Blackfeather Woods That girl is poison

@Burke

She was sick. To be sick so soon after giving birth frightened her to no end. Her children were close to be weaned, and she did it as soon as she could, regurgitating meat as much as she could without disrupting her children's stomachs. She did not want them to catch whatever it was that was ailing her.

It was a sickness of the blood. And not just any blood sickness, either. She had treated a woman with this ailment before, she had tried to save her, desperately, but to no avail. The high priests and priestesses had told her that there was no cure for this sickness, that all she could do was aid her transition from this world into the Void. And that was all she could do for herself. That frightened her.

What terrified her even more was how Burke would respond, as she called for him softly, her voice noticeably weaker. She curled around her children, who were sleeping unaware of their mother's dilemma.

She wondered if they would even remember her.

Potema had seen her mother die.

This was not the normal death dreams that children would have of their parents out of sheer compassion and love for them. She knew that it was a premonition from the start. It had that different feeling to it that those dreams of her mind's eye had. The dark fog, the gentle whispers, the spiders all around. It was a Sight.

When she awoke she wept, realizing that it was going to happen sooner rather than later. Her mother was not going to have another litter, for sure, and the two bundles that she was curled around as she passed looked too much like her little brother and sister. It was going to happen.

She ran to her mother's den as soon as she could, tears streaming from her face unabashedly. Why would she be ashamed to cry for her mother. As soon as she slid down the slope, her mother had called for Burke. The thought of Burke's reaction made her even more upset. Whimpering, she sat outside the den's entrance, afraid to see her mother's face after such a dream.

Burke was, as normally, Meldresi's pillow. He liked to lay next to her so she could lay against him and stay all warm. He wasn't completely oblivious to what was happening. Ever since she was pregnant the female was not herself, and after the pups were born Meldresi was still staying sick and unwell. At first he thought it was because of the children but now the two youngsters were out and very healthy, it had to be something else. Still he didn't think it was that serious it would result in death. Burke blinked his eyes open and nudged her nose against her cheek. "Yeah?," he asked a bit sleepily. 

Burke was already tempted to get up to his feet because normally when Meldresi would wake him up in the middle of the night then she needed something. She was still weak and he liked to take care of her. She was his wonderful mate after all. Burke was still laying down because somehow he didn't sense any urgency. He became more awake to see that Meldresi looked worse. He frowned instantly, more in confusion rather than being mad. "You want me to get something? Are you okay?," he asked in the same whisper not to wake their kids.

Burke's ears picked up on something outside the den and he instantly lifted his head and snarled softly. That was all before he realized Potema was there. Her scent came in and Burke relaxed. God damn. If Potema was here with a deep connection to her mother something must be really wrong. Instantly Burke felt sick too. "Meldresi...," he grunted, sounding slightly uncertain.

Meldresi's condition was slowly worsening. She was beginning to lose her coherency and logic as the sickness spread and rotted her from the inside out. It was hard to keep her mind clear; sometimes all she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep, but a small part of her cried out when that need became persistent: if she slept, then she would die.

When Burke talked, it sounded muffled. It took her a few seconds to understand what he said. "No...I...I do not." She stammered, faintly hearing movement outside of the den. What was it? She knew that smell, didn't she? Who was outside?

The presence outside poked its head in and she understood. Potema. She must have seen something troubling in her dreams. The young princess had visions and dreams from Mephala, both before and after the incident, though after, the dreams were much easier for her to read. Potema must have seen what she was about to tell Burke, cushioning the blow for her, but not for him. Not for Burke... "Burke...I..." She whispered, more afraid of telling him this than death itself. "I am dying."

She heard them shifting in the den, saw their silohettues. As her mother spoke she kept silent, tensing as she waited for Burke's response. How would he react to such a thing? To the fact that his mate would not see their children grow? What was her mother even thinking about this?

She remembered the Sight she had during the Ceremony under the blood moon. She would be leaving soon. But not before her mother died. She would see her buried and blessed before she go wherever she had to. Perhaps Mother knew something about this journey that she did not. But for now, she would have to wait until her Mother acknowledged her presence, until Burke recovered from the shock of losing his mate.

Burke instantly jerked fully awake when Meldresi was saying that. At first he wanted to accuse her of joking. After that his mind was going on about how they would grow old together. That she was just messing with him. Then the thought stuck him he would be a single father. How as he going do that all that without her. All these thoughts released into his brain like an exploded bomb. Figures, being a horrible father and once he tried to redeem himself with this litter he got to do it all by himself. Life was really playing a huge role here in coming back at him. 

