Ever since the girl's ill fated dunk in the river, she had not moved from the den, becoming increasingly lethargic and uncomfortable. Morning had long since gone, and yet she did not stray from where she lay, hardly aware of any who may keep her company as her temperature steadily rose, she sleeping fitfully in a tangle of limbs as she sought to be comfortable, dreaming of the fierce cold as if it were a great monster coming to ensnare her, and of water rising quickly and enveloping her small body, of a great weight in her chest. She hardly slept for long, however, before waking with a cry and attempting to sleep once again.
Belle could hear the girl's cries from where she stood, not too far from the river. She approached her and sniffed at the child's body, a limp, fevered ball. Her den was too far from the Alpha den to make a run to her cache (by the time she made it back, who knows if the kid would still be breathing?) so in a moment of irrational and disordered thinking, Belle lifted Keoni by her moist scruff.
The run to her den was quick. As soon as she dropped the infant onto the ground her nose was sniffing around for borage leaves hidden in the depths of her cache. She'd made sure to stock up with Amber being a new mother, so it wasn't long before she found a bundle. Then, as quickly as she could, she nudged the leaves into Keoni's mouth.
Then her fevered state was disturbed, and she cried all the harder, thoughts of the cold, the fear and absolute panic still fresh in her mind and this, coupled with her illness, quick to bring the girl to sobbing tears. then she was on the ground again, this brought her momentarily relief and her sobs faded as she shifted in her new spot, though not long after she found peace again were some sort of plants suddenly within her maw, instinct dictate that she swallow them, and this she did. quickly, to quickly, and one caught in her throat as she gagged, eyes squeezed shut and body spasmed as she sought to expel it from her throat as she had the water, and at the thought over water came fear. she cried out again as panic ensnared her, making the minor situation all the worst as she gagged, knowing not that the icky herbs would do her good.
Steady had been watching over Keoni, worried that she didn't seem as playful as before her dip in the icy waters of the river. But, he still had to divide his time between his daughter and securing the borders. While the majority of his time was spent with Keoni, his patrols this time around had been longer than he expected.
When he returned, it was to the backside of Mirabelle running out of the clearing his den was in. He thought it odd, but maybe she had heard him coming and thought she'd be in trouble. He approached the den, sticking his head inside and expected to see Keoni. But, the only thing that greeted him was Mirabelle's scent mingled with his daughter's.
With a growl, Steady backed out of the den, and made a brisk pace to Mirabelle's den. Normally, he would have been respectful of her den, of her privacy, but not if she had taken his daughter. Steady wasn't in the most logical of minds, his worry of Keoni taking over the part of his brain that might have made him consider Mirabelle was helping Keoni, not harming her. But. That part didn't kick in.
He dove into Mirabelle's den, and at the sight of his daughter gagging, and her body shaking, he turned on Mirabelle, thinking she had made Keoni sick. He growled, and attacked. The smallness of the den didn't exactly help, as he was a big wolf, but he snapped at her, hoping to grab onto flesh. Any and all logic was replaced with fear; fear of losing another pup. He wouldn't let it happen. Couldn't let it happen.
Steady!
Belle screamed as the large male bit into her shoulder. She could feel blood dripping down her fur and yet she did not fight back. A growl escaped her maw, but it was followed with a submissive turn and a loud whimper. Stop, please!
Did he not want Keoni to live? Did he care so little for the girl as to try and kill the only wolf able to help her?
A lone eye drifted to where Keoni lay, seeing the child reject the herbs. Fuck, Steady, stop!
Chaska had been wandering, thinking about that wolf he had met. What was her name? He had forgotten. And she hadn't told him much, and he was somewhat eager to know more. So he had set out. On that walk, he heard someone scream a name. His head shot up. It was Steady's name. Something bad was happening. He raced to where it had come from, and found himself looking upon a situation of urgency. The wolf he had met, being attaacked by Steady. He had no idea what was going on, but he had to stop it.
"Steady! Stop this, now!" Chaska shouted, standing tall but keeping his tail low, knowing he was not the one of highest authority. He had to know what was going on before he would intervene anymore. He would not let others get hurt, and he would have understood more if he saw the pup.
Her eyes flew open as finally she ejected the final bundle of herbs, energized by this sudden action, her gaze fell once to the small, mushed bundle, roughly half of what the woman had given to here. the rest had slid down her gullet, but now her gaze trailed to the lunging Steady, wide eyed with horror.
"Staddy! No!"
she cried, though her voice was hoarse and barely heard, and not in defense of Mirabelle but instead to oppose the great violence her innocent gaze now fell upon, as she shuffled backward as far as she could, before cowering at the den wall in wide eyed horror and extreme uncomfortableness.
