drilled a wire through my cheek

magnolia glen wolves preferred, but anyone is welcome. As a result of her injuries, Borlla will be (hopefully only temporarily) losing her spot as leader, which is due to me and my very busy school schedule. I will make an effort to get this thread done asap.

post-MG pack meeting; very early morning (think 4am); Partly Cloudy — Current Temperature: 55° F/13° C

There had been word that Ruiko had returned. A passing word, a faint scent from a passerby as she wandered the border. She'd sent the stranger on her way, but could do nothing but think of her eldest brother on the other side of the mountain, another soul lost that, despite her frustrations, she might be able to find it again. She wasn't sure of her feelings towards Ruiko at the current time. He hadn't abandoned her like Indru had. He'd chosen his own path, which eventually led him away from these lands. Just like her own path had led her. Now that she knew, she had to find him. With parting words to her mate and children, including a promise to be back very soon, she left the Glen and headed west towards the mountain.

The journey itself had taken around a day. With a steep climb ahead of her, she had no interest in wasting her energy running there. Though night had fallen, she began her ascent, assuring herself that her time lived in Riddle Heights had left her with impeccable climbing skills. But as the sun left morning fog creeping along the elevation, that time past had left her dreadfully mistaken. It was an innocent rock, part of the path that she'd seen, yet her paw fell upon it anyway. She hadn't expected such a chain of events to unfold, as she pushed forward, the rock skidded against the stone floor, sending her reeling forward.

The impact of her nose upon the stone had been painful enough without the terrible tangle of her own body sending her rolling over the edge to the path that laid below. Disoriented and confused, she flailed in midair, before the brunt of the impact was taken by her hind right leg. Despite the sound of air around her and even her own cries, the sound of the bone shattering still rang in her ears. It was so loud...Everyone in Relic Lore must've been able to hear it. But the sun rose in the sky and began to fall, and Borlla realized that no one had heard it. Pain seared through her for those hours, and every tremor that racked her body, every heartbeat, she hoped dearly that the pain would subside, or at least the horrible thumps, a struggle of blood through her veins. She could smell blood, perhaps from her bloody, perhaps broken, nose, or maybe she'd bitten her tongue.

In time, she fell asleep, only to awake the next morning still where she'd fallen and with a terrible pounding her head. As she stirred, the pain awoke as well, registering within her mind. With a whine, she pulled herself up to her three intact legs and began to struggle back down the path. Her elder brother was no longer on her mind, only getting home before something else got her instead. The scent of blood followed her, through the wound left in her tongue and the aftermath of a broken nose had since clotted. Scent was impaired, sight was weak from the pain in her muzzle and leg...But she would make it home.

The journey itself took two days longer than it should have. Every wrong shift caused the most terrific pain within her and the pale woman would have to stop. Though she could not sleep at night, she could not bring herself to rise in the mornings. A mixture of pure terror and determination filled her, begging her to give up and push forward at the same time. But eventually she made it. Almost. The familiar trickling of Cold Water Creek filled her ears and she flocked to the sound, her mind hinging upon a single peg. Magnolia Glen was part of this creek...She must've been home. Borlla didn't make it to the water's edge, but finally fell a few yards away, shock and exhaustion finally consuming her. <b style="color:#32527a">

injuries shattered back left leg, broken nose/muzzle, various minor cuts and bruises from the fall

(This post was last modified: Sep 23, 2013, 09:15 PM by Borlla.)

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

When Lyr was under the impression she was alone, she allowed herself to explore the creek bed. Soon she found herself standing ankle deep in the frigid waters, laughing at herself. Her state of mind alternated so quickly between shock from the cold to dizziness from her shock that a sort of dissociation had formed between the sensations and her thoughts. It was enough for her to be able to find amusement in her situation.

As the she wolf stood preoccupied in her own little bubble, the rest of her senses fell by the wayside. She almost didn't realize the smell of blood until she habituated to the mental madness going through her head and she needed to step deeper to get the same high. The iron smell seemed odd, like it didn't belong amongst the verdant clearing surrounding the banks of the creek, and slowly got stronger and stronger. Lyr ended her fun and trotted alongside the bank towards the smell, her game and pleasant mood quickly left behind.

When she saw the slumped body across the water, she paused in horror, almost certain the wolf was dead. Yet the sound of ragged breaths was audible above the sound of the creek and the pale shoulders were heaving with every gasp... It didn't take much thought as to whether Lyr would help her - it was just the two of them now, and there was no question the wolf needed her. Lyr steeled her mind and leapt into the frigid water. Even though she expected the cold, it took a moment for her body to catch up to her brain and her legs to start pumping against the riverbed. When she left the water the crisp in the early morning air actually felt warm in comparison. She was still shaking when she reached the wolf.

