Redhawk Caldera I'll just mix 'em in my drink

takes place directly after her little scuffle

In a blind panic, Maia ran.

He was going to kill her.  The adrenaline that this conviction lent her was the only thing that kept her running despite the heavy wounds that bled freely.  These were no spar marks... he'd meant to take pieces to keep and he'd succeeded.

Her breath burned in her lungs as she charged up the slope of the caldera.  Despite the burning in her legs she couldn't stop because she knew the instant she did he would be upon her again and it would be over.  She couldn't survive another clash with that monster.  She sobbed and stumbled, but didn't break her sprint.

There was no thought in her mind but one: escape.

Then, abruptly, Maia's feet hit nothing but air.  What she'd thought was a hill was not, and in the darkness, she'd failed to see the lip that gave the caldera its name.  With a heart-stopping lurch Maia fell, then landed heavily and rolled to a motionless stop in the darkness beneath the cliffs.

WC: 171

Eljay was just enjoying the view and feel of his old new home when he saw something -- someone? -- in the distance. He frowned as he tried to make out the person's shape but couldn't see much. It was too far away. They were running really fast, and Eljay followed them with his gaze until a sudden fall. At the fall he tensed, not sure what was going on.

Honestly, he was a little scared to check it out. He didn't really want to, and it looked dark and he didn't even know if it was a friendly person or something. On the other hand, he couldn't just leave them out there! He hesitated for some time -- a 5 minutes that felt like hours -- and then he came into motion and started heading out that way. H-hello? Eljay called out uncertainly as he came closer, hoping to get a confirmation this was someone friendly before coming too close.

There was no movement forthcoming.  Either the shock, the fall, or the two combined had overwhelmed her and she'd gone out like a shattered light.  She'd come to rest a short distance from the stony wall in a crumpled heap.

It was perhaps a blessing in disguise that she'd lost consciousness.  Her head had taken some impact, which wasn't ideal, but without sense she hadn't been able to panic and attempt to lock her limbs on impact.  They'd managed to survive the fall intact.

A dark stranger, golden eyes.  He was tearing at her... eating her?  It hurt, it hurt so bad...

Her heart pulsed sluggishly with her breath, but those were the only to signs that the darkened form was still alive.

WC: 123

Huh.. hello? His voice croaked again as he looked out over the darkness. He had a global idea of where he'd seen the wolf stumble and fall. He took a single step forward as nothing but the wind answered him, blowing in his face and howling through the Caldera. A shudder ran down his spine and Eljay hesitated whether he should head back into the territory. He didn't really want to risk being attacked by anyone, and while Redhawk Caldera was his home turf, it would take some time before it would truly be home and safe again. Maybe he should call for someone else, but what if there was nothing there and he'd call someone for nothing? And what if.. what if the wolf in question was hurt? The caretaker part of him worried, though he still thought it might be some sort of elaborate trap.

Eljay stood and chewed his lip for some time before he slowly started to descend the Caldera. He chuffed a few times as he neared, hoping that he would get a response this time, but unfortunately there wasn't any. It wasn't until he got way closer that the wind was in his favour, turning slightly to wave a scent to his nostrils. Maia? Eljay said out loud and he blinked in surprise as he stood still, halting in his tracks. He glanced at the darkness, still unable to see where she was precisely, and then he started moving again. This time he no longer moved shuffling like a scared person holding a lantern out into pure unfathomable evil darkness, but with a lengthy trot towards the darkness. He followed his nose rather than his eyesight now, until finally she came into view.

Maia! he cried out, his fear completely forgotten now, and with a worried frown Eljay pressed his head against her chest to hear if she had a heartbeat and breathing. Eljay didn't realise that he was holding his own breath meanwhile.

Fight.  But it hurts so bad.. Fight.  But I'm scared.

Even in her mind, Maia was helpless.  The pain was distant now and the scene shifted, melding with another. He held her down, muzzle pressed to the snow.  She was terrified.