His teeth sunk into flesh, and he heard her opposition to what was happening, but it wasn't until Chaska's voice reached him that he retreated a bare few inches. Blood dripped from his canines as he turned to his long-time friend. Steady fully believed that once Chaska knew what was going on, he would back the Alpha up. She took Keoni! By the time I got here, Keoni was shaking and gagging!
He turned to look at his daughter as she called to him. Mirabelle and Chaska both were forgotten, and he took a few steps towards Keoni, his expression concerned. Keoni, are you okay? he asked softly. She wasn't shaking anymore, and he glanced to contents on the ground. Maybe she hadn't gotten much of the stuff.
Belle's mind raced with memories of her childhood, Steady's attack having brought back more than a few painful ones. Luckily, Chaska stepped in to lure the Alpha away, as had the previously silent Keoni. Once Belle had a moment to recoup, she listened to Steady's reasoning with wary ears. What?
she asked, her voice low and shaking. She still cowered in the corner of her den, partly because the space had become quite crowded, but also because she was too shaken to move. Though she was now on her feet, a small puddle of urine lie at her paws.
Did Steady really think that she was capable of poisoning someone, and a child at that? Was she truly so cold as to give off an aura of ruthless violence. I didn't...
, she choked, sobs caught in her throat no matter how hard she tried to fight them, She was sick, in your den, so I brought her here. I was scared to leave her to come back to my cache; it looked like she was dying, Steady.
Chaska's head went left to right, not sure who to believe. He had both sides of the story. And even in the short time he knew her, this new wolf who he had forgotten the name of had done nothing wrong. But he didn't know, he wasn't he. Steady was alpha. But what if Keoni was indeed showing signs of being sick? What if the other wolf really did want to help.
Steady went to check on Keoni. So with no one going to her side, Chaska went to the other wolf. He looked her over, checking for signs of critical injury. "Steady, maybe Keoni is sick. She might have just been trying to help." Although he did understand the immediate fright Steady must have felt.
Valette had been around watching over Keoni just as much as Steady had. Often they would take turns in who would watch over her, but this afternoon Valette had to go hunting. When she returned he caught a bit of the commotion and went to check it out, unsure what to expect.
The dark colored female watched how Steady looked really mad, confusing her even more. Then she saw Chaska and Mirabelle, but she was bleeding. She smelled Keoni too. The woman was so confused but instantly stepped to Steady's side. Her hazel eyes fell on the sobbing female and how she choked out an explanation.
Valette looked at Steady and then to Chaska that spoke of Mirabelle probably wanting to help. The beta disliked the idea that the female went into the alpha then, their den, and took Keoni from it. They had enough traumas with taken kids. Or did she think they couldn't take care of a sickly pup? She found it very disrespectful to take a pup away from the alpha den. She didn't want to sound accusing so Valette decided to focus on Keoni. With one peek she realized the young female was in the den.
Valette stepped inside, it smelled of urine and blood in here. "Keoni," she spoke softly, seeing the cowering pup. She instantly settled by the pup. "I'm here. Lette is here," she whispered and tried to comfort the kid, sitting down close so she could snuggle against her instead.
Her heart was a fluttering bird within her chest, her illness and great stress bring a feeling of chaos to the girl. Steady approached her, and she hardly had the will nor the attention to listen as the others spoke, only smelling blood and urine and seeing before her her Staddy with wolf blood dripping coating his muzzle. her face was the epitome of fear, with a dry sob she screamed a single "NO!"
then Valette was there, and she immidiatley stopped trying to press herself into the wall and ran to her, cowering beneath her and trying to ignore her emotions and the thick scent of all that was bad, feverish and stressed beyond measure, she was beyond any thought, except that she would be safe with Valette to protect her.
Steady's brain registered Keoni's fear, and it wasn't from Mirabelle. It was from him. She ran to cower under Valette, and the Alpha's gaze followed her. From behind him, he could hear Chaska, and then Mirabelle, but he didn't register their words. His mind was racing with the fact that he had done it again.
His breathing froze as his expression fell. He didn't really realize how he looked, with blood dripping from his mouth, but he did know that look. He couldn't believe he had put that look on yet another pup's face. It was then that it began to settle in. Steady no longer believe he was cut out to be a father. They had done nothing to deserve a wolf like him as a parent.
With the revelation, he turned and moved quickly out of the den. Once he was clear of it, he ran. Ran as fast as he could away from Keoni. He would go until he reached the borders, which would be the only thing stopping him from leaving for good.
