A Touch of Destiny

	The golden wolf paced restlessly. He had been seeking her out for days since Kashi had first bought her state of health to his attention but try as he might, he couldn't track her down. It was a problem that had been weighing more and more heavily on his mind for weeks now. They needed a healer. He knew a little but not enough. From what he had managed to gather from the younger wolf, who he was beginning to see as more of a younger brother with every passing day, she had a bad infection in her neck, though what caused it was yet to be determined. It amazed him that after all this time being in the same pack, the last time he had seen her was when he was a lone wolf and she had snuck off while he slept. He was frustrated at her stubbornness and wondered if it had anything to do with her desire for danger. Or maybe she was just avoiding him... Snapdragon, houseleek, pine or larch bark, pine gum, prickly saxifrage, dwarf fireweed and blueberry bush. Dried mushroom tops to dry out infections, willow for the pain... he kept running over and over the possibilities in his mind, wondering where he would come across such ingredients at this time of year. He didn't need all of them, even just the mushrooms would be a godsend, but mushrooms were an autumn find, not something one stumbled across in the heart of winter. As it was he gathered what he could, tearing pine bark from the trees he could find. Sap would be better but he had no way to collect it or keep it malleable until he managed to pin the black wolf down. Snapdragons and saxifrage were only out in spring, Fireweed Rise would be the obvious place for fireweed, if it was in season (which it was not), but that was too long of a journey anyway considering the rate infection moved at, and all he could find of blueberry bush was the spindly leafless branches while the plant tried to conserve its energy for the coming spring. Leaves were better but branches would have to do. Houseleek on the other paw... It was rare, popping up here and there having being cultivated by humans and picked up by birds, distributed where they left their droppings, but it maintained its leaves all year round and had similar fleshy leaves to some plants he had crossed in warmer climates. It would be an amazing stroke of luck for him to stumble across some now... He shook himself in frustration and spun 180 degrees to stalk in the opposite direction and there it was, tucked under the comfortable overhang of a small boulder. He picked one of the three small plants and carried it gently back to his den to stash with his bark, twigs and willow branches. He had tried howling for her but she was ignoring his calls, only further adding to his anger. He had decided enough was enough, he was going to track her down and drag her back by the scruff of her neck if he had to. He was not going to lose a pack mate because she was too stubborn to come and find him. He set off on one of her scent trails, tail high in the air and coat puffed up signaling no compromise. If he had to pull rank he would.

the infection Rebecca had so well ignored really started to take its toll. Hour after hour, day after day the stubborn girl had noticed her weakening strengths and growing pains, specially on her neck. The shallow wounds on her left thigh were healing rather well, but her neck had swollen and now the crazy girl could barely turn her head without yelling from pain. She could barely hunt and was losing weight rapidly in the cold winter air, avoiding all others in the fear they would see how weak she was. Proud lady would not give herself in that kind of an shame. Of course that also ment she didn't have any help, but Reba was going to survive somehow. It just hadn't really worked out well.

Finally she had come to Copper Rock Creek again. Leaving right after she had met Kashikoi, wandering around the pack borders and even visiting in Thicket. But she had to admit that the journey had just been too much. Still, Reba hadn't let anyone know where she was. Kano had called for her, she had hidden away from every living creature. No one was going to see her in this poor condition. No one.

But now the girl was forced to return in her pack territory. Sneaking across the woods, hiding in her den. Now she was laying there, trying to get some sleep. Feeling safe under the pine that worked as her roof and the large pile of rocks that covered everything else. Entrance next to the large roots of the pine, that now sticked out from the snow. The den she had largened to suit her size, with as small entarnce as possible. Leaves covering the den's floor, making it softer and better to lay on. As warm and comfy her den was, it did not help wiht her stupid wounds.

Shivering, feeling her rised body temperature heating the air in her den, still feeling cold. The stupid infection seemed to be spreading all over her body. The four original wounds were still the worse place, filled with puss and other disgusting stuff. Nothing felt good and if teh she-wolf would have teh strentgh, she'd have been dangerously grumpy. But Reba didn't have the strength. Wanting to just sink in the deep, blakc, welcoming hole, to die in her den, to leave it all here. What use it was to fight anyway? But the same insanity that had caused her to get in this situation also kept her alive. If she would die now and here, she could never get high again. And as crazy as it was, that high, awesome feeling kept her alive. Also her stubborness helped quite a lot, though.