Outwardly, she gave no reaction or indication that she heard Eljay.  Powering down into sleep-mode kept her pulse and breathing slower than they might be otherwise, but her heartbeat was strong.

WC: 72

No, no, no, no...

It wasn't until he could hear the fast but steady beating of her heart and felt her breath softly against his fur that Eljay realised he had been holding his own breath. He finally released the breath and he crouched down by Maia's side, where he instantly started to search for injuries. Now that he was finally here, Eljay felt like an idiot for standing still in the cold wind for so long, just trying to figure out if there was someone scary down here. He wished he had known, and he would've come here right away.

Eljay quickly studied Maia's body for injuries, rustling his nose through her fur gently to see if she was wounded or simply exhausted. Whatever it was, something must've happened to her to get her here, within the borders of the Caldera and in such a panic. Did she know they relocated, or was this just a coincidence? Well, whatever the case, it was a good thing that she had come here, where she could be safe.

bein a little vague on specific specifics because that thread is still happenin <3

As he inspected, Eljay would find a number of bite wounds fairly immediately.  A few were particularly nasty and might look eerily similar to the wounds found in prey that has recently been taken down.  As though whatever was doing this had been looking to do more than just wound.  They'd been hungry too. 

He'd been so friendly.  How could he be so friendly?

No bones were broken from the fall outside of perhaps a few fractured ribs.  She'd landed on her side, and when her head had struck stone, it hadn't been on initial impact.  A small wound there, some expected scuffs from the descent, but it could have been far worse had she drawn a less fortunate hand.

WC: 120

Eljay immediately discovered a few disturbing looking wounds. Oh no, he muttered under his breath immediately. He continued to check up, but it seemed as if at least her legs hadn't been too hurt by the fall. There was a scrape on her head from the impact, though it looked like she hadn't hit her head first. She was lucky enough to fall on her side first, it seemed. Maybe a concussion at worst. Overall, though she had a few bad wounds, it looked like she would live.

Eljay frowned as he considered what to do next. For a short moment he considered whether to get her further into the territory, but he didn't want to stress the wounds too much and she wasn't even awake, let alone in walking condition. He wasn't sure he could carry her alone and even if he could there were still the wounds to consider.

On the other hand, there was the dangerous darkness out there. Eljay stared into the darkness and shuddered as he thought of what sort of monster was capable of something like this. Hopefully the scent of their fresh borders would be threatening enough to keep them out.

Wanting to waste no more time, Eljay crouched down beside Maia and he started to clean the worst of the wounds. He stayed close to her, sharing his body warmth; she wasn't cold now, since she'd been running, but he wanted to be sure it stayed that way. Thoughts raced through his mind while he licked the brutal wounds, ranging from the monster outside to how she'd got in this situation to the odds of Maia ending up over here. Eljay had been looking forward to seeing Maia again, but he had never wanted it to be this way.

Maia had had nightmares before, but there was something different when the experience was real.  It took her a while to rouse, and during that time he chased her, found her, sent her running again.  That smile, and those eyes, were always the same, but sometimes it was another friend.  Once Illidan... once the man with the furious blue eyes who she'd thought so pretty before.

She came to slowly.  She didn't rememer where she'd ended up or how she'd gotten there, so when she felt Eljay's warmth and his gentle prodding, she immediately assumed she hadn't managed to escape.  She panicked and tried to scrabble backwards from him, though doing so just brought into sharp relief how much everything hurt right now.

N-no, please,  was all she managed to choke out.  She felt like she couldn't breathe.  I don't want to die.

WC: 143

At first the cleaning of the wounds was going as planned and he was getting good work done. The wounds seemed to be recent so that meant that they were in time to catch them and heal them up, he hoped. Eljay frowned thoughtfully while thoughts raced through his mind, continuously skipping between his relief for seeing Maia alive and his worry about what had happened, as well as the mixed feelings stirring in his gut about seeing her again. He hadn't expected to see her again so soon, and especially not in this situation. And where were Wraen and Arcturus? What if they'd gotten hurt, or worse? What if they hadn't gotten as lucky as Maia? Though the situation wasn't very bad for Maia, Eljay couldn't help but worry. What if her wounds would get infected, or what if her head trauma was worse than he thought? What if she never woke up? What if he'd lose her, too?