Chaska's argument was heard, which Belle appreciated, for the male was under no obligation to come to her defense and yet he had, even now that she cowered pathetically in her own blood and waste. Keoni's cries were also heard loud and clear, as were Steady's heavy paws running away from the scene. Belle had become a shell of rhe confident woman she'd once taken pride in being. She was a child again, helpless and wrong in everything she did. And the worst part of it all was that there was nothing she could do to make it right.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!
She is a child, hidden behind the carcass of a towering oak. Her mother growls at her from the other side, hackles raised and teeth bared dominantly. There was an accident again yet her mother is reluctant to believe that it was an accident at all. It was at the leadership meaning of the Trinity, and once again, Belle spoke. She didn't say much, but it was enough. I want you gone. You may return for the sun's rise to collect yourself, but you are not to return afterwards. I will arrange am escort to your father's packlands.
It isn't the first time that her mother has dealt such a threat, but it is the first time Belle believes her. She knows that this is her fault, thus she does not argue. She simply stands in awe and fear of her mother's prowess. It is what she wants; it is what she will have.
With Valette being the last formal superior left in the confines of her den, Belle turned to her and spoke though her voice shook with furious defiance, I...I know that you feel slighted and angry, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I know that this is my fault and I'm sorry for the disrespect, but you accepted me into this pack as a medic. Therefore, I won't apologize for doing what I had to do to save that child's life.
Chaska's attention snapped to the screaming pup. He had never seen anyone so afraid of Steady. All of this, it gave a new view of him. He didn't know what to think. And apparently, neither did Steady. The alpha ran off before Chaska could do a thing. He was out of sight before the grey male uttered a word.
His attention went back to the female. He remembered her name now. Mirabelle. "Are you all right, Belle? I've never seen him act like this." He shot Valette a worried look, no idea what to think. He wanted to help both sides here, but he wasn't sure whether or not he could. He remained silent as Belle spoke to Valette. Could he trust her words? He hadn't been here before. And yet, he saw no reason to distrust her except that Steady had attacked her. There were too many things he did not know.
Valette instantly embraced the girl, let her snuggle close against her for comfort. It felt good to know that Keoni ran straight towards her. She spoke to her softly and gave her little licks of comfort on top of her head. Valette's mother mode was triggered, heavily so. She held the young girl close. Only lifting her head when Mirabelle started speaking and explaining the situation. Or justifying her actions. She was rather put off with the female that she wouldn't want to apologize.
Then Chaska gave her a worried glance and spoke of the fact that he hadn't seen Steady in this way. To Valette it felt a little disrespectful from the male to talk about Steady that way, like he had been some savage beast. She wanted to tell him to shut up. Yet, Valette, ever as diplomatic knew when to hold her tongue. She was not going to argue with Chaska in this moment. She had a faint idea what happened and the ultra loyal female would stand by her alpha no matter what.
"It was disrespectful of you to enter the den and take the pup. However, if you thought she was in moral danger at least let us as her parents know that you took her. A simple emergency howl would be sufficient next time before you relocate her," she spoke on a calm tone, slightly scolding though, because she disliked the fact that the female did not want to say sorry. She had a feeling why Steady was triggered.
"Before you two judge the alpha that lives to protect you, remember this. He watched his brother die, the founder of this pack. A famine hit soon after which resulted in a lot of death. His brother's mate, their newborn young and his one year old niece June died from the lack of food, starved. Adeline was the only survivor, after all I heard there were four and she is the only one that is alive today. He lost everyone he was close with. He had to become a father for his brother's young, watch them die because of the lack of food. Now he has become a father again for someone else's young because that person was murdered on our borders. However you thought it was smart to just take her from his den, a private place, within less of a month membership. I am not going to allow you to judge his behavior right now, yet I am also not saying what he did was the right thing to do. I told you this to create an understanding that his behavior was not meant to be malicious."
Valette had been rather passionate about defending her alpha. Her loyalty for Steady had always been strong from the beginning. "Hopefully you two can forgive him but also think about your own actions of today and if they might have been the right choice. If there is still any tension or you are unsure about something you can come to me about it. I do hope this matter can be resolved and we can continue being a family. Hopefully, one that trusts each other."
Pressing into Valette's fur, still feverish and fearful and deeply confused, she caught only a few words and phrases from the speech her guardian gave. Famine. Niece. Murdered. But these words hardly were of importance to her, and were intently ignored as she girl pressed further into Valette, simply wanting to sleep and leave this all behind, though after a few beats in the prescence of her mentor she relaxed, and almost fell asleep merely leaning against her.