Swift River Bury me beautiful

For @Nori

Father hear your Son
Do the good die young
Did I raise you up, raise you up
Make you Proud

Let the sun go out
Tear the bridges down
I'm on my way, on my way
I'm going home
- Heaven Knows, Five For Fighting

It was like déjà vu of the worst kind, stuck in an old den with a busted leg, waiting for someone to come to his rescue. Except this time no one knew where he was, or what had happened to him. He was going to die here, all alone, and his family wouldn’t know where he’d gone or why he never came home; Is this what happened to everyone else…? Lynx, Oksana, Feyre, Star, Diantha, the list went on and on; Kateri… Stella. All gone without a word, lost forever, reduced to bones somewhere out there. And he would join them. He hadn’t been able to get far from the creek before the blood loss forced him to stop, the world spinning around him and his legs trembling. If the ghost had been following him, he wouldn’t have been able to defend himself, pain swiftly overwhelming him as the adrenaline wore off. In truth, he probably wouldn’t even have noticed, as the nausea finally won out and he emptied his stomach into the grass, dry heaving for several minutes afterwards, shivering with cold sweat. But he wasn’t being followed, at least not yet, and after a short rest, he’d forced himself to go on, limping as far as the Sacred Grove, before he had to give up and seek shelter. He’d intended to stay awake, to watch for any pursuers, but he’d collapsed almost immediately from sheer exhaustion, getting a few hours of blissful rest before the pain woke him up. Since then, he’d been constantly in and out of consciousness, feverish and in so much pain that he’d barely been self-aware, let alone aware of the world around him. Curled up in the very back of what might have once been a wolf den, hidden as well as he was able, he could do nothing but wait and hope his body was able to heal. Now, as the sun rose on the third day, he seemed to have shaken the fever, but that only left him awake to feel the pain even more, and worry about the situation he’d landed himself in – and worry he did. Thoughts ”Speech”

Coccineus, annamae22, stock-ashleyrwatts & Dawnthieves.de

She hadn't even joined the Cove again and she'd already royally messed up. Trying hard not to fall into a self-loathing spiral, Nori busied herself with searching the mountain for the kid. Nash had yet to come back, and Nori wasn't brave enough to seek anyone else out to admit she'd fought with one of their kids - or, well, that she'd been beat up by one of their kids, rather. It was still her fault, and she could recognize that - she shouldn't have provoked the girl like she had.

Her own wounds ached as she moved, but luckily they weren't infected. It would've been far worse if she'd fought with a fully grown, seasoned wolf, but as it were, she was just missing a chunk of her ear and shoulder. Nothing fatal, but certainly a hindrance.

Nori had made her way carefully down the mountain to the west once again when it became clear the kid wasn't near the territory. It was a brutal trip, and her legs were shaking by the time she made it down, but she succeeded. Mentally she reminded herself that she needed to eat soon - it was doing her no favors to be skipping meals, but she hadn't been much in the mood for food lately.

Absently, she padded through the forest, sniffing here and there in search of a specific scent. She didn't find what she was looking for, but the sudden smell of blood had her fur rising and a chill running down her spine.

Without letting herself think too hard, she followed it.

Her nose led her to an old den, and throwing caution to the wind, Nori ducked down inside. It was dark, and her eyes hadn't adjusted yet, but she could barely make out a figure curled at the very back.

"Uh, hey," she said, crawling in and squinting into the den. "Are you hurt?" It was a dumb question, probably, but she wasn't sure exactly what else to say.

Leo had never felt this scared in his life, even during the fight adrenaline had mostly drowned it out, and he’d had to focus on his opponent and his own attacks. But now there was nothing to distract him, no planning to keep his mind from spiraling through more and more horrible scenarios; Dying would be a blessing…! He might be found, but too late for his leg to be fixed, ending up a cribble for the rest of his life. Or he might lose his leg entirely, just like Magg. Descending further and further into despair, Leo was blind and deaf to the world outside his hiding place – it hardly mattered anyway, if someone was to find him, he wouldn’t be able to get away, let alone put up a fight. Still, when a stranger actually broke into his feeble sanctuary, he was drawn from his internal panic with a jolt. He couldn’t help the snarl that escaped him, neither could he stop it from turning into a whimper as he attempted to cringe further into the wall at his back, lighting both his stomach and leg on fire with pain. Tears clouded his eyes, making it even harder to see the other wolf in the near darkness, but her voice, though unfamiliar, seemed kind. Still, Leo was on edge in his very vulnerable position, feeling like everyone was a threat and he hesitated for several moments before answering in as strong and level a voice as he could manage: “Why do you care?” It came out more defeatist than challenging, but at least he kept his voice from trembling, steady eyes watching her every move. Thoughts ”Speech”

Coccineus, annamae22, stock-ashleyrwatts & Dawnthieves.de

She received a snarl that tapered off into a sort of whimper for her efforts. Which was fair, of course - she'd probably be super pissed if some random wolf came up to her while she was injured and alone like this. And a younger Nori might've scoffed at the response and went along on her merry way, leaving the stranger to deal with whatever this was by himself.

