Silvertip Mountain Drained

All open, set by Glass Cave.

Zaria disliked it to admit but she was suffering. The wound on the side of her neck that extended all the way to her shoulder was really draining her energy. The pain was getting worse and it wasn't like they had a healer. Now that the wound was closing up it wound wasn't very flexible, and a shoulder needed to be flexible. The slender female sat at the entrance of the glass cave. Her green eyes looked tired. Eventually she submitted to her tiredness and laid down. The only time she laid down was when she was with Fitz.

Maybe she did have a bit of an infection even though her wound looked clean, why would she otherwise be so tired? She hated that she felt so weak, especially now she got her new alpha position. She would need to adjust the way the members saw her. She wanted to be a vision of strength and feistiness, though now the female felt like she wasn't expressing any of it. She wished she could track that cat and kill it.

Mason was working on his tracking skills when he caught a stronger whiff of his ex-crush. He nearly tripped over his paws as he danced backwards like he had stood on a hot potato. Then he stood, staring at the patch of ground where her scent was so fresh, his heart thumping. He didn't know what to do, and so he stood still for a very long time.

Finally a sort of calm washed over him, and he felt like he could steel himself. He knew that Zaria had been hurt by Shardul, although he couldn't say what exact damage had been caused because he had not been near enough to see at the pack meeting where they had moved. Mason pressed his ears against his skull and wondered to himself. The thought of Zaria in pain hurt him more than the thought that she was with Fitz. He couldn't smell his Dad, so he was hopeful he might be able to catch her alone. Even if he could just spy on her from a distance, and put his mind at ease.

Mason set off, slipping along her scent trail, sniffing delicately every now and again. It wasn't too long before he spotted her in the distance. She wasn't facing him, and he was pretty sure that the wind wouldn't be sending his scent in her direction. He gazed at her for a few moments, and realised the ex part of ex-crush probably didn't apply even though he wanted it to. He was about to turn and creep away when he realised something was wrong. It was in the way she was laying down, her shoulder facing him raw and dark red.

Mason frowned and trotted towards her, purposeful suddenly. He reached her, edging around slightly so that he could approach her where she could see him. He got as close as he could handle, his heart pummeling his chest, but he gazed down at green eyes with nothing but concern. His posture was respectful, and a bit timid. He was about 5 paces away and he could smell her sweetness. "You're hurt." He said, his words accompanied by a low whine.

This will be an exciting thread! Thanks for replying!

Now Zaria was laying down she came to think of how she could be so drained. Maybe it was because she lost unintentionally quite a lot of blood. When she climbed to the top of the mountain with Fitz it started to bleed and during the fight it was also bleeding. At least Mason was safe that was most important. Zaria closed her eyes for a moment. It was only because she knew that she was safe deep in her territory she would even consider closing her eyes while being all alone.

They opened once she heard footsteps. What she didn't expect was Mason coming towards her. She knew now he had a crush on her, she had ruined his first love. It would probably be like Fitz rejecting her and being with another. She felt sort of bad for the youngster. Just because she liked him too but as a friend, a little apprentice not a romantic love interest. She wanted to raise her head but the slightest movement reminded her of the wound on her neck. So her chin stayed against the ground.

"You are hurt too," she pointed out, sounding a bit of a mumble because she couldn't move her mouth that well. Her green eyes looking up at his concern filled eyes. She felt like she should say something. Maybe her injury would convince Mason not to hate his father or be so distanced. But then she realized Mason was a teenager, a time to be dramatic about these types of things.

Of course. I've been waiting for a moment for him to catch her alone ;) <3

Mason watched her carefully, looking for the signs that she was hurting to try and explain where it was. Was it all concentrated on the shoulder? The grievous wound extended up to her jaw - it pained him to see her beautiful fur parted by such ugly trenches. Mason's ears flickered at her words, and he addressed her with his eyes. He wasn't sure what she knew about him, and his amour, but it was probably going to be obvious enough. After all, he couldn't pretend to hate her, not when she was right here in front of him, so pale and worn. And if he didn't hate her, there could only be one other reason for his dissatisfaction at the mateship.
 