Heat came off of her body in waves and Lyr smelled the scent of dirty, broken flesh. She immediately turned back to the river. Gathering moss on the rocks on the bank, she dipped the bunch in the water before grabbing it delicately with her lips. It drizzled down her front as she approached slowly to get a peak at the wolf's face. Placing her moss ball by the female's stressed face, she motioned towards it. "Drink," she commanded, but her lack of confidence was evident. This went a bit beyond her current knowledge of healing scrapes and lesions. As she stood back to survey the damage she muttered to herself. Calmly as ever, she bent down and got right in the wolf's face. "Hello love, I'll be your guardian angel for today," she said sweetly. "Now I'd love to help you, so how about we strike a deal? You keep your eyes open and I'll do the rest. But first, you wouldn't happen to be a master healer, would you?"

Borlla had been noticeably absent for days. Usually, Lucero would come across the leadess near the den in the evening after patrol, or even during the afternoon when the children were at play and their mother was never too far. But she hadn't seen Borlla in nearly a week, and now her friend's scent was subtly beginning to fade from the Glen. Borlla's business was her own, and Luce didn't doubt that she was a busy woman, but she knew the queen well enough to know that she wouldn't normally be gone for so long. Come to think of it, she couldn't think of a reason that would draw her from the territory for more than a couple of days, tops. Everything Borlla needed was here. Wasn't it?

After discovering a trail leading from Magnolia Glen, days old at the time, judging from the way it was faded, the golden eyed girl had made it a point to double-up on border shifts and keep her wits about her. Worry was seeded in her gut, festering with each day that passed with no sign of the regal's return.

Today, she'd rounded the forest and meadows twice, and was returning to the creek for a cold drink when the scent she had so nervously been searching for finally blew in the wind. Immediately Lucero was on high alert. Something about it wasn't right, and she didn't want to accept the fact that the distinct stench of blood tainted Borlla's fragrance. With an unsettling tension stiff between her shoulders, the girl made quick work of tracing her way to the origin.

What she found sent her right over the edge of worry. Along the edge of the creek lay Borlla's seemingly lifeless body, and a stranger─an intruder and a danger─hovering over it, uttering words she couldn't hear and didn't care to. Her jaws clenched tightly as her triangle ears flattened against her crown. She didn't have to think. She didn't have to plan. She didn't even have to breathe. In an instant, Lucero closed in on the shewolf, head low, hackles raised, and tail arced high over her back. A savage growl thrummed deeply within the second's chest, the tone of her voice clearly commanding.

"Step back, wolf, or I'll rip your throat out." She would order this once, and only once. If the rogue gave any opposition to her will, Lucero would see to it that she begged for death before she was through with her.

(This post was last modified: Sep 23, 2013, 10:52 PM by Lucero.)

It had not been long since the pack meeting with her fellow Glen wolves. All had went smoothly, and with her spirit burning brighter than ever, Zia had set off to resume her rounds. In the very near future, was the prospect of an official task. Something she was looking forward to earning. There were of course, only two options best suited for her, one far more fitting than the other. In her previous mountain pack, she had served diligently as a guardian, always keeping the security of the pack and it's territory in mind. Today though, the silver Glen wolf was allowing herself a little bit of a break. Knowing that there were others to monitor the land for her, a taste for adventure had set in.

The cool air of early morning was invigorating, ripe with the crisp scent of autumn. Zia had always been an early riser, but it was rare that she got up this early. Even the sun had yet to peak over the horizon. A few hours of darkness was still left before daybreak. With excitement running through her veins, as she stepped out towards the creek, she found herself in the mood for an early morning run. It wasn't often that she could just let loose and have some relaxing free time to herself. Long legs stretched out, propelling her lanky body forward as she raced through the forest alongside the creek. Her breath came out in smoky tendrils in the crisp air, chest heaving with deep inhales and exhales. Slipping her eyes shut for just a moment, Zia tilted her head back, enjoying the sense of freedom while entrapped in the surreal silence.