Before his fevered worries had a chance to culminate into anything really bad, Maia came to. Calm at first, but it didn't take long for her calmth to surge into panic. Eljay froze at first as she scrambled away from him across the floor, kicking him in the face with her flailing limbs. Shh, he murmured, unsure if she didn't realise what was going on or if she was genuinely afraid of him. It's okay, you're safe now, it's me. His voice was soft and hushed as he tried not to panic her further, though Eljay didn't make a move to close in on her again; not until she was calmer. Too much movement could prove a lot more dangerous than attending the rest of her wounds a bit later.

Her head was pounding, and her flurry of movement had left her feeling dizzy and unsteady, but those were the only to things that had kept Maia from outright bolting.  She couldn't see him yet in the dark and it made no sense for him to be here.  Where were they?

But when she heard his voice and recognized it, she sagged as if someone had suddenly cut her strings.  Eljay.  Maia wanted to cry with relief, and there was almost a sob in the word.

N..no, he followed me. If he finds us, he was...  Her stomach turned at the thought but she didn't have anything in it to get rid of. Panic was blossoming in her voice again.  What if he chased me, what if... Eljay, you have to run, you can't.  

He hadn't been all that big, but the thought of him going after Eljay the way he'd gone after her was too much.  And what if Weejay was here?  She started to shake.  Maia hated the thought of him leaving her, but she couldn't even fully stand right now.

WC: 183

Relief flooded Eljay when Maia finally relaxed upon hearing that it was him. She went on to explain what had happened -- a he that was following her? -- and Eljay frowned thoughtfully. He glanced out into the darkness and a shiver ran down his spine as he thought back to all of the thoughts he'd had before. What if he would follow? Would he really be crazy enough to cross marked borders, though?

Maia's panic didn't help to settle his any. Shh, shh, it's okay, he said, though he was unable to hide the trembling of his voice. When he spoke next, his voice was surprisingly calm and determined. I'm not going anywhere. Whatever would happen, Eljay couldn't leave Maia to her own devices. It was suddenly surprisingly clear, and it helped to steel his nerves and at the same time made him more afraid; he wouldn't leave here, no matter what happened. Not without her.

We should get you further into the territory, Eljay said. If... If you can walk, of course. He got up to his own feet and he leaned down beside Maia to support her, while he hoped that she'd be able to move. She would probably feel a lot safer deeper into the territory. It hadn't occurred to Eljay yet that Maia didn't realise that they lived here, now.

No, he'll kill you.  He'll come and you'll make the same mistake as me and he'll try and eat... oh god.  Maia was a carnivore, but the idea that there was a wolf out there who killed and seemingly ate wolves for the pleasure of it made her physically ill in a way she'd never felt before.  She wanted to cry with relief again when he said he wasn't going anywhere, but she also wanted to scream.  No, please...

She hated that she wasn't brave enough to argue with him further.

Further into the territory finally did tip her off to something she'd failed to put together so far.  This isn't the copse,  she said, lowering her head and flattening her ears as she turned her muzzle to look around.  Even that much movement sent a nauseating spike to her headache.  Where are we?

Claim or no, she needed to move with him.  Her instincts were screaming at her to hide, and she didn't want him out here any longer than he needed to be either.  She prepared herself for a moment while he presumably answered her question, then pushed herself to her feet with a soft hiss of breath.  The world titled alarmingly when she did, and for a second she thought she might pass out.  She'd only felt that sensation a couple of times before but she recognized it immediately and froze, waiting for it to pass before she tried to move any more.  Slowly, leaning fairly heavily on Eljay, she managed to get shakily to her feet.  Between the blood loss and the trauma, she was running on fumes.  But she'd make it to wherever he took her, no matter what it.

