Redhawk Caldera There's no reason to get hurt

@Maia , others are welcome too.

To say that Wraen looked awful, when she arrived at the borders of caldera, was an underestimation. She had made the journey with few stops along the way, she was very hungry, having not eaten anything, since - well - she did not remember, and there was utter exhaustion written across her features. On top of that she was experiencing the first symptoms akin to influenza - stuffed nose, a sandpaper-like feeling in her throat and body-temperature rising. The latter in itself was not a bad thing - she was immune to the cold outside, but then it made her mind a bit foggy, gave her a swimming feeling and she found it a little difficult to focus. 

But here she was, relieved that she had made it and excited (as much as her sorry state allowed her to feel joy) to see Maia again. Rather than barging over the borders as if she still lived here, Wraen sat down, took a moment to ready herself, then tipped her muzzle back and howled for her sister. Or anyone for that matter to come greet her and let her in.

As soon as Maia heard her sister howl she was on her feet and running.  It didn't matter how nice these past few days had been with Eljay, or how much she'd dreaded the decision she knew had already been made a few times over... she would never dread seeing Wraen, not after this much time.  Days had felt like months.

Her run was still a little awkward, and when she spotted her waiting, it turned from a stilted jog to an even more stilted gallop.  WRAEENNN  she cried out as she closed in, then immediately pressed her face to her sister's side, tail swaying wildly with joyous enthusiasm.  She was too caught up to immediately notice Wraen's sorry state and too elated to see that she was here, whole and fine and in one piece.

WC: 136

Maia's enthusiasm was a little too much for Wraen to take - what was meant as a gentle gesture, felt like a blow. She toppled over and scrambled to her paws a moment later. "Careful," she told her in a weary voice, though she managed to wag her tail few times just to tell that everything was okay. 

"You seem to be doing well - from what I thought I heard was that you had been torn to pieces," she tried to joke, but the smile waned away, when she felt tiredness weigh heavy on her again. "I am glad that it was not true," she added.

Maia immediately froze when her motion caused Wraen to fall over, and for the first time, she took a good look at her.  No, Eljay says I'm healing fine.  Are you okay?  She asked, more subdued, and gently touching her nose to her shoulder.  She felt warm, and tired in a really not great way.  She'd been feeling fine for a while before Maia left, but had she pushed herself too much on this trip?  While she was here, enjoying herself?

Immediately Maia felt a yawning sense of guilt.  She'd missed Wraen, and intended to return as soon as she was sure it was safe for her to travel and her wounds had healed enough to be guaranteed infection-free, but she hadn't really considered what Phox's message might mean to her sister.

WC: 132

"A little under the weather. Tired too, but that's not a big deal," Wraen shrugged it off, though it was very obvious that she was not telling the whole truth. Nor did she wish to linger on her own sorry state, because this was Maia's party and she did not wish to spoil it.

"Arcturus might join us in a while," she told, "he had some business to take care of." A half-lie, but then "having time to think" was just as a good activity as any other. Perhaps, he even made some new friends along the way. 

"And I kind of forgot to inform Penn about my departure, though he was nowhere to be found at that point too," she explained. "How are you healing - all is going well?" she pushed the conversation back on Maia's side of the field.

Wraen's brushing it off didnt allay Maia's worries at all, and her concern was still very visible as she continued on and changed the subject.  Her sister had a habit of brushing things off, but she looked bad.  Well, you're resting before we go back, then.  You should maybe have Eljay give you something too.  She said, refusing to drop it at that entirely.  She was going to be stubborn on that point.  She had no interest in watching Wraen go through another difficult spell because she was too proud to properly take care of herself.

I'm healing fine, though.  She craned her neck to look back at the wounds the loner had left on her.  She grimaced.  I really hope they don't scar.  I know they're cool and all, but I'm not really into it.  She wasn't fussy about a lot of things but imagining her fur broken to tatters by a bunch of scars made her want to shudder.  None of the bites have gone bad, so I should be good pretty soon.  

Good to leave, right.  Though, with Wraen not feeling well... maybe it'd be best if they stuck around here a few days?

WC: 197

"I do not think that there is much back to go to," Wraen shrugged, because they had not had any set plans to get somewhere in the beginning. Well, consider it a little more - she was very intent to get as far away from Moonspear and any allies of theirs as possible. Or have some sort of safety network. 'cause she did not mind dying so much by natural causes or by accident, but someone having her life at their mercy - she loathed it absolutely. "We can only go forward," she added with a small smile, not wishing to share the details of what was plaguing her mind with Maia.

Yet. Or if at all. She would see. 

"Eljay's taking care of you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, curious. But that kind of reunion should not have come as a surprise to her. If Maia had been found in caldera, then there was only one healer around. "How's the man doing now - Phox told me that he had agreed to move back to his old packlands, so I assume that there must have been a big change in him from last I saw him," she said, sitting down, because it was easier that way.

Maia wanted to ask Wraen to elaborate a bit on that, because the way she said 'not much to go back to' implied that something had perhaps happened.  If she'd just meant that Arcturus and Penn were probably following, wouldn't she have just said that everything was coming to them instead?

Insead, Wraen brought up Eljay, and Maia nodded, ducking a little self-consciously.  She couldn't help but smile, although as much as Maia wanted to share everything, she knew it came with some complications.  He's doing really well, actually.  He seems really happy here.  And.... we had a talk.  He told me he liked me, which is pretty crazy, and I finally told him about it too.

Maia watched for a reaction from Wraen, wondering if she'd be happy about it.  She assumed so, usually Wraen was happy when she was, but after their talk Maia wasn't sure what opinion her big sister had of Eljay.  Did she approve?  I know he doesn't want to leave, and I don't want to stay here and stop traveling with you.  So I don't know what it's going to look like.  But I was thinking... maybe, if we didn't have to go too far?  Her voice pitched up a little hopefully.  She was self-conscious asking for it because it felt like a lot, but she had to try.  Then, maybe, I could... do both.  Stay with you, but still see him more?

She stopped then to let Wraen respond, and she could feel her heart beating a little faster nervously.  Wraen's opinion meant more to her than Towhee's, than Phox's had, even probably more than Eljay's.

WC: 273

"Uh..." Wraen listened to all the news Maia was lavishly sharing and simply felt too overwhelmed. Yet another important thing to process and think about and she simply did not have the capacity to do it right now. Her mind that had already worked like a steam engine, now let out the last mournful whistle and stopped. 

"Ah... well, it's lot to take in and... I am happy for you, but I really need to rest," she told her. "I am in no state currently to address important matters for the fear that either I will sleep through them or... I will have forgotten about them in the morning. Sorry, sis," she apologized. Then raised to her feet and stretched. "Would the den you are occupying now could house two people?" she asked. 

We can wrap this up and start a new one. Or we can add a time-lapse here and say the action takes place the next morning. Whichever you choose. :)

Maia nodded immediately when Wraen deferred to say she needed rest.  Umm, yeah! Come on.  She figured that the den was big enough and Eljay wouldn't mind, and whatever issue Towhee or Phox took she could hopefully smooth over.  She didn't like the look of Wraen still, and getting her a place to rest was more important right now than being polite.

She hid it, but a small part of her did feel a bit nervous about the reaction. She couldn't help it.  It was reasonable that Wraen was tired, didn't want to respond, but while it hadn't been a bad one, there'd been no immediate support either.  

That was alright, she could afford to be nervous another day or two, until Wraen felt up to talking about it.

im good with a new one!
WC: 129