didn't want her shadow hurt, especially for her sake. I know but I don't want you hurt just because your protecting me. She looked to him her gaze somewhere between sad and earnest. So if he comes make sure that whatever happens, you survive. Even if she was taken as long as they were both alive they could meet again.


As she laid down her shadow wrapped her in a protective embrace and she felt her shivers slow simply from him being there and his warmth. How she she come to rely on him so much for comfort? A soft content sigh escaped her as he explained that she was the best thing that had happened to him along with a kiss to her forhead. I could say the same about you because I honestly can't imagine you not being there. She murmured back in response before he went on to say that he would protect her and that he couldn't lose her like he had with others. I will stay with you as long as you will have just make sure that I don't lose you either. She responded softly as she rested her head against his neck.

(This post was last modified: Dec 17, 2017, 05:48 AM by Isaura.)