WC: 285

Eljay was glad that Maia didn't argue with him further. He would stay regardless of what arguments she'd bring up, but he didn't think that it would be very helpful for anything to continue it. Maia looked around, confused, and it wasn't until then that it hit Eljay that she must have missed the borders somehow (maybe because she was so afraid?) and that she didn't realise that they had returned to Redhawk Caldera. It was truly a happy coincidence that she had managed to find her way here, then, in her current state.

Redhawk Caldera, Eljay explained. We moved back just a few days ago. You're really lucky. He smiled softly and helped her get up so they could start moving. Maia was in worse shape than he realised -- she must've already lost some blood before he found her, or rather, before she found them -- and Eljay helped her up as best he could. They moved slowly after that, for the road lead them up towards the Caldera's inner territory and it must be a rough journey in Maia's current state.

There was a lot on his mind, but at the forefront was the current situation and taking care of Maia, medically. He barely even noticed the subtle jig his stomach did with every step that she was smushed against him on a conscious level; none of it mattered as his caretaking side took over. I'll bring you to my den, okay? Is... Are Wraen and Arcturus out there, too? His voice reached a worried squeak at the end as he posed his question, worry he was unable to hide. He really hoped that they weren't, or rather, that they hadn't been with Maia when she'd been attacked. Even if they weren't, though, they'd need to be informed of Maia's whereabouts, since she didn't look like she would walk away the very next day.

Redhawk Caldera, that was right.  She remembered now, she'd been debating coming in and seeing what it looked like when she saw him.  And then she'd run, and... fallen?  She didn't have the energy to piece it together any more than that, but she didn't really need to.  She really was lucky.  She didn't want to think what might have happened if they hadn't been here, and if Eljay hadn't been the one to find her.  She'd definitely left a trail that would be easy enough to follow; none of her wounds were immediately life threatening, but a number of them were deep and still slowly bleeding.  Hopefully she hadn't just led him right to them.

No, I was alone.  She was glad that she could reassure him, but for some reason, when she said it, her voice finally cracked as she started to cry.  Sorry, I'm just r-really glad you're here.  She tried to take a deep breath to stop and was maybe halfway successful.  They're probably still at the plateau.  She finally added. 

Maia couldn't describe what she was feeling, but his side against hers was a definite soothing anchor right now.  She wanted nothing more than to sit down right here and bury her face in his side and just hide, maybe forever.  Coward.  Crybaby.  He is going to think you are pathetic.. She couldn't.

WC: 228

It was a huge relief to find out that Maia had been alone so he didn't have to send anyone out into the dark to find Wraen and Arcturus. When she apologised he had the urge to shh her again but he didn't, knowing that sometimes you somehow just had to say sorry even if there was nothing to be sorry about. Everybody cried, right? Somehow that fact and act held a different weight when it was someone else doing it.

It's okay. I'm just happy you're here, Eljay said softly, though he hadn't meant to say it like.. Well, that. I mean, because you're safe here. Nobody can hurt you now. As if to test fate Eljay glanced over his shoulder, but there was nothing but darkness there. I'll make sure someone lets them know. Eljay would tell Towhee about it later, and she'd probably send someone out or something. For now though, he just said it because he wanted it off Maia's already strained mind.

Here, careful, there's a little ledge, Eljay said as they reached the top of the Caldera's slopes and he leaned into Maia to support her so that she could get over the edge and into the safer-feeling inner territory of the Caldera.

She warmed a little when he said he was glad she was here, then corrected himself.  It was such an Eljay thing to do.  Normally she might have made a joke or agreed, but this time she kept quiet.  She didn't have the energy to even think about keeping up appearances.  Instead she tried snag some of that calm that he was exuding, evening out her own breathing in time with his.

It hadn't occurred to Maia that Wraen might be worried about her until Eljay said something.  Thanks.  She didn't want to think about them running into anything looking for her.  

He helped her over and silence fell for a moment, but it was harder in the quiet.  All she had to focus on then was how slow they seemed to be moving (her own fault) and how much she wanted to lie down.

Why did you move?  she asked, a little out of the blue.  It didn't even need to be a good story, she just wanted to hear him talk a while.