Cobalt orbs reopened, focusing back on the shadow cloaked world before her. The once crisp air now carried a distinct scent. It was heavy with the perfume of Borlla, and more alarmingly, it was tainted with blood. Worry washed over her facial features as her body automatically sailed forward, closing in on the lead female's location. A dozen thoughts ran through her mind. What was it that brought her out here? Was she alone? Silver glinted and shone through the shadows, marking her distinct arrival. She breathed a sigh of relief to see Lucero on the scene, but that was all that was good about it. Sprawled on the dirt, was Borlla's battered and broken body. Blood stained the ground, marring perfect ivory fur. What was most infuriating was the sight of a lone wolf standing much too close to her fallen Leader's body. Like Lucero, Zia did not take kindly to this unknown female. Borlla was in desperate need of medical attention; strangers would not be tolerated. Charging forward with hackles raised and lips pulled back, she released a guttural snarl while slamming her shoulder into the fae to shove her away. "Stand down! You are treading on a thin line, wolf!" Normally she wasn't so hostile towards others, but as far as Borlla was concerned, her protective instinct was sent into overdrive. "Borlla, what happened?!" She asked, whirling around to graze her nose delicately over the bloodstained ivory fur. Sapphire eyes flicked towards Lucero. "I'm glad you found her. We need to get her back to the safety of the den immediately. Do you think we can manage carrying her?" She inquired, looking to her second for guidance. Zia never had gotten to know Lucero very well, but now they had to work together for Borlla's sake.

Once pilose and lovely, the Tainn woman was filthy, broken, bloody. A few smears of dust here and there were never something she cared too much about. Even when the badger caught her muzzle, freeing blood from her veins, she was tolerate. And perhaps now she cared even less. What was a bit of dirt when you felt dead? What was a speck of mud when you may never walk again? It wasn't much of anything at all. Somewhere in the reaches of her consciousness, she felt a glimmer of humor. It didn't connect with the physical realm, but she felt it somewhere in her mind. Dirt. She'd always been a little dirty in one way or another.

This way and that her mind wandered. It peeked into amusing corners, occasionally giving her dreams and nightmares. Occasionally she would rise back into reality, suddenly aware of where she was, only to succumb to the pain again. Borlla wasn't sure how long this pattern had been happening, but when she surfaced again, it was the last time. There was another soul before her, in her face. Fiery eyes met the light and a strange face speaking sweetly, offering help. There had been a word earlier, but Borlla was only partially aware of the damp moss and ignored it, far too weak to move, let alone drink. The presence of the creek so close by began to dawn on her, and she could feel how dry her mouth was. But she honed in on that, finding it much more tolerable than the pain that sent shooting signals up through her spine and between her eyes.

Her jaws parted slightly, a sliver of pink visible. She mustered a groan, far more guttural than anything from her mouth. The sound made her ears hurt, her chest hurt...How could something like that hurt? Her lips pulled back, yellowed teeth exposed not necessarily towards the stranger, but at her own discomfort. Another groan, lower this time, thudded within, her lips falling and pulling back, falling and pulling back. How had this stranger found her first and not her pack mates, her family? Maybe she hadn't gotten close enough to the stream. They would find her, this stranger could help her call them. <b style="color:#32527a">"The Glen." She breathed, the words loose, nearly unintelligible. Her tongue felt like putty in her mouth as she repeated the two words. And again, and again, until she was interrupted.

They'd found her.

Her eyes moved, though her body remained stationary. Lucero. Zia. They postured before the stranger, and Borlla groaned again, but let it give way to heaving breaths. They were doing what they thought was right. They hadn't been here to hear this woman offer help. The blue eyed Zia exclaimed a question to which Borlla could only exhale another word, <b style="color:#32527a">"Mountain." Her teeth clicked audibly as she clipped the word and visibly strained, attempting to get to her paws. They would not be carrying her. Her broken leg slid painfully across the grass as she tried to hoist herself up, nearly falling upon the stranger. Her foreleg shifted quickly as her body lurched to one side. Tipped oddly, she seemed to hover in place. She was on her paws, but could not seem to get them to propel her forward. Her eyes shifted again, falling on the stranger, and Borlla could only breath her a thank you, before pushing her shoulder forward in an effort to walk. <b style="color:#32527a">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

The she wolf didn't seem to hear or register the wet moss ball so Lyr considered pouring some water on her lips, but the groans coming from the she wolf sounded as though blood and spit were clogging her mouth already. Each groan was more heartbreaking than the last but she refused to let it get to her. Instead she went through a list of the herbs she had been taught ages ago, trying to think of solutions. The glen, she muttered, but Lyr didn't know what she meant. Was there a glen nearby she wanted to be in? Perhaps this glen would have horsetail for the silica her body needed... Lyr was just about to ask her what she meant by her words when suddenly they were interrupted.

"Step back, wolf, or I'll rip your throat out." A wolf with golden eyes was approaching fast and getting a bit too close for Lyr's liking. Her first thought was to defend the broken dam she had found and her hackles raised, but the smell of the new female matched the smell of the fur beneath the blood and rot. Why else would someone be so aggressive? These were pack wolves.

