Emberwood Did you wonder where I've been all night

Date fuzzy, probably when Takiyok is asleep after this thread @Zephyr

He couldn't sleep.
He could never. Fucking. Sleep.
It was hard to say what exactly was causing this sudden increase of restless over restful hours in Taikon's life. None of this was anything particularly new. He even would say it was hardly the worst thing that had ever happened in either Takiyok's or his own life. They had both been through piles of shit separately. This was their first rodeo together, and only a few days in, they were doing okay apart from the inability to sleep.
Taikon had wandered away to hunt. Or something. Perhaps he just needed to move around in order to be able to rest. In any case, his pacing was going to wake his companion, and so he left her for a moment to gather himself and see if blood flow might help him in his distress.
Different types of animals were about at the late hour. He could hear an owl calling somewhere in the darkness. Taikon bent down to take a drink at the creek running nearby, but stopped when he heard a sound, looking up in alarm.

what are timelines lol

The unknown sound alarms the wraith, too. His own steps are featherlight, a ghost drifting through the forest, leaving him alert to the slightest noises in his environment. He's off his game somewhat, after his recent injuries; anyone would be. So his response is delayed, a belated pause and a glance around, once, then twice. The first time, he misses the pale figure alongside the creek just ahead — but the second time, he spots the stranger.
Which is exactly what he doesn't want right now. Wounded as he is, he can't handle another hostile encounter. So he aims to continue right past the stranger, determined to ignore the presence and continue on his way, even if the sight and smell of the blood dried into silver fur causes a disturbance. Unfortunately, he doesn't know enough to account for his warped perception, amplified by the darkness. Rather than walking past the stranger, he almost walks right into him, and he doesn't realize it until he's far too close to stop the train.

He noticed her immediately. First, it was worry that struck him sharply. There wasn't supposed to be anyone here. They had checked the perimeter. They had made sure no one would track them down, and yet there she was.
Even in the darkness, the woman had a dazed expression. Her silvery eyes glinted in the moonlight. She walked confused, staggered. She seemed as though to attempt to ignore him, but instead walked right toward him until she was nearly under him.
Taikon blinked, now more concerned than worried. Are you okay? He asked through the darkness.
She was beautiful. She reminded him of Cella. He felt himself grow weak and strange in a way he hadn't felt in some time. It was rare for such feelings in him. He shivered in reflex to this oddity, trying to stiffen himself.

The stranger takes it well — a man, he realizes slowly. A man with very gold eyes. He blinks and steps back, staring without registering the question, ears lifting, then lowering slowly against his crown as confusion overtakes him. Suddenly he isn't quite sure where he is, or where he's going. And the man had asked something, right?
It's hard to think when the world is so fuzzy and his eyes are so enchantingly gilded.
I... don't know, He answers finally, gaze dropping abruptly. His tone is colorless as always, but there's a certain vulnerability in his demeanor, one you really have to squint to see. Still, it's there.

The woman stepped back from him, meeting his gaze. Her eyes seemed confused, strange, away from the world as though in another place entirely. Taikon licked his lips nervously, shuffling for a moment on his paws to redistribute the weight so he might feel more comfortable. It didn't help. His tail was drooped, waving slowly, curiously behind him.
She answered, still unsure, and he frowned. Taikon swallowed, a wad of something running uncomfortably down his weak throat. Is.. can I help?, he asked. There was a strong, powerful, overwhelming temptation to move closer to her, to shelter her from whatever demons chased her. But he held fast, knowing his intimidating stature over hers. His eyes were kind, soft. She had not been expected.

That's unexpected, enough to drive some of the fog out of his mind. His vision clears by a fraction, and he blinks again, clearly surprised by the question. It's a rare display of emotion from the wraith, though this man can't know that. You... want to help? He doesn't wait for a response; he continues in an idle ramble, as if the explanation is all he has to offer. I found my mom dying. She died right in front of me. And then — I don't remember. I think I hit my head. I think someone attacked me. He shivers a little, remembering claws and teeth, a sharp threatening sound like the scrape of teeth against stone. He doesn't remember much else. His thoughts start to drift back on topic, fragmented. I don't think anyone has ever offered me help before. He looks up again, wanting to see the man's eyes again, as if to confirm he can really trust him. There is a small part of him urging it all on, playing up the vulnerability if only to receive a little more attention from this handsome stranger. For the most part, though, he feels as fucked up as he probably seems, and he knows he needs help. I can't think right. Will you stay with me?