The dark male nudged her. Not really saying any of those things that he wanted to say. He always kept his calm. Though he did care deeply for her otherwise he wouldn't have mated the female. Burke nudged her in a comforting matter to then even lick over her cheek. He knew she wouldn't lie about this. "You know the cause?," he asked carefully, his voice dipped a bit because he was having a hard time too. "Just, stay by my side okay? I will be there, whatever happens." Burke wanted to give her comfort, and take away her stress. He was her mate and if this would be the end, alas sooner than expected, then he would have to accept that. 

He wanted to ask he about the ceremony she wanted, or if she wanted to be buried. Burke was totally going to burry her. Yes. And then he would find a good rock and place it by her grave and then search for her dyes and place a red paw print on it. How horrible that he had to think of this. His beautiful mate. He wanted to know what was ailing her. Maybe they could still treat it. "Can't Potema or Cicero heal it?," he whispered. "You saved me too!"

"Blood sickness." Was all she managed to say. She was getting worse and worse as the days went by. It started off as coughing; which she assumed was a cold, but now that her vitality and energy was dropping, that she was losing weight and unable to keep food down, she knew exactly what it was. She looked wearily at Burke and shook her head. There was nothing Cicero or Potema could do but ease her pain or end it quickly with poison. There was nothing no one in the whole world could do, save the Gods, but even they would not stop such a death. It would corrupt her body forever if stopped prematurely.

"Potema, come here." She called to her daughter. She had important news, news that would be happy in any other time but this. "There is a sect, close to here. They are priests, mages..." She paused, a cough in her chest that shook her body. "They are south of here, two weeks south, in a place called Hag Fen. You will know it when you see it. They will teach you there, things I could not...can not..." She coughed again, sagging against Burke for support. She was glad that she spoke to Potema about this opportunity before she passed on. Her daughter would benefit from being taught by such witches that were far beyond even her own caliber. "Bring them a gift of magical value."

She paused to catch her breath. She had more things to say and limited time to say it. Damn her sickness.

Potema slunk forward at her mother's impatient, commanding tone. Her ears were pressed against her forehead in a mixture of fear of her mother's death and respect for her final wishes. She sat close by, her head low on the ground, her single eye gleaming as she listened to what her mother had to say.

Had it been any other time, Potema would have rejoiced. She would have the chance to study with a coven of mages, women and men that would teach her more than her mother ever would, ever could. But now, whenever she returned from her training, she would not be greeted by a fellow priestess; she would be the only one there.

Potema sat quietly, blinking away tears. "What should I bring to them?"

Burke didn't know what blood sickness was. He wanted to talk more about it but it seemed that Meldresi favored her daughter to talk to right now. Burke couldn't help to be a bit offended. Surely Potema deserved some last words of her mother but what about him? The grey male looked over Meldresi and then to Potema. Staying quiet about the whole ordeal, it wouldn't be right. Hopefully she wouldn't die too quickly. He wanted to say goodbye to her too and lay close and just be there for her as she was taken by Mephala.

"Things of magical strength...charms, hexes...bones..." She looked up at her daughter, locking eyes with her and wondering if she would get her meaning. She didn't want to explain it out loud, to describe tearing her flesh being torn away and used for magical spells. Neither that, she had little to no energy left. She spoke her piece and laid against Burke, her eyes closing. She was so tired...


But she was not gone yet. She opened her eyes to slits, coughing softly. "Leave us." She commanded to her daughter. She needed alone time with her mate.

She was silent, thinking quietly about the future without her mother. Potema admired her. She was so brave despite the fate facing her, despite the fact that she had to tell her husband and child to their faces that she was dying. It must be a hard thing to do. She could not fathom it. Neither could she fathom having to tell someone to desecrate her own body. A bone? She knew such things were potent, but not her own mother's? But it was as her mother commanded, and as her mother commanded she turned and left the den. She had no other words to say; what could she say? She simply walked away, left to ruminate on the future, as bleak and bright as it was.

Burke felt slightly pained as Meldresi turned weaker and weaker. Potema was dismissed and Burke licked over Meldresi's cheek. A softer whine came from his throat after Potema was gone. He wasn't sure what he was going to do without her. He needed her to keep himself sane. She was the one that was his anchor. Burke closed his eyes, taking in her scent. What could he tell her? Telling her that he didn't want her to die was probably not going to help. "I love you," he whispered softly, they didn't say the words often but Burke knew they both did.