Ignoring her comment, Mason closed the gap between them. The clear exhaustion in her voice suggested she had lost a lot of blood. That was not surprising, given the huge wound. But what other problems were affecting her? He could smell the wound and it appeared clean and fresh. Mason was stood right above her now, and he noticed that his slender frame had finally overtaken her petite one. With her prostrate on the floor beneath him , looking so pitiful, Mason suddenly felt like he was an adult.
 
His slim legs passed his body around her forelegs, and he stood looking down at her scruff, with its patterned agouti fur. Slowly he lowered his nose, hesitantly, until finally he touched its soft surface. With a sharp intake of breath, Mason realised he had never really been this close to her since their day at the hollow. Not whilst alone, without FitzDutiful on the other side of her. Mason shrugged his thoughts aside as best he could, and he gently gripped her ruff. He lifted it so that the skin extended gently (hopefully not disturbing her wound too much). When he reached the apex, he reluctantly dropped the fur from his teeth and watched as it descended slowly to sit against her flesh once more. It took too many seconds. She was dehydrated.

"I'm going to get water, stay here." He murmured into her ear, so close to his muzzle. With a wrench the pale boy took his eyes from her fur and belted away from her, heading towards a pool he knew. He had no idea what he was going to do, but even if he could only bring a mouthful back, it was better than nothing. He ran fast, his heart pounding, stretching himself to his limits. He didn't want to leave her for longer than a few minutes.

<3

Zaria laid down in a way that her shoulder was relieved from any pressure, it was the first thing Mason had seen about her. She hated that she was so weak and useless. But luckily it was Mason who was around her. The girl tried to watch him, to see if she got any feedback to what she said. At first she wanted to say that he was still alive because of her, but that felt like the wrong thing to say. She didn't want to hurt him further. The slender female watched with care as he stepped closer. She was used to him being close to her but still because Zaria was in a weaker state she almost felt distrustful towards him.

She looked from the corner of her eyes to the younger wolf coming in closer. Zaria's lip trembled a bit, wanting to curl it up, as Mason went to grab her her scruff. She didn't know that it was to check how dehydrated she was. Once Mason pulled on the skin she let out a yelp in pain and struggled slightly, growling. She wasn't a weakling that was for sure. But her mouth was dry and her energy drained. The female wanted to sit up but he legs slowly gave out so she slipped down again. She didn't feel sick, she knew her wounds didn't have pus or smelled weird. Zaria just felt like a limp puddle of limbs.

She frowned when Mason ran off to get her something to drink. How was the male even going to get water to her? She knew for a fact that water couldn't be carried. Reluctantly Zaria pushed her upper body up, she was sitting somewhat, more slumped compared to her normally proud demeanor. Now her back legs, but she didn't find the energy. Could this really happen because she was thirsty? Her stubbornness wanted her to move with him but her body was refusing to listen. She would have to wait for Mason's return then.

She may have growled at him, and she may have now been Alpha (pah) but that didn't mean Mason felt threatened. Her building of his trust was ingrained. Anyway, what would she do? Snap at him then fall over? She was exhausted.

Mason reached the pool with little event and gasped for breath as he looked around. He debated downing half the pool, so that he could run back to her and regurgitate it for her. It would work, although it meant that some of his bad stomach juices might affect her. Also, he was sick of feeling sick, and there was nowhere near Zaria that he could easily regurgitate without the water being taken into the ground immediately. Mason let out a dry sob of irritation as he cast about him. He nosed through the detritus at the edge of the water pool. Soon he spotted an odd-shaped rock. It was smooth and flat, but on one side there was a concaved indent. Mason eyed it suspiciously. There could not be more than a couple of licks of water. It wasn't going to be enough. But it was better than nothing.

