Wolf RPG

Bazi sprinted after the little songbird, who had managed to gather good speed despite her disability. "Nightingale!" she shouted between open-mouthed pants. Behind them, the battle between Jace and Ferdie raged on, presumably with that meddling, insubordinate Sky on the sidelines. Bazi was furious at her. Did that bloody idiot even know Ferdie? Had she denned with him - cared for a pup with him?

"Wait," she shouted again at the blob of cream up ahead, pushing hard to increase her speed.

Nightingale gradually slowed as she neared her destination. It was a small, grassy outcropping that hung right over Swiftcurrent Creek, and opened to the sky. It was a happy place for Nightingale, but right now, she didn't feel so happy.

She heard Bazi's call, but she ignored it stubbornly until she had reached the outcropping. The pup was hurt, scared, and confused. Questions tumbled around her was like a wolf possessed, and the biggest one was giving her a stab of pain and guilt. Was it my fault?

The little songbird was terrified at the thought. But hadn't Ferdie's figure disintegrate while she was in his custody? Hadn't the been a happy-go-lucky wolf been happy before she left and had not returned for a few days? Hadn't he dwindled down into the beast she just saw upon returning?

She stood up on her outcropping before turning to look at Bazi, tears running down her face, her eyes almost demanding an explanation. Why? Why? Why?

Bazi's superior speed would have won out eventually, but Nightingale slowed on her own accord when she reached a portion of Creek shore that rose gently above the water. Red-rimmed, teary-eyes turned to stare at her, and the older girl felt a hard pinch in her chest.

"Don't cry, don't cry," Bazi soothed nervously, rushing forward to offer the pup the soft warmth of her own chest and shoulder. She ushered the small, creamy body into an embrace with the help of a foreleg, burying the tip of her nose in the bright, rust-coloured fur that sprouted from the back of Nightingale's neck. What else could she say? Ferdie is just fine? She didn't realize that Nightingale blamed herself for whatever afflicted their shared den-mate, and presumed that it was just the shock of seeing him so untamed that had brought on the waterworks.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, let Jace deal with it," she murmured, huffing warm air into the spot between the pup's shoulders.

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" she wailed, "If Ferdie hadn't been so busy trying to make me part of the pack... If I hadn't left the den before thanking him or saying goodbye, or even giving back some of the fish that he gave me, this never would've happened!" her wails grew louder, like a nightingale churring in pain. "It's all my fault!"

She sobbed some more, feeling comfort in Bazi's soothing gestures, but guilt relentlessly crashed into her like waves on a rock. She blubbered apologies over and over, soon becoming inaudible over her actual crying.

Your fault? Bazi frowned into the blubbering youth's fur, but said nothing for the time being. Apologies turned to babbling turned to outright wailing, and she suspected that her fur would be matte with tear-diluted snot when she pulled finally pulled away. By then, the frenzied crying had died down to more manageable, staggered sobs. Bazi studied her quietly for a moment.

"You won't believe me, but whatever's going on with Ferdie started before you came," she started to say when the weeping allowed. "He was going this way before you arrived. If anything, it's my fault - I didn't notice, or if I did, I didn't think it worth acting. He wasn't eating properly, he was becoming more and more withdrawn - I thought he might be sick, back there, when he launched himself at Sky. And he might be. Do you understand? Even if it's in his mind and not his body, it was happening before you came here."

Nightingale's cries lowered to sniffles as she thought quietly. After a few minutes, she voice her thoughts.

"No... It couldn't be your fault. You wouldn't have known what would happen. Nobody would. Nobody would have expected him to attack a pack mate.--"

She stopped abruptly. A chill began to cover her heart. Maybe she was just overreacting, but it still scared her. She looked up at Bazi, eyes wide.

"What'll happen now? What's gonna' happen to Ferdie when Fox finds out he attacked Jace and Sky?"

That seemed to pacify the pup. If it wasn't Bazi's fault, then it couldn't be Nightingale's fault either. Nobody had expected Ferdie to change from scruffy and out of sorts to monster in one afternoon - but it had happened. From where they stood, the battle was no longer audible. Given the state of him, Ferdie was unlikely to win, but the mind of a desperate wolf was capable of a lot more than the state of their body would suggest. Still, Jace was strong and already the veteran of several deadly battles. Deadly. Bazi turned to look in the direction they had come.

"I don't know," the Beta answered simply. He would either be killed, chased off, or rehabilitated - and she felt strangely numb to each option. Ultimately, whatever Fox chose would be for the good of the pack, and Bazi would accept her decision and move on without question. Even if it meant doing so without Ferdie.

"We will sit here for a moment - then I will find Jace, make sure he's alright, verify the facts.. and then we'll have to tell Fox." If Ferdie was dead, they would bury him and tend to their wounded. If not, things would get more complicated. Bazi turned to look at the wide-eyed girl. "I need you to hide out here for a while. Keep away from the den, in case Ferdie turns up there. He isn't safe to be around, and won't be staying with us any more. OK?"

A worried look filled her eyes. Nightingale looked up at Bazi again and whispered, "Ferdie needs another chance. I'm sure he was just caught up in the moment. He needs another chance... He gave me a chance... I need to give him a chance, too..."

She closed her eyes and prayed. Prayed to who knows what. She didn't have a religion, but right now, it didn't care...

"Please," she whispered, "Please give Ferdie another chance..."

Nightingale was more forgiving, and it only inspired Bazi to be more hard-line. Somehow, she managed to keep her tone level and moderately soft. "You were given a change because you worked hard. You didn't hurt anyone - what if he had seized you by the neck rather than Jace, or me? What if it happens again? Would you forgive him then? Would that be good for the pack?" At least Jace had take responsibility for his grumps; Ferdie had walled himself off to wallow and burden the pack with his sour moods and unsocial behaviour.

Nightingale thought about that. She tried to see it from Bazi's point of view, and she did. It was wrong for Ferdie to attack Jace. Super wrong. Wrong enough to get him killed.

She didn't like Bazi's point of view. She liked her point of view better.

"I don't know," the pup finally said, "Maybe."

Sweet, sweet girl, Bazi thought, looking between Nightingale's blind and functioning eye. Judging by the delay and her eventual response, she wasn't convinced of the Beta's point of view. Well, no matter - as long as she didn't actively side with Ferdie against Fox, the pup would be safe. Heaven help her if she stuck up for the offender in the alpha's presence, but Bazi didn't think the soft-spoken youth was that sort of wolf.

"I'm going to find them," she said, planting a wet kiss on Nightingale's cheek before turning back from whence they had come. Fox needed to know - now.

Nightingale watched Bazi go. With all her heart and soul, she hoped Ferdie would get off just being demoted. Anything but death or banishment... Anything...

But something in her heart knew that Ferdie would not get away so easily. She also knew Jace might get punished as well. Though Jace might've been defending himself, Nightingale knew Fox as a no-nonsense, strict wolf...

The little wolf turned back to the water and continued to cry silently, wishing that whatever loomed ahead would just wash away.