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	He could smell rotting as he approached Rebecca's den and his heart thundered in his chest. What if I'm too late? he thought as a cold wave of fear washed over him. He poked his nose in without invitation and quickly drew back. Surely with that stench he was too late... He took a moment to gather his resolve and forced his head back into the den, looking to see if his worst fears would be confirmed. They were not, but it wasn't good. Her breath was coming in ragged pants as she shook from fever. She seemed to be in the middle of a fever dream and he knew he didn't have much time. He returned to his own den at a full sprint, gathering up his small collection hastily, ignoring the bitterness of the plants in his mouth as he returned to the first wolf to help him hunt since he had left his family. He remebered the way they had played and run. He remembered grooming the blood from her fur and curling close to her side during the storm and waking up to find her gone. This couldn't be the end. He forced his way through the small entrance to her den and looked closer at her wound. Four identical tears ran down her neck and he shuddered. Only a cougar could cause that sort of damage. He tried to think, think back to his grandmother Shadow and all of the wisdom she had imparted on the young wolves. First he had to try and remove some of the infection. As disgusting as it was, he gently applied pressure to the edges of the open wound and attempted to hold onto the small rabbit he had eaten for breakfast as puss oozed from the wound. She was so sick she barely stirred at the pressure. He crushed and chewed up the plants into a goopy foul tasting paste and smeared it over the open wounds, tearing off strips of the pine to lay over the top to seal the poultice in and let it do its work. Now all he could do was wait and hope. He left the willow branches inside her den and went to wash out his mouth and drink some cool clean water before returning to sit outside her den and wait. All he could do now was wait, and hope that he had reached her soon enough.

Through the despair and pain Rebecca felt even stronger pain on her neck. What was happening? Did someone eat her? It truly did feel like it, but the ebony wolf had no strength or will to fight back. Barely she moved. Sinking in the deep blackness of her feverish dreams, dresming of snowy fields full of heat. The snow didn't melt, though. Odd dream. Then it turned into nightmare, with most horrible things you can imagine. No one should get to know what they were.

Then, something cahnged again. The dream disappeared, leaving the girl alone in her den, shaking from the horror, pain and fever. But... It wasn't the same anymore. She didn't even wonder of standing up or moving anything, but she ahd something on her neck. Yes, there was. No, no one is kidding. Whatever it was, it felt good. Falling to sleep again, not much more calmer.

It took about two hours before she woke up again. The world seemed to be a better place again, despite the pain she didn't feel as horrible anymore. Everything in her body was numb, but... She felt better. Not as sick. Opening her eyes slowly, seeing nothing more than the warm darkness of her cozy den and the smell. Yuck! It was kinda fading away, but still horrible. Absolutely disgusting. Taking a deep breathe, moving her legs and whining, forgetting where she was. Mind started to get blurry again, but Reba felt the need of escape. Something was dying here and she would die next to it if she wouldn't leave.

<i><b>"Mom!"</b></i> the crazy girl yelped weakly, quietly, trying to pull her body up. But she lacked the strength and the pain pinned her down again. Shivering from fear and pain, body still feeling hot. But now only hot, not cold next to it. Hot, pain, fear. Where was she, why was she here, who had died? Bad, old memories filled her head.

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	He could hear Rebecca attempting to move about in her den. There was almost a panic to her attempt to get out, but she barely stayed concious for long enough that he could check on her progress. The poultice seemed to be doing its job, but the smell still lingered, perhaps shining some light on her panic. It smelled of approaching death. He needed to find a way to clear the air. It was a tight squeeze but he forced his way back in and cleared any of the leaves she wasn't laying on, getting rid of those that had the puss and blood on them along with the rest. He then went to the nearest pine tree and began to strip needles from the tree, spreading them in place of the leaves. As he walked over them his paws crushing the green needles they released a tangy sterile scent. He hoped the cleaner air would help her sleep more restfully, resuming his post at the entrance of her den.

While his days were mostly spent patrolling the pack borders, Ruiko Tainn also spent a great deal within the heart of his claimed lands. More or less, Copper Rock Creek was quiet. He had not seen Kinis or Volkan much since the pack had begun to grow, and in truth the male felt a pang of loss to this; he would need to find both yearlings and entice them to a small hunt, for soon they would be entering the adult ranks fully.

A small vole was clutched within his jaws; the only bit of prey he had managed to catch today, and only because he had initially aimed and scared the crow that had caught the creature in the first place. It was time to hold a pack hunt; with their numbers growing, the cache’s were falling behind from what they had originally stored. Perhaps he would assign the task to a member at their first pack meeting.

With his thoughts passing, the male glanced up to catch a worried Kanosak sitting at the opening of Rebecca’s den. Ruiko hadn’t seen much of the she-wolf since he had accepted her, and not quite correlating the other male’s features with what rested behind the den, the golden male dropped the vole to his paws, his muzzle giving a regal nod to the other wolf. “How fares your day, Kanosak?”