But she wasn't the same wolf she had been, and he smelled a little like the Cove. So she couldn't just leave.

"Maybe because I'm normal and don't want to leave people in pain?" she deadpanned, tipping her head to the side. "If you were walking out in the woods and found an injured wolf, would you not try and help?"

It seemed pretty obvious - most would care on a base level at least. It was the courteous thing to do, and besides...

"Are you from the Cove?" she asked then, laying on her stomach near the entrance. She wouldn't approach until he got a little more accustomed to her presence.

So far, she wasn’t advancing any further and Leo was able to relax ever so slightly, taking deep breaths through his nose as he continued to study her. Laying down now, a bit of light was able to slip by her, shining through pale tawny fur and somewhat illuminating an elegant face with large golden-brown eyes. Her expression was still mostly in shadow, making it very hard for him to guess her intentions and the blank tone in her voice didn’t help. The words themselves spoke volumes though, making Leo’s ears rise a little, brows furrowing as he turned the question over in his head; Would I…? If she’d asked a year ago, his answer would have been immediate, but now; Magg was just trying to help too… In the end, his only answer was a bleak: “Not a lot of normal wolves left around here.” There was a small spark of gallows humor in his eyes, despite the gloomy tone, though he was still hesitant to trust the stranger, she could have taken the chance to attack him already, if that had been her intention. She appeared honest in her concern. And then she asked the one question that could shatter his growing ease, ears instantly flattening back down as his teeth flashed in a low briefly, before he got himself under control. An icy lump of fear weighed heavily in his belly, eyes wide as he simply watched her for several breaths. The panic was creeping back in, scattering his thoughts in all directions, surely visible on his face even in the dimness. He was sure his reaction had already given the answer away, but he still tried to be nonchalant in his answer: “What would you do if I was?” Once again, his voice was hopeless, with the slightest hint of a tremble that he couldn’t quite hold in. Thoughts ”Speech”

Coccineus, annamae22, stock-ashleyrwatts & Dawnthieves.de

As her eyes adjusted, she could make out more details. Mismatched eyes and a dark agouti coat - on the smaller side, but built pretty strong. She'd never met him before, but she could now certainly tell he was from the Cove. Maybe a bit before her time, or had he been one of the pups that were born there that year?

It didn't really matter. He spoke again, less defensive this time, and Nori smiled a little in response. "You're tellin' me. You wouldn't believe the crazies I've met," she said lightly, hoping to bolster that mood. She certainly wasn't a threat to him, but she didn't blame him for being on edge.

And then that guard was right back up again: What would you do if I was?

"Hopefully take you back home," she replied, tail swishing back and forth. "I don't know how long you've been gone, but I'm sure everybody's worried about you." She wouldn't know, exactly, because she hadn't officially joined again yet, but she was sure she would find out after Nash returned.

Nori cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm Nori Eastfall," she explained. Koizumi almost slipped out as well, but he didn't know that side of her family, so it was irrelevant. "I'm Nash's niece. I won't hurt you."

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2024, 02:23 AM by Nori.)

Her smile was nice, the joke certainly lightening the mood for that brief moment, but Leo couldn’t shake his paranoia. Even with her seeming genuineness and kind tone, he couldn’t help but hear a double meaning behind everything she said. She would take him back home, huh? Dead or alive? Everyone was worried; Just how you want it, right? And then she introduced herself, and it took every ounce of his remaining self-control to keep from bursting into tears. Fear and pain had worn him down to shreds already, not to mention the spiraling thoughts of what might become of him, stuck here all alone. Never in a million years could he have dreamed of being found so soon, by a friend; By family! “N-Nori?” He croaked, voice rife with emotion, relief making the tremble even worse, but he didn’t even care. It was a name he had heard before, mentioned by Nash and Chan in passing, their sister’s daughter; “When did you… Do they…” He didn’t even know what to say, a strange buzz filling his ears and making him feel tinkly all over, as he finally gave fully in to the realization; They found me…! “I’m Leo Vuesain,” he finally breathed, hoping she recognized the last name at least, as he didn’t have the energy to explain; “I… I don’t think I can walk anywhere.” Thoughts ”Speech”

Coccineus, annamae22, stock-ashleyrwatts & Dawnthieves.de

A wave of relief crashed over her when he relaxed. It would be easier to get answers - to get help - if he wasn't so defensive. Only once in a blue moon did Nori choose the right words, and she was more than happy she'd chosen correctly now. This situation was different than Archer and she knew that - she didn't even know this guy - but the scent of blood was in the air and he didn't seem to be able to move, and it was so easy to imagine him with phase gray fur and dull silver eyes rather than his agouti and golden-blue.

N-Nori?

Another smile formed on her maw and her tail thumped the ground behind her. "That's me," she confirmed, tentatively scooting a tiny bit closer. "Wish we could've met under better circumstances, but it's nice to meet you anyway, Leo."