WC: 175

A silence fell between them, though Eljay didn't mind. He was good at silence, at least in the right company. And Maia was definitely the right company.

She asked about the move, a question that came out of the blue from his perspective. He blinked a few times, not entirely realising why she asked at first, but was quick to answer despite that. We -- Yes, why? He didn't actually know a lot about their unwanted neighbors and thought of the flood first. The flood was, well, it remained a risk, and uh... Ah, there was a pack settling nearby with some unfriendly wolves. Eljay realised the latter only as he said it. We thought it would be safer back here... He trailed off there as he realised what Maia had just gone through. Were they wrong to move back?

She'd forgotten how little he spoke.  Or maybe she'd never realized it because on a normal day, she'd have been talking enough for the both of them.  Silence had never really been a thing she was comfortable with, at least not when she was in the company of others.  She always had a compulsive need to try and fill it.

Every question she could think to ask about that involved something she didn't really want to elaborated on.  It had probably been a stupid question to ask; usually wolves didn't leave a place for good reasons.  We thought it would be safer.

I remembered you talking about how much you loved it here.  Maia said quietly.  I'm glad I get to see it.  It wasn't how she'd have chosen, and if she could do it over she'd certainly have turned around and gone home, come back another day.  Now that she was here she'd hold onto that silver lining for dear life.

WC: 162

Eljay frowned after he trailed off, sensing that he must have made Maia uncomfortable now. He wished he knew something better to say, but nothing came to him. Maia was the one to talk again, saying he'd mentioned loving it here. It was no secret that Eljay was probably the biggest Redhawk Caldera fan out there.

Not too long ago he had daydreamed of running away from the Copse to find Maia and claim this place. Now... Things were different. Not bad, but things had a tendency to catch up with Eljay while he considered and overthought them too much. His plans always seemed to sour, unless he acted on them right away.

Should I tell her...

Yeah, this place is pretty dear to my heart... Eljay felt his cheeks flush beneath his fur. Ah, look, we are already almost there. It's up there. The silence had filled more of their walk than Eljay had anticipated, but he was glad because it meant Maia could rest soon. It made Eljay feel good to come up to the good old Blackthorn family den with Maia by his side, despite the crushing circumstances.

I uh... We've just moved, so I haven't been able to make it very comfortable yet, Eljay admitted as they arrived at the den's mouth. You go in first. He allowed Maia to enter first so she had all the space to get comfortable. There was plenty of space; by the looks of it, @Weejay wasn't around right now and the den had hosted the family, including grown up Eljay, for many seasons so there was enough space left even with the two of them in there.

Eljay contemplated if he had any herbs, but there wouldn't be much use searching; they'd just arrived and it wasn't the best season to look for them. No, he'd be better off being with his patient to clean her wounds and make sure she wasn't too scared right now, however much he wished he had something handy against pain and infection.

Almost there.  She nearly could have cried, this time with relief.  There'd been a few times when she had thought about asking him to stop, but she'd known the instant she stopped moving she wouldn't have it in her to get back up, and she wasn't willing to make Eljay deal with that.

She made it in a little past the door, at least off to the side and out of the main way, before she sat down and knew she wasn't getting back up.  She took a steadying breath and closed her eyes against the pounding in her skull while she waited for everything inside of her to just calm down.  It's perfect. She finally answered, and could feel herself getting a little choked up again.

He was being so nice and had no reason to be.  They were friends, but she'd left.  She had no right to stay in his den.  And she certainly had no right to be happy about it, despite the circumstances.  She lowered herself into a lying position slowly, then turned to look at him.  She didn't have the right to ask him for anything.  Remember, all you do is freak him out.  And no wonder.  All this talk of traveling and look what happens.

She looked away and tried to stop, but there was no stopping the tears this time.  At least she managed to keep her voice somewhat steady.  I...it's okay if you have to go, but c..can you stay, just until I'm asleep? She asked, still turned away.  She didn't know what he'd been doing before retrieving her, but he'd already done a ton.  She should tell him that she was fine, that he could go.  She just couldn't.  Her fur burned with shame, surprisingly noticeable even with everything else.  I'm such an idiot.  I'm sorry.

