Dead Empress Backwater The Songbirds are Gone

His muzzle had dipped lower than he had expected. Feeling her move brought him back to the present. He lifted his head and watched as she sat up beside him, continuing to cry. Blood had been shed. A lot of it. She looked back at him but Anatole's attention was momentarily held captive. He got to his feet, ears perked up and coming forward.

"I think so," he answered. His tone was unsure, but mostly out of concern for the young girl. "She... might... need a little looking over, but I'm fine." He glanced down at Sonnet, attempting to read her bright green eyes. If he had been in her place, he was almost certain he would have been afraid.

Anatole gave her a hint of a smile before returning his attention to the brothers. He took care to find his feet beneath him as he stood, nodding but unsteady, "Thank you... both of you. I hope that thing didn't get you too badly?"

there used to be a greying tower
ANATOLE GERAU
alone on the sea

Oleander was not deaf to the gratitude and praise. Inwardly, he reveled in it. For what seemed like the first time in his life, he felt seen by one of his siblings. He bobbed his head in acknowledgment. The infirmary could be a good idea, though he figured a good dip of his face in the river would do just fine.

"Everyone else okay?" Eros then addressed the others. Oleander snorted once with a shake of his head as if the motion would ground him and make him focus. He had forgotten about the yearling and pup he had passed on the way here.

"I think so," the yearling answered. He then mentioned the girl might need tending to. Oleander looked to Eros as Anatole added his string of thanks. "I'm gonna go lay down I think," he added as an afterthought. The idea of tucking himself away in his thicket grew more appealing by the minute. He wanted some alone time to process everything. A moment to look at his reflection in the Backwater and see the cougar-killer he had become. A small part of him even wanted the rest of the pack to know it. He wanted the bloodstains in his fur to announce to all what he was truly capable of. Poisons and venom-laced words aside, he had it in him to go to great lengths to protect what was important to him. "I'll help walk 'em home, and I can catch up with you later?"

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

Eros was actually exceptionally proud of his brother. The emotion had time to sink in deep now that the threat was over. He hadn't witnessed it all, but it was easy to deduce that Oleander had thrown himself into battle to protect the newcomers. It wasn't that the Archer-Valle had doubted his half-siblings ability and willingness to do so, he just had never gotten the chance to see Ollie in any kind of action before.

Little Fox's cries answered his question and his attention was stolen again. He looked back to where she and Anatole were huddled, took a few steps in their direction, intent on checking her over. The others continued to speak, and he listened while drawing close enough to give the pup a gentle snuffling over. No open wounds, and hopefully no sprains or breaks either. Likely just terrified out of her mind.

"I'm good," he answered the teen almost absently. Whatever scrapes and punctures he'd sustained would fade as all injuries did. The important thing was to get their most affected tended to and comforted.

'I'm gonna go lay down I think,' his brother spoke casually, a mild surprise but also a relief. Ollie must really be okay then, or so Eros could hope. He personally would be taking more extensive measures to make sure none of his wounds became infected, unable to help but think of @Seri's dad.

'I'll help walk 'em home, and I can catch up with you later?'

Eros smiled for the first time, small but present.

"Yeah. C'mon, Snowflake, let's get you to to Mama Clo, okay?"

@Clover might be infirmary bound herself, but he felt certain she would still love to help by letting the pup curl up with her while Eros ensured everyone truly did have a clean bill of health. He could summon @Viorel there as well, who could hopefully lead an effort to inform the rest of the pack of the incident and make sure the mountain lion had no kin around.

(This post was last modified: Dec 20, 2023, 04:33 AM by Eros.)

Sonnet's cries died down into a sniffle and eventually she was back to her quiet self. Sitting rigid as Eros checked her over for injuries. She looked at him like he was some bizarre freak of nature, and the same look would be given to Oleander. They were covered in blood and the whole ordeal had been too much. She'd run for her life until she ended up faceplanting in the snow. Frightened, exhausted, and exasperated described her more than well.

Eros mentioned going to Clover and she was up on her paws like a newborn fawn. After a couple of wobbly steps, she caught her balance and was steadily heading in the direction she believed to be correct. Was that a new name? Litte Song thought to herself, hoping she wouldn't have a long list of nicknames to respond to. She still didn't know what a fox was, but she quite liked that one. Especially since it was from Viorel.

"Speak"

Tonight we make our dreams come true
**Sonnet hasn't spoken since losing her family.

"I'm good," Eros answered.

"I'm gonna go lay down I think," the Leader's brother added. "I'll help walk 'em home, and I can catch up with you later?"

Anatole nodded once more, watching as his superior drew close enough to sniff the girl over. She stared at the older male and the yearling couldn't help but continue smiling at her. There, there, now, he cast a glance at her, his eyes meeting hers, see, everything's fine.

"Yeah," the Leader spoke again, "C'mon, Snowflake, let's get you to Mama Clo, okay?"

Snowflake. Anatole rather liked that. Short, sweet, and easy to remember. "Allons-y alors," he told her, voice calm and hushed. Let us go then. He gave a soft nudge of his nose to her shoulder to encourage her to get up. His head ducked down as they began a slow trek back onto pack territory. He allowed the brothers to escort them back, with one leading and one taking up the rear, careful to keep Snowflake in his sights...

[Fade.]

there used to be a greying tower
ANATOLE GERAU
alone on the sea