It was as though she pushed the fog out of her mind and slightly into his. He hadn't been away from Takiyok for very long, but he knew that she might panic if she awoke to find him gone. They had both been on edge, and he knew he couldn't stay away from her.
But the woman relayed a story that made little sense. Her mother had died. She had been attacked. She'd hit her head. She was alone in the woods. Taikon listened, licking his lips again anxiously, slowly. This poor girl didn't know what the hell had happened to her.
She looked up at him again, and he blinked slowly. Taikon wasn't sure how to react to this lost woman. A thought ran through him then, thinking that no, this was too easy. Clearly, she had been trained to know his weakness, trained to know him. Someone had sent her to get him to "help" her, and she was the one that would lead Takiyok and he to their doom. He knew little of Mahler's ways or of his friends, and would not have put such a thing past him.
Taikon looked at her, and frowned. He knew that no one knew him this well, not even Takiyok. She was a real woman. She was really in trouble. S-stay? He faltered for a moment, unsure. He lifted a paw as though to step backward, shifting his gaze away. I-I can't, I mean, I..
Get your shit together. That old voice. She needs him. Takiyok needs him. He can't just.. bring a stranger back with him. That wouldn't make shit all sense to Takiyok.
Fuck sense. What was he supposed to do. Leave her there? I can't stay here, but maybe.. you should come with me? Where it's safe... He said it slowly, barely believing himself. One doll-eyed damsel looks him in the eye and he offers her classified information? He felt stupid, silly. But he couldn't leave her there alone by herself — anything could happen to her.

At first, it seems rejection is imminent, and his ears fall against his crown as the other stammers. But then — an invitation. The most welcome thing he's heard in days. He nods quickly, stepping forward without thinking. The abruptness of the movement throws his balance off, and he stumbles forward, face first into the man's chest with a rather undignified squeak. Even the soft pressure of fur against his head hurts, along with the way the movement stretches and tears at the claw marks across his chest. He can feel himself bleeding more, maybe even getting a little blood on the other male's pretty pale fur as he pulls himself away. Sorry, He mumbles, backing up, crouching a little now to avoid pitching forward again, or any other direction. His legs feel weird now, all limp and uncooperative, like jelly beneath him. It makes it even harder to stay on his feet when the pain in his head suddenly intensifies and the world starts to spin.

She stepped forward. Her face, for a moment, brief, beautiful, he felt it against him. The suddenness of her fall made him bend a bit, putting his head to the side of hers in an attempt to prop her up, to catch her. She squeaked, and he gasped, terrified that he might have hurt her.
Taikon watched her carefully as she backed up. It was more clear than ever now that she was no spy. She was not here to gain information or to harm them. She needed his help, and fast, and badly. Anything could be out there hunting her. She said her mother had died — perhaps someone had killed her.
When she apologized, Taikon didn't say anything, he just shook his head. He stepped slowly forward, his footsteps creeping, soft. The touch from her still had his heart beating fast and harsh in his chest. He could see she was unsteady, and so he very tenderly stood beside her, leaning slightly against her so she could feel what forward felt like. He stepped forward a pace, hoping to ease her with him. Just, one foot after another. We'll go slow. It will be okay, he said, saying it partially, maybe even completely to himself.

The man must be an angel, heaven-sent salvation that Zephyr surely doesn't deserve. But he wants it. Desperately. He feels the other against his side, solid and reassuring, and leans into the touch with a sigh. It makes it easier to move forward, to focus on the man's words. Even his breathing feels a little less strained now. Thank you, He murmurs into the silence that follows, struggling against the brief snippets of memory that press at the edges of his thoughts. The mountain lion... he shudders, and shoves the thought away. He's doing it again — another lucid moment, another horrible dip back into reality. He doesn't want it. He wants the fog back.

@Takiyok

He looked down briefly at her. She was thankful. Awkward. Gorgeous. Once more, he felt a weakness rise in him. He looked down and saw blood, red, fresh, on his chest. She had it crusted upon her forehead, and more on her body. Her chest had gnarled claw strikes on her, raw, harsh. Taikon smiled small, thin. He walked on.