WC: 305

Maia seemed to get more at ease when they reached the den. After she went inside, Eljay entered the den, too. He lay down right in the entrance of the den, effectively blocking it off from anyone else entering. He seemed to hesitate a moment as he looked around -- what if Maia wanted to leave and he was in the way? -- but considering how freaked out she was Eljay decided that he would stay here for now, so that at least no one could enter. He did move towards Maia a bit though, because he didn't want her to get too cold.

Is it okay if I..? Eljay asked hesitantly as he shuffled closer.

Before he'd fully well said it, Maia seemed to grow upset suddenly and Eljay frowned while he tried to piece together what was going on. Maia said that it was okay if he had to go (?? why would he go??) but asked if he could at least stay until she was asleep. Don't be silly, I'm not going anywhere, he said resolutely, surprising even himself by that. I mean -- I'll sleep here with you tonight, so you don't get cold and so that nobody can hurt you. With the last words he gave her a soft but confident smile, because he really did want her to believe that his presence would mean that nobody entered the den. She looked absolutely destroyed and tired, and he wanted to erase all worry from her mind, at least when it came to dangerous wolves attacking them at night. He couldn't help but tentatively add, though: Is that okay with you? Can I come closer? She didn't sound like she wanted him to leave, since she was crying, but he wanted to explicitly hear her say it, anyway; that she wanted him to stay there.

All of the fear, stress, pain, and upset was culminating as a sudden overwhelming pile and now that she had started she couldn't stop.  She should have told Wraen, she should have stayed there, she should have fought, she should have.... should have...

Coward.. She started to shake more, partially from the cold as the shock had settled in, partially from the sobs.  He said he wasn't going anywhere and asked if he could come closer.  Yes.  The relief in her voice was evident.  She knew that it was going to be a rough night and she couldn't stand the thought of spending it alone.

She didn't know how to explain everything she was feeling to Eljay right now and she was too tired to try.  She couldn't even figure it out herself. All she knew was that selfishly she wanted him to stay as long as she was here, even if she didn't deserve it.

WC: 156

Maia seemed to be tired more than anything else right now, so Eljay didn't press her too much about what happened. They could talk about it later. As she consented to him coming closer, Eljay gently checked out her wounds. They seemed calm for now, and he felt that some sleep would do Maia better than him excessively cleaning her wounds again. It seemed that he had gotten most of the work done when he'd initially found her at the Caldera's slopes. Looking good, he commented with a smile. When he realised that she might think he might mean her rather than the wounds (why would she think that though? he was literally just checking out the wounds? but then again, what if she didn't realise that? and it was true, so why did it matter?) Eljay felt his cheeks flush, but he decided to ignore the awkward feeling.

He shuffled closer to Maia, gently pressing himself up against her on her free side so that he would either be spooning her or be spooned by her (depending on how she was laying compared to the wall; if she wasn't at a wall, he would choose to be the big spoon). Eljay felt kind of awkward as he shuffled closer, but he was also relieved by the comforting feeling of her closeness. He realised only then he'd never actually been this close to Maia physically. They'd slept side by side when travelling, sure, but not like.. this. It felt pretty good. He smiled softly to himself as he settled in beside her and leaned his head against hers gently. He wouldn't be able to sleep for a while, what with all the turmoil happening in his gut, but he still couldn't feel happier.

maybe we can wrap it up & we can have another one set for the next day?

perfect!

It was dark, so it wasn't like Eljay could fully see her face anyway, but still Maia kept herself turned away.  That lasted about until Eljay came and laid down next to her.  The instant she felt his warmth at her back, she shifted so that she was tucked closer, almost without even realizing it.  The need for comfort right now was so powerful it overcame even her usual embarrassment.

With his head on hers, and his warmth there, eventually the shaking stopped.  Then it didn't take long at all for Maia to slip into an exhausted sleep.

WC: 98