Archer's face flashed across the backs of her eyes again, contorted in pain. There was a weird tingling sensation in her paws and a tightening in her chest that suggested panic at the memory. But this guy - Leo - wasn't vomiting or foaming at the mouth or seizing in front of her. An injury like this was bad, yes, but there was no poison coursing through his veins. No countdown timer to his last breaths.

But he couldn't walk.

"That's no big deal," she said, keeping her voice chipper and setting her tail to a determined wag. "I can walk enough for the both of us - get you some help." The Cove had to have a medic, right? Her memories of her time there were jumbled at best, but she figured they had to have someone.

Tipping her head to the side, she asked, "Can I get you anything now? I don't know anything about herbs, but I can get you something to eat and drink at least." She could probably go find a nearby river to fish from, or track down a rabbit or something. Just so she didn't leave him with nothing.

(This post was last modified: Jun 27, 2024, 04:37 AM by Nori.)

Her smile was infectious - or maybe it was just the relief of being found, by someone other than the monster - either way, Leo felt his own mouth curl slightly. His mouth had gone dry with fear and he had to swallow several times before he could answer her, voice still hoarse but earnest; “You too.” At any other moment, he might have found her forced cheer condescending, but in his current state it was actually comforting. The very tip of his tail gave a small flick, all he could manage without pain, but his smile grew a little steadier. “That would be… Nice,” he said, weakly, feeling the exhaustion starting to tug at him, now that there was someone else here to stand guard; “Aquene’s our shaman, she’ll know how to help.” At least he hoped so; the image of Magg’s missing leg flashed briefly in his mind, but he shook it off; It’ll be fine, I’ll be fine! Nori’s question pulled him back to reality, a grimace crossing his face; Don’t know anything about herbs… But he should have, he’d promised himself after last time, only so much else had happened. It didn’t matter now anyway, Nori would be all the help he needed, although a trail of ice ran down his back at the mention of her leaving. “No,” he said hastily, trying to shake his head and wincing at the stab of pain in his shoulder; “I’m good I…” He didn’t want her to go, for her own sake as much as his, or so he told himself anyway. Of course she would have to leave at some point, to go up the mountain; But not right now… Right? He felt truly pathetic, wishing for her to stay just so he wouldn’t be afraid all alone, but there was nothing he could do about that. Really, she should be off as soon as possible, she’d be much safer at the Cove, it wasn’t like he could protect her; Clearly I can’t protect anyone… All he could do was warn them, and so he did: “You gotta be careful! There’s a monster out there, who knows who he’ll attack next!” It sounded like mad ramblings, but it was the best he could muster through the exhaustion clouding his thoughts; “Please, I don’t want you to get hurt too!” Thoughts ”Speech”

Coccineus, annamae22, stock-ashleyrwatts & Dawnthieves.de

She'd gotten a smile from him, which felt like a major win in her books. It looked nice on his face, she thought idly, but maybe now wasn't the best of times to admire a stranger's looks. Still, she didn't think she'd ever seen eyes like his, and in a different situation might have found herself trying to charm him rather than comfort. As it were, her tail wagged at his response, her own shoulders relaxing a little bit as the conversation grew more comfortable.

He looked sleepy, which made sense. Who knew how long he'd been without help, on guard and alert? Nori doubted she would be able to sleep under these circumstances, either.

Aquene. She knew that name, didn't she? Maybe they hadn't met formally, but she'd certainly heard it in passing. It was so nice to hear something familiar, though she wasn't sure exactly what a shaman was. She could only guess it was a wolf familiar with how to use herbs.

After this, she would have to pester the other woman about herbs. Things to help wounds, injuries, snake bites. Even just the basics would be helpful, while she was out and about. But she couldn't stand the thought of someone else dying when she was supposed to be the one keeping them safe, bringing them home. "I'll bring her down with me when I come back," she assured him, voice steady. Imbuing all the confidence she wasn't sure she felt anymore into her words.

And then...

A monster?

Leo started to ramble, panicked, and Nori froze for a moment. It suddenly occurred to her with all the subtlety of getting slapped in the face that he might actually need her to stick around for a bit rather than just abandoning him to his thoughts, to his panic. If she were in his situation... she would want someone to stay. Even for just a little bit.

"I'll be careful," she responded, eyes softening just a touch. She wanted to ask about the monster he was talking about, but she got the feeling he wasn't really in the right state to be talking about whatever had attacked him. Nori gave a little stretch, and came up with what she thought was a wonderful excuse.

"Actually, I was thinking," the woman began, craning her neck to give her wounded shoulder a couple of licks to really sell it. "This shoulder of mine is pretty achy right now-" it wasn't that bad, "-and I think I need to rest. Do you think you'll be alright if I stay a little longer?" If he said it was absolutely necessary she bolt up the mountain and grab Aquene, she would do it, but maybe what he needed more than herbs at the moment was a companion.

(This post was last modified: Jun 29, 2024, 06:52 AM by Nori.)