Mason immediately grasped the thin rock and thrust it into the water. Liquid streamed up his nose and he almost sneezed but he managed to quell the urge and instead lifted the stone carefully with his teeth so it was as flat as he could make it. He carefully turned tail and walked much more slowly back to Zaria. It took him perhaps five minutes, and there were a couple of inadvertent splashes. By the time he reached Zaria he had less water than could be cupped in a humans' hands.

Mason walked up to Zaria and slowly spread his front legs so that he could place the stone beneath her nose, and allow her to drink. He noticed she had sat up. "Ggggggg waaaa-er". He was going to let her have this small drink then he would support her pretty face all the way back to the water. It would surely be better than trying to bring it like this. Maybe it would tire her more, but the long-term effects would be more beneficial.

Mason should stop being so cute!

Zaria waited for Mason, once he did return he came back with a rock. Zaria was so confused for a moment, before she realized there was a bit of water in that said rock. She realized she was terribly thirsty. She licked the few drops up from the stone. Wasn't there any moss? No they were close to a glass looking cave. No moss here. Otherwise it could have absorbed water. Zaria looked at Mason and had the tip of her tongue hanging out a bit. She was exhaust but thirsty too. With her new revelation she pushed herself more. She needed a bit of a tug on her scruff for her to pop her feet under her body, but once she was standing she was pretty okay.

Zaria was used to standing, her muscles were trained, even though they were exhaust she could still lock them. "Sorry.. for growling," she stated, normally not really apologizing. The female realized that growling at Mason was not something that would benefit her. "Water," she then spoke, ironically that was also one of the first words she learned in the english tongue. She had come full circle then. Especially now she would need the help of Mason to get there. Zaria stood with her injured neck and shoulder toward him, she hoped that he was smart enough to support her by her other side. Zaria almost growled at herself, this was Mason of course he would think of that!

With the help of the youngest Zaria managed to get to the pool. She felt the need to just topple over in the water, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself up. She laid down again at the edge and started drinking eagerly. With them all moving to another part of their territory she didn't think of calling for a break or to drink water. Zaria always kept going, not always for her own benefit. The water was cold, too cold for her liking, so she didn't drink too much from it since she knew from experience it would hurt her. Her shoulder throbbed and itched. Maybe it was also the whole climb that exhausted her. She laid her head down, eyelids falling close. Yet Zaria wasn't sleeping, seen by her ears moving as she listened to her surroundings. "I hurt you. I didn't know," she muttered still with her eyes closed in exhaustion. "I promise not hurt you and I did. I understand you mad. We both not know, Fitz and I. I though I was friend. Good friend."

xD sorry this wasn’t intended to be an essay originally!

After a moment of confused hesitation, she drank the miniscule amounts of water quickly. Mason felt bad for not being able to give her more. The delicate pink of her tongue was now escaping from between her fangs; it appeared she was too tired to pant properly, and he was concerned to note just how pale the pink was. She needed rest. Mason felt angry at his Dad for moving them when Zaria was clearly not in a condition to move. Although he was sure she would have pushed herself, and maybe Fitz had not known the extent of her injuries, Mason still couldn’t believe that it had got to this point.

It appeared that the water had given her a thirst. That was good – her reactions were still working properly. Zaria attempted to stand up, and Mason was there alongside her, ready to help. They got her to her paws and then the dappled grey male hovered beside her, ready to dive under her chest and catch her. Although she wavered, she stood strong. Mason felt a thread of pride weaving through his chest.

He moved around her carefully as though she were a delicate glass sculpture. Once he had reached her uninjured side, he hunched slightly and sidled up against her. “It’s okay, you’re hurt Zari. Here – lean on me” he murmured, pressing his shoulder against her uninjured one and taking her slightly weight. He could not fault her for being grumpy, and he would never hold that against her.

