Broken Timber Pines Blame it on my ADD baby

Set directly after this thread. For @Eirian and @Nalda. Keeping it vague since the other thread is still in progress but Eek will have a torn left ear, a small to medium cut on her right cheek and a deeper wound across her chest regardless of final outcome. This is Eek's exit thread from BTP.

Breath came in short sharp bursts as the tail-less wolf made her way back to the main den. Her dark coat covered the blood, but it couldn’t cover the stench of it, nor the matted appearance of the thicker fur that framed her face and covered her chest. It was immediately evident that her left ear was torn but it would take some digging through her unkempt fur to reveal the cut on her cheek and the slash against her chest. Adrenalin still coursed through her veins, colourless eyes feral in the midday light. She looked every inch a beast that was better reserved for midnight horror stories. The sort to keep children at home in their beds.

She walked, with head held high to a chorus of growls that rumbled with the distant falls, her own uttered forth unknowingly. They would have heard the summons from @”Iopah”, would have known from whence she came. Her time here was up, she knew that now. Why she had bothered staying this long she still couldn’t quite comprehend, there were no children in this place, no future. The wolves to the south and the west had caught scent of her when she tried to secure a future for them and now those ways were barred to her. She would have to go north.

She should have dragged the older woman to the cougar eye when she was too weak to fight back and thrown her in. This was all on her, not Eek.

A louder growl was offered when she caught sight of Eirian walking with Nalda, more to get their attention than anything else. It was followed up with a cough and a more companionable chuff. She wasn’t yet sure she could muster real words yet.

Rustling leaves and an echoing growl caught the copper male's attention and brought the conversation he had been having just moments ago with @Nalda to a swift end, russet tinged ears cupping forward as his limbs brought his broad frame to a halt and his head turned to the side to settle his citrus gaze on the disheveled silhouette of @Eek whom looked beat to hell and then some. From this distance he could already make out the teared outline to her left ear that left it drooping on one side and the pungent odor of blood both fresh and old began to fill his nostrils. Glancing once at the young girl at his side his brows immediately knitted together before half circling his body to pad over toward the nub tailed woman, an evident look of concern etched onto his handsome features. While part of him wanted to question what had caused these wounds, the lingering stench of @Iopah upon her ebony fur giving subtle clues to an answer, a larger part of him went straight to work at cleaning the coagulated blood that began to collect around her oozing wounds.

His coral tongue licked away the iron enriched fluid with the most tenderness one would never have expected the Asurn to posses, being mindful of the gaping wound once his attention fell onto the torn flesh of her ear. "What happened?" He finally questioned after her ear was cleaned the best it could be by tongue alone, focusing his gaze momentarily on the gash across her chest that would require attention next. While Eirian had heard the beckoning call of Iopah, just what the summons entitled had remained a mystery until now. By the wounds that adorned Eek's body it was clear now that she had to have been challenged for her rank as leader. The pale agouti woman had made a move to take back her kingdom from them and the thought alone warranted a growl of his own to rumble the confines of his chest. Their time spent here was clearly drawing to a close and it was only a matter of time, he suspected, until someone game gunning for his rank as well.

The smile that adorned her face was a rare sight, here in the privacy of their Pines, yet it was flashed openly at the mahogany man by her side. It was a short-lived joy though, as the angry rumble of a familiar voice caused large, russet ears to fold back, golden eyes widening as they turned to the source of the noise. A shadow approached among the fallen logs, her gate staggered but determined, black fur even more messy than usual, with the silver highlights obscured by something thick and dark, caking the hairs. Nalda's nostrils flared at the sharp stench, betraying the matter, lips parting in shock.

Eirian responded immediately, running to Eek and beginning work at removing the blood; A sight that would have no doubt astounded the yearling, had she not been so shaken by the dark woman's battered state. As it was she stood frozen and staring for several moments, mind uncharacteristically empty as she tried to process the whole thing. When finally she did shake herself from the daze, her mentor had already turned to the torn up ear, working with a quiet, gentle efficiency that she knew he reserved for a very select few wolves. Nalda pushed herself forwards to join him, voice falling almost simultaneous with his as she echoed the question: "Eek, wh'appened?!"

She came to a halt next to the two, looking over the many wounds up close, trying to figure out what to do next. The thought of licking at the mess was deeply unappealing. And yet, staring at the tattered ear and mess of blood soaked fur across the ebony shewolf's chest send a strange shiver of excitement through her. Her gaze slit along the, now clean, notch on the dark cheek, and a thin, sardonic smile unexpectedly curved her lips; "A'hope sh'looks worse!" The words were cool and crisp, golden eyes looking to silver's with a steely glint. Like Eirian, the yearling had heard Iopah's call, and though she would have never guessed its motive beforehand, the point was clear now; That BITCH! Her aunty Io had tried to reclaim her throne.

Word count: 354

Thoughts ”Speech”

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There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

@Eirian @Nalda so sorry for the wait!

The growling in her chest resumed as Eirian fussed about her wounds, too tired to snap and drive him off, instead she tucked her rear and bought herself into a sitting position. Her eyes were focused where the pair had been, rather than where they were now, and it was only their mirrored questions that caused her to blink and refocus on where they were now. A lip lifted to reveal a tooth, it should be obvious what had happened, it didn't take a genius to put Iopah's yowling together with Eek's battered appearance, but it was Nalda's follow up that summoned a bark of bitter laughter in response. "She's dead." Her answer was blunt, and hoarse. "Or she soon will be." There was no hint of apology in her tone. Iopah had bought it on herself.

She turned her attention to Eirian, the edge of her eyes softening subconsciously. "There's nothing left here." Surely he realised it too. For all their attention had been focused on the south, she had pissed off the Oak wolves when she tried to steal their cub. "Come north with me, we can find a pack for the winter and plan from there." Everything wasn't lost... just, delayed.

Diligently the man continued his work of cleaning what blood he could from the wounds that lay scattered across her body, ignoring the nub tailed woman's futile growls serving as her weak attempt at swatting him away from doing just that. Satisfied that he had cleaned all that he could the copper male finally peeled himself away to take a couple steps back, a rumble of laughter filling his chest when his ears caught Nalda's statement. Eirian silently hoped the bitch had received a worse fate than just a few knicks and bruises, but only @Eek could inform them on what sort of fate had come to befall the former matriarch. 

It seemed Nalda's statement had amused more than just the Asurn as a bitter laugh fell from Eek's lips, commenting soon after that the woman was dead, or at least would be soon. The idea of his thoughts being fulfilled and one less abomination walking among them caused a pleasant rumble to form deep within the confines of Eirian's chest. "Good, she deserves to rot with the termites." He commented, citrus gaze soon locking on the mercury hue of the ebony woman's when her head turned toward him. Russet ears pivoted forward to listen silently to her words, nodding his head once. Realization had already set in the man's mind that moment Iopah had beckoned for the current queen and if what she said was true about the fate of Iopah, he knew it wouldn't be long until someone close to the fallen woman came seeking revenge. Whether it be Koda despite his recovering injury wanting the Asurn's blood as payment, or another. Regardless it was time they moved on. They came, they saw, they destroyed. 

"You travel ahead of me, scout out a possible place to lay low. I'm going to stick around for a little longer and see if any of the others could prove to be useful while taking care of any possible loose ends." With that said the man's attention then shifted to @Nalda , mixed emotions crossing his handsome features. "Come with me when I leave, or stay if you wish. I won't force your hand, but if you do stay I will come back for you when we've found a new pack to lay low in." Whether she would know it or not, Eirian would be sure to look out for the young girl. She was, after all, one of only two wolves the Asurn actually held some form of an emotional relationship with.