Immediately Lyr shrank back a step, her tail lowering. However her eyes maintained contact with those sickly honeyed hues. "Don't waste your energy on me," she said quietly. She was not the problem here, but the other wolf didn't know that yet.

But before she could explain then there was another, charging towards the group much faster than the first one had. She seemed livid, her mouth snapping angry things. Coming way too close, Lyr jumped back before a shoulder was thrown in her face. With wide mismatched eyes Lyr stared at the two of them and her stomach turned in nausea. She had only wanted to help - she had no idea what she had gotten herself into... Her mouth closed, her world began swirling, and she was prepared to flee... But when the wolf suggested moving the poor lass on the ground, a sharp "No!" escaped her lips before she could think about it. She approached the other side of the injured wolf with her head low and her tail tucked. "I-I-I mean..." She took a breath. "Look at her leg, she can't be moved. A-a-at least, not until she gains her energy back... The poor girl, she's exhausted... And her breathing sounds obstructed..." She mentally told herself to shut up.

This was intimidating but she knew it was right. What if the wolf, Borlla they had called her, had a neck or spinal injury? If she moved any more she'd likely go into shock... The heat radiated from her body and infection threatened each one of her wounds. She needed to be cleansed and hydrated. Lyr wouldn't fight too hard for Borlla, it was two against one... But perhaps if these pack wolves saw reason! Moving her would bring shock and possibly further injury! She held her breath, waiting for their responses and trying to stop her world from spinning out under her paws.

The lying wolf tried to stand and Lyr looked horrified but when Borlla bumped into her, she pushed her shoulder into her side to hold a bit of her weight. Their eyes met and Lyr gave her smile. "That's it, keep those eyes open," she murmured, well aware the other two would probably have her head for touching the hurt wolf. She turned her gaze to them as if waiting for them to decide whether they should move her or not. "Doesn't your pack have a healer?" She asked innocently. Someone needed to check that Borlla was first safe, and she doubted they were going to let her get any closer.

(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2013, 03:16 PM by Lyr.)

She held the graywashed stranger's wary gaze if only to punctuate her command before slipping to Borlla's side. Looking the leader over, it was nothing short of a miracle that she had been found alive. Whatever had happened to her, she was lucky to have lived through it, and the sight of her body covered and caked with debris and fresh and dried blood sent a shiver down the girl's spine. From the periphery approached Zia in a whirlwind of haste, the words spoken between she and the loner echoing hollowly in the back of Lucero's mind as she tallied the wounds that marred her friend's body.

At Zia's suggestion to carry Borlla, her brows furrowed. It wasn't possible, and even if it were, it would take nearly all of the pack to get her all the way home. The loner was quick to insert her input, and though her rationale was valid, she was stating the obvious and the arguing set Luce on edge.

When Borlla finally did stir, Luce dipped her head to nudge the queen beneath the nook of her forearm. "That's it, Borlla, get up─" The only way she was going to get back to Magnolia Glen would be by her own volition and by using the remainder of her strength. As long as she and Zia─or the three of them─could get her home, Lucero could tend to her wounds. "We can't carry her, Zia; she will have to walk. Take to her other side and keep her steady. We can reach the Glen by sundown."She'd had no formal training, but she was knowledgeable where medicinal herbs were concerned and knew where to find some of the ones Borlla needed. If ever there was a time to learn the craft, now was it, and she would do whatever it took to make sure the broken queen lived. Her ears flattened to her skull."There's no healer," she replied curtly to the stranger's inquiry, aware of the uncharacteristic irritation in her own tone. Perhaps in different circumstances she would have been more amiable. However, looking over the silvered she wolf, she knew that any help she was willing to offer was worth accepting. "Help us get her home. When we arrive, I expect you'll lend whatever skills you have to aid in her care."

It was plain to see that the rogue was only trying to help as it were. When Borlla was safe at home, Lucero would make things right between them; but until then, this was business, and she wasn't fooling around.

(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2013, 08:30 PM by Lucero.)

I'm really sorry, @Zia, but I wanted to get this thread out of the way. You can still post again!

As the three urged her on, Borlla struggled. She struggled to hold her broken leg off of the ground, but the effort was too great, and at this point, the pain had turned into an irritating mite in the back of her mind. A headache had began, taking the brunt of the pain and concentrating it within her cranium, across her eyes, down the back of her neck. So the leg dragged oddly over the earth, its owner hardly showing signs of pain. It felt as though she were walking through a loblolly. Each step was an effort, an effort not to fall and an effort to move forward, and effort not to fall down and die.