He got her to the pool with a bit of trouble. Supporting her slight frame was no issue but her tiredness appeared to cause her confusion with where the place her legs and a few times she stumbled. Mason stood steady. When they reached the edge of the water, his packmate crumpled slowly down to lay beside it. Mason watched her, concerned still. She drank a sensible amount of water and then she appeared to rest herself, closing those pretty green eyes. 

Her words were like a balm to him. Like her, he too was wounded, but his scars couldn’t be seen from the outside. Mason looked down at her, and he felt at a loss. His emotions were conflicted. He knew he shouldn’t carry on feeling this way for her, but it wasn’t as easy as others seemed to think it should be. Thoughts of his Dad were swamping him with anger and also disappointment.

Mason slumped down beside her, pressing his side against her uninjured flank, taking comfort in her closeness. He breathed in her sweetness, then heaved a sigh. Unrequited feelings were hard, but hearing her say it – that she only ever thought of him as a good friend – made some more of the pieces fall into place. Maybe it should have hurt him more, but it didn’t. Instead he felt the first flakes of hope and peace settling along his soul. 

“You are a good friend.” He admitted softly, moving to gently press his muzzle into her neck, and provide her with comfort in her time of pain. He needed Zaria still, for all of his attempts to push her away. He needed his Dad too, although he wasn’t yet ready to admit that. 

If friends was the way he could keep Zaria, that is what she would be. Never a step-mother, not mentioned as his Dad’s mate in conversations, but simply introduced as his friend. That he could cope with. 

“You will always be my friend.” He mumbled into her fur. It was too hard right now to talk about his feelings over her and Fitz’s mateship, the betrayal which had been dealt him like a surprise blow from a spiked club. Maybe in time he could broach it with her. Maybe once his heart stopped fluttering at the sight of her, if it ever could.

Love the insight in Mason's thought process <3

Zaria opened her eyes when he felt Mason at the side of her neck. She tried to turn it a bit but it hurt. She realized she could go for another few sips. She felt how Mason laid by her side. It felt a bot wrong. She knew he was offering her comfort but the female rather had Fitz's bigger body next to her. Mason was becoming more and more of an adult, he seemed to pick it up more maturely from what she gathered now, calling her a good friend. Was she really a good friend? Zaria wasn't certain.

The female didn't move as he pushed his face in her fur, not sure if this was exceeding a boundary or not. The young female was too tired to even think too much of it. She needed her rest. Her wound was clean, she drank, which means she would probably need some food in her soon. For that she might have to look at Fitz. He would probably do that for her. After all he was her mate now. Plus she got this wound protecting his son.

"You frightened of the cougar?," she asked carefully, wanting to come to that topic. Mason had to endure a lot lately so maybe it was good he would talk to her about it. "You can still tell me things," she pointed out.

Zaria didn’t move, and Mason presumed that she took comfort in his touch. If he had known her thought process he might have removed his muzzle. That said, it was the touch he often gave June when she was distressed. If Zaria was uncomfortable with Mason’s treating her like he would another friend, she didn’t show it. 

When her velveteen voice addressed him, Mason did remove his touch from her fur. He turned his head to look down into the water. He stayed pressed along her, providing warmth to her anaemic body. He pushed his own feelings aside as he took care of her. He wanted her to rest, but she seemed to want to ensure that the two of them were okay. Mason realised she may not settle down until she was sure the rift between them had been sewn back together.

“Yes.” He admitted, watching the water swirl in an underlying current – possibly an insect or tadpole drifting beneath the surface. He couldn’t look at her beauty as he added “thank you. For saving me.” Of course, it was a multitude of wolves who had taken that step. But it was Zaria who had thoughtless thrown herself at the beast when she had seen Mason. Perhaps she would have done anyway, but he would rather not qualify that with her. It was nicer to think that she had fought with reckless abandon for him. Perhaps that was selfish, but he was grasping at any comfort he could get at the moment.

He didn’t have much else to tell her, but he thought it best to let her know: “I was hopin’ to go for healer trade.” Orange eyes  glistened with a small dash of humour as he looked to her and added “so thanks for the practice, too.”