The fever was getting down, the black girl sailing between concious and sleep. Her thoughts were one big mess and Reba couldn't catch any of them to actually figure out what it was, but something was sure: every time she woke up, world seemed a little beter place. Maybe it was the pain, was it feeling less? Or that the black hole seemed to get further and furhter away from her? Or that her body had will and stength to fight against the infection again? Or maybe all of them? Rebecca wasn't sure, nor she cared that much. The pain was still too strong to her be liking it, adn the crazy wolf only wanted to sleep to get away from it.

At least the scent wasn't as bad, it didn't seem like dying creature anymore. More like clean, not comfy way, but in odd, sterile way. Mixed with somehow familiar scent? What was it? No, it was <i>who</i> was it? None of her questions were answered, brains putting her mind back to sleep over and over again.

One more time she woke up. This time hearing a voice. Familiar, yes. Who? Who was making it? Opening her eyes slowly, blinking in the warm darkness of her little home. It... It all felt so... Useless. Eyes closed again, nothing made any sense in her mind. <i>'I want to sleep...'</i> and her silent wish was filled.

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	The gold wolf started, so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the alpha aproaching. Too concerned to complete his usual ritual beyond flicking back his ears and lowering his head he could no longer sit still and wait. "Not well." he said, concern thick in his voice. It was all he could do not to wimper like a lost pup. "It's Rebecca. She had some nasty cougar scratches on her neck that got infected. The scrap told me days ago but I only managed to find her today..." his voice was laced with guilt, he should have tracked her down sooner but it had taken him that long to find the ingredients he needed in this weather anyway. "I've done what I can, all I could smell was death..." He was begining to shake, concerned with what would happen if his remedy didn't work as well as it should. "My grandmother taught me a little. I drained what I could from the wound and applied a rough poultice, I didn't have access to half of what I needed because of this damn snow!" he growled at the landscape. Rebecca might die and it would he all his fault. The scent of pine was wafting from the den. He didn't find it to be a comfortable scent but it wasn't nearly as distressing as the scent of rot. He had burried the leaves she was using as a bed. She would probably be annoyed but it was necessary to prevent reinfection. "I don't know enough." he finally admitted in defeat. If he had of done so sooner he could be learning how to heal properly, but if he had, he wouldn't have been here in time to save Rebecca. Maybe the fates had been conspiring to keep him here. He heard her drifting into and out of conciousness. He wasn't sure if she could hear him but he nosed the willow branches closer to her, so they were laying across her pain marred muzzle. Speaking calmly and quietly. "If you can hear me, there are some branches near your mouth that I need you to chew. Yes they will taste terrible but it'll help to take some of the pain away..." he was relieved when it appeared she acknowleged him and he retreated back to his leader outside the den. "I was convinced she wouldn't make it, but I may have been just in time..."

As the regal wolf prowled closer, the stench of rot smoothed across his nose and drew a snort from the wolf, his eyes narrowing as the stoical mask that was usually so intricately placed upon his features broke away. It was a smell he recognized; one of infection and sickness, though it did not coincide as death. With the vole instantly forgotten, the regal wolf prowled forward dangerously, his eyes locked now upon the depths of the den that Kanosak so loyally guarded.

Moving just before the wolf, the large male’s hackles bristled dangerously, his figure almost imposing to the Second as the other male spoke. Yet it was not anger that was directed to the male, but as his ears flickered forward and listened to the blonde wolf speak, his features grew more grim by the moment.

Ruiko watched as the male padded back to the den, coming to rest at the ebony she-wolf’s side. Ruiko drew in to the den then, his eyes locking upon the injured female as he felt his tail lash with aggravation. “What happened? Did someone do this to her?” The wound upon her neck could be lethal – her fever only heightening the dangers she was in, and yet the Leader could do little more than to stare at the wound now, noting it was not one gained from mere accident.

And if it was a wolf, well, they would be damned sorry they had ever touched a hair on one of his member’s.

As weak as she was, Rebecca wasn't weak enough to not feel anger. Why? Because of Kano's comment about her survival. Assuming she wouldn't survive! That piled up one more leason why to survive. And then Ruiko took one thing off. The black girl, as not awake as she was, could still feel the anger from him. What would he do to her when eh would found out it had been just her own fault? Well, maybe Valiant had pissed the cougar little more by cilling its cub, but she was the one biting its tail.

But maybe it was better to survive anyway. Slowly the black wolf opened eyes and chewed the bad tasting branches like Kano had told. Not for long, her powers ran out quickly and she had to rest before taking few more bites. After that, Reba fell asleep again, this time seeing nightmares about being chasen off from the pack and forced to live as a loner again. What if that would become reality...?

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