Taikon had been thinking heavily, hard. The walk had been longer than it should have because the stranger couldn't walk straight on her own. He supported her the whole way through, leaning against her to correct her with the weight of his body. He didn't know her name. He didn't know where she was from. To be truthful, he didn't trust her in the true sense of the word, but none of that shit mattered.
What did matter was what he had been thinking about the entire, largely silent time he had helped the woman to the secured area they held. Takiyok was not going to be impressed.
The first thing he did was put himself in Takiyok's position. He tried to imagine being asleep, and then waking up to her bringing back an apparently wounded stranger. He had to rethink it, because he knew that he would help someone who appeared truly injured. The woman certainly had evidence of injuries both in the form of claw marks and the trauma to her head. But would it be enough for Takiyok? Apart from that, she was...
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Wonderful.
Taikon sneered at himself, then sighed. Slowly, they came upon where he had left @Takiyok. He could feel the heat already rising in his ears, as though preparing for a fight. He licked his lips, shaking a bit to the probable detriment of his new companion. He knew she wouldn't be pleased. He wouldn't have been pleased. This woman was a complication. A problem. A slowdown.
But she needed them.

The fog creeps back to consume him, blissfully, and he spends the journey dipping in and out of the haze, occasionally nuzzling his cheek against the man's shoulder as if to reassure himself that it's real. It is real, he tells himself fiercely — and quite suddenly realizes they've stopped. He struggles to refocus, realizing there's a pale woman — one he'd seen all along, but hadn't truly registered. Then she speaks, startling him, and he presses more tightly against his savior. He knows he should say something.
I can repay you — both of you, He manages to string together something like a coherent sentence, and it gives him the boost of confidence he needs to continue. This time, rather than drifting out of the fog, it feels like dragging himself out step by agonizing step. When I get home — west. Over the mountains. Thinking hurts, so he stops, and decides he's said all he can say. He doesn't have anything else to offer, and he can't promise he isn't a liability, or dangerous. He is both of those things. If they ask, he'll lie — but he won't serve them up unbidden lies on a silver platter. He'd rather take his chances at surviving on his own.

As expected, Takiyok was not impressed. Her tail waved for a moment, but quickly, she transformed into a cold, icy, mean animal. She was an animal built for survival, and he knew it. He knew that she had been depending on whatever little stability they had left to get through things. But that was not how the world worked, and she of all people should have known that. Her face showed no kindness. No understanding. She looked at Taikon as though he had dropped a bomb on them.
The girl spoke. Her voice was broken, offering repayment. She spoke of the west, where they were heading. Taikon wanted to ask where she was from, but he stopped. The girl pressed into him, and he looked at Takiyok, wearing an anxious, sad, worried frown. He shook his head softly, so as not to topple the woman he supported.
Look at her, he said, rather sharply, at Takiyok. His charge had blood on her head and the nasty scratches on her chest. She was a mess. She couldn't even walk properly on her own. She's a disaster. Her home is the same way we're going. His words were matter-of-fact. He was not asking. Helping her made sense. He looked at Taki, thinking back to when she was ill, when she was on her own, with nobody. Taikon said nothing. Taki was a free woman. If she was in a hurry, she could go on by herself, much as it would pain him.

Zephyr requested skip

Taikon had hoped Takiyok might offer an opinion. He didn't know if the right course of action was for them to take the injured woman over the mountain with them. Perhaps they should find somewhere to take care of her, maybe Seelie Court. Injured and unlucky wolves seemed to be a bit of a specialty for them.
Takiyok, though, had no interest in this type of dialogue. Her stare remained cold. Mean. Survivalist.
He didn't blame her. He couldn't even be angry with her. Though she tried to pick a fight, standing and declaring she would spend the night on the perimeter, he just frowned. He wanted her with them. She was strong. They were better together. He knew it. She knew it.
It had never been up for discussion whether or not Taikon would be helping this woman. He knew that Takiyok would see him as weak. She would think he would just say yes to any injured animal that came their way. Maybe that was even partially true.
He was not willing to abandon an injured woman to oblivion. If Takiyok had a problem with that, then she would just need to deal with it. He watched her stomp away. He huffed. FINE. He said, loudly, angrily. She breathed out harshly. Tears were welling. He walked forward a few, slow paces, careful to let his charge move at her own pace. Then he sat. He lay down. Taki was gone. The tears welled over as he spoke. You'll be safe here, tonight, he said to the mystery woman, looking away. He tucked his tail in front of his face, and, eventually, he slept.