Zaria listened to Mason, closing her eyes again since she did want her rest. But with her ear turned to him she was clearly listening. "I will always do that Mason. You are dear to me. Maybe not romantically but I can not imagine my life without you," she pointed out. She wasn't going to be his mother and it wasn't like a love she had a for Fitz but the female was pretty attached to Mason too.

The slender female then listened to what he wanted to become. It really suited him and he would probably be a good one. Zaria turned her head a bit even though she knew it would hurt. "You will be good healer. Then you can patch me up when I be stupid," she tried to make a bit of a joke. 'Or when I poison someone accidentally, she thought.

Zaria nudged him gently. "We are okay right?," she asked. Normally she wouldn't care in the world if someone liked or disliked her but Mason was a different story. He was Fitz' son and one of her first friends. "Don't be too mad with your dad. You only have one. I know, and I have none because I was horrible towards my father." She wanted to say that to him because she felt some resentment from him.

Mason shrugged unconsciously when she yet again mentioned that she did not like him romantically. Did she realise she was salting a wound? Perhaps it was just that she didn’t know. Zaria was very forthright. It was not part of her charm for Mason. He had merely latched onto her in puppy love, regardless of the lack of indications she had given him.

Anyway, since she had mated with Fitz, she was unlikely to ever not be in his life – that was his Dad. The only more sure-fire way she could have kept Mason in her life was to adopt June. Which, he supposed, may end up happening. He wouldn’t allow it for himself but June could use a mother figure.

Mason chortled softly when she mentioned patching her up. It was nice to hear praise from her – she said what Steady had said, that he would be a good healer. Mason appreciated that. It bolstered his decision to become a nurse. It was nice to think he could fix and care for others, even if not himself.

“We’re okay.”  He stressed. Mason mulled over her words, letting them tumble and bounce through his mind like spices being stirred into a curry. It took him a few moments, but he determined that ultimately this was something he could not give even Zaria. Deep down in his soul he knew he wanted – needed – to make amends with his Dad. But it was something he needed to do for himself, not for anyone else. He was the one who had created this problem, this chasm of hurt and betrayal – it was Mason’s feelings for Zaria that had usurped his father’s happiness over finding new love. He needed to mend it himself, when he was ready.

“You should go to sleep. I’ll stay here if you want. Or I can go find you food from the cache.” It was one or the other. Mason made it clear in his tone that he would not entertain further talk on the matter. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss his feelings, and she wasn’t in a position to argue – alpha or not.

Zaria was quite oblivious to someone's feelings. She just was not good with them and often she just was too honest for her own good. She was pleased that they were okay. She nodded to him and then started pushing herself to her feet. She wasn't going to sleep here by this pond she wanted to sleep in her own bed next to Fitz. She would eat later. Zaria got herself on her fours and then nudged her nose against Mason's shoulder in thank you. "I will go to sleep now. Is okay. I sleep first and Fitz will get me food. You already helped greatly."

Zaria meant that. Plus she really wanted to see her mate and curl against him. Hopefully he had time to hunt for her later or grab something from the caches. She was glad Mason was around to help her. She wouldn't have thought about just drinking some water to get her back being less weak. She let the topic slide since the young male was determined that she needed to rest. Zaria started to walk to their new den hopefully feeling a lot better soon. She nodded Mason goodbye. Glad they were good. She didn't want the male to be upset with her after all.

- Zaria Exit -

Feel free to wrap it up!

Mason shrugged again when she suggested she would go back to Fitz. Mason’s lip curled in disgust, and he merely watched her go, orange eyes burning into her back. Apparently the rest with him had done her amazingly well, given that she was now walking relatively fine. And what thanks did he get? Just watching her go back to his Dad.

Mason whirled away before she disappeared from sight and ran in the other direction, intent on putting as much distance as he could between himself and his ex-crush. And this time, he felt a burning desire for the ‘ex’ part to be true.