Mid-stride, she paused, eyes squeezing shut. No. That was a thought she couldn't have. She'd lived alone for months on the mountain, inklings of insanity, of terrible things had crept in then. Then she'd had nothing. And still she was here. The mountain would not steal her life away from her this time, not when she truly had things to live for now. Gritting her teeth, the woman moved forward again, depending upon the stability of her packmates, both physically and mentally. They'd all exchanged words in passing, words that Borlla hadn't bothered to hear. She could only hope that they would not drive the stranger away. She'd arrived first, cared first. Though she was certain either Lucero or Zia would have done the same. But coincidence had it a different way today.

Blind instinct drove her forward to home. Each breath was a stinging effort to her broken nose, but she knew where home was, even if she couldn't currently sniff it out. Determination pushed her forward a bit faster now, though she felt everything within her ache, everything begged at her to fail. Because failure would mean relief. Relief was for the weak. <b style="color:#32527a">

/borlla exit
(we can either continue this thread or Lucero/Zia/Lyr can sort out what's going down in a different thread? idk how attentive Borlla will be anyway. mostly just lying there. xD)

(This post was last modified: Oct 02, 2013, 11:55 AM by Borlla.)

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

When Borlla was supported, she began staggering towards what must have been their home. She looked exhausted and again Lyr worried about shock, but the will inside of her must have been strong for step by step, she slowly made ground. Lyr followed, silent, still nervous about her injuries but ultimately glad they were taking her.

The niggling feeling of responsibility she had felt for the she wolf fell away. Lyr was almost certain that she would be in good hands now and considered departing from them when the less aggressive wolf replied to her question. No pack healer? Dread filled her. The wolf would not survive the night without the proper herbs, and she knew the ones needed. Unfortunately, she must have spoken too much for the other she wolf seemed to know she would be helpful. "When we arrive, I expect you'll lend whatever skills you have to aid in her care."

Lyr's eyes grew big but she nodded nonetheless before realizing she hadn't really been given much of a choice. "I... will need herbs," she said unsteadily, then shut her mouth and walked behind them, her mind racing. Worries about how big the pack was plagued her. If these wolves had reacted so violently to her attempt at aiding Borlla, surely she was important? Or at least this pack was very tight knit... She prayed there would not be anyone to greet them. Her memories of what it had been like living in a pack were vague, but she remembered the lessons from her medicine wolf well. As a sick and weak pup she had been unable to hunt or fight. She had instead been taught to hunt illness in the body and fight death. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. What if the wolf died? What would the pack do to her?

She kept an eye on how Borlla walked and lended help when she needed the extra balance.


//exit Lyr.

OOC: Crappy post is crappy.

Zia's tension slowly faded, knowing that this stranger before them meant no harm. In fact, she seemed to want to help them out. While remaining skeptical, Zia wasn't about to chase her off. But she didn't know anything about the female, and so would only extend her trust so far. Hearing Borlla mention the mountain, she wondered what on earth was her reason for wanting to cross. Stepping back, she allowed the ivory Alphess her space. That is, until she stumbled, nearly collapsing on Lyr. Quickly, Zia darted in alongside Borlla, allowing her weight to rest upon her side and shoulders. She would allow Borlla to lean against her to prevent a fall, worried for her physical condition. Then the other female spoke up, voicing that it wasn't wise to move her. Staring at her evenly from her position at Borlla's other side, she spoke. "But she cannot stay here. We need her in the safety of the Glen, where she can be treated."


Sending a glance Lucero's way, she gave a nod in affirmation. The only way Borlla would get back home was by walking. At least only one leg was broken...that left her with three perfectly good limbs to walk on. Already situated by the queen's side, Zia was there, ready to offer her bodily support all the way home. The trek would be long and tiring, but well worth it. Even then, Zia didn't intend to rest. Not until she saw Borlla treated with her own eyes and Phineas and possibly the children alerted to the situation.


Throughout the trip, she stuck to Borlla's side, encouraging her to keep moving with either a gentle nudge to the back of her neck or a soft grunt. Her facial expression grew stony, rigid with determination, sapphire eyes fixed straight ahead or either on those of Lyr's visage. "Sadly, I do not know much about herbs. But I am sure Lucero can help you find what is available." Step by step, she moved, gently guiding Borlla in the direction of home. She wasn't about to rush, although time was of the essence. Carefully, she kept an eye on the amount of blood that seeped from her broken muzzle. Zia would only blame herself if Borlla's condition worsened. However she seemed stable for the moment, so she Lucero and Lyr could concentrate on getting her home for some much needed medical attention.

-Exit Zia-