Moonspear The Knightly Retirement

Splitting the thread 'Wake the giant' @Charon @Amekaze

With Both Alphas supporting him at each side he was able to move again. Even with the support he was barely able to move. The pace was very slow because he was having a hard time lifting his working legs. One front leg was broken was one of the back ones suffered once some weight was applied to it. If Nishu was his usual self he would have thought this to be some sort of nightmare. To be supported by two other wolves which one of them was Charon. Normally it would hurt his pride but strangely he felt none of that.

Charon wanted him to avoid talking but Nishu basically ignored that. There was no better chance to say what he wanted than right now. "Listen.. I think I've been doing all this the wrong way. I haven't been doing what a Knight truly does ever since I came to these lands.." He said weakly. He shouldn't have limited himself to one single wolf. A Knight was suppose to do much more than that. For nearly two years he thought to be doing what a Knight was suppose to do, but it was only today that he discovered that his way was not the best way.

This was the first time he accepted that fact. This had to be the reason he failed so much but now he can correct his path. "So.. to start making this finally right.. I would like to officially join the pack, not as a Knight to Rain, but as a member like everyone else.." He ended with coughing a little more blood out. Just talking was hurting more than anything else and it was also draining. Nishu really felt like he had nothing left like energy. If it wasn't for the pain he was dealing with he would have likely gone to sleep already.

There was a certain pleasure to Nishu's admission of doing things wrong, of his submission, in a way. Charon had always anticipated that perhaps some day they would fight and he would have to forcefully remove Nishu from his pack, for a tension had been building up between them for some time. Now, it seemed that some other form of punishment had made Nishu see that he should stop the landslide he was creating before it was too late. It seemed a peaceful solution was at hand, and it pleased Charon, for it made him feel like the victor. It was a sour victory, considering the poor state Nishu was in, however.

As they supported Nishu to a safe place, these words drifted to the surface and Nishu finally saw that his place was not as some sort of Knight to Rain, but as a member of Moonspear. Truthfully, Charon wondered if Nishu would make it through the night. Thistle Cloud would need to look at these wounds later; perhaps there was something yet left to save. Perhaps it was partially because of what little compassion Charon had and the fact he doubted Nishu would last the night that he said: "Welcome to Moonspear." There was no sarcasm to his words, they were genuine — perhaps, had Nishu been in better state and had he known the full story of what'd happened with the bear, he might've thought differently. But in the poor state Nishu was in, even Charon's heartstrings were strummed, if only by the littlest bit. Nishu was still on thin ice as far as Charon was concerned, but circumstances (divine circumstances, perhaps, even) had knocked him down a peg. If he'd survive, then Charon had some hopes for an attitude refreshment after nearly dying.

She was quiet but dutiful in providing what support she could for Nishu. They had him up and moving, although it was understandably slow going to the secluded overhang she had in mind. The scent of blood and bear was still stinging her nose, even as they left the remainder of the scene behind -- after only a passing glance that suggested those remaining there tend to it appropriately. It did not need said that Nishu warranted the most of their attentions for now (for more reasons than just because he asked for them), though she did worry offhandedly for Wildfire and even Floki. She had not fully gauged their well-being in the aftermath of it all.

But they made it to a full stop and she was biting back her concern, one riled by sight of such injuries and knowing absolutely that even she could not see the fullest extent of it. She was eager to summon Thistle for her more formal prognosis, but wished to get him settled in and halfway comfortable first. In the meantime, she listened.

She knew she visibly tensed when his whole speech was punctuated with coughed up blood. That was worrisome, and the injury she knew couldn't be tended like any other. But she refocused, and sighed softly before she could even begin what to say to him.

To her, he'd always been a part of the pack. Not.. in a traditional sense, but dammit, he had been there for her. Even if it had mainly been for Rain and even if he had an impeccable way of getting right onto Charon's nerves, he still had been there as a part of something in Amekaze's life for a while now. Frustration began to mount and was quickly encouraged by the impending unknown of his survival.. Thankfully, Charon replied simply and reminded her that there had been a request in here, of all things. "Of course," she tacked on behind his words which she had nodded along to.

She did not want to.. ignore his knightly titles and all that it had stood for by saying that she didn't feel this was necessary, but for someone in his (very wounded) position, she was not going to argue. He was officially minted now as a Moonspear wolf, on all accounts. But.. to her, it was just as it had been. Well, minus the injuries which were distracting her majorly. With them, hung a delicate balance. "Now with that settled, you need to rest." she eyed him sternly, although it did little to mask her worry.

It took a while but all together they made it to the overhang where he would be able to rest. It was a bit of a challenge for him to get into some sort of comfortable position. Every little movement came with a large amount of pain, especially in his chest. It was easy to see that it hurts, his eyes would twitch to a half blink while he clenched his teeth together for every shock of pain he felt. He avoided making any kind of noise in order to not appear to be suffer as much.

Nishu found it a bit surprising that he was accepted just like that. To become a Knight or even begin serving someone it took time and normally comes with some kind of test. What made it even more surprise is that it was Charon who seemed to have accepted. Nishu found himself hoping that Charon didn't just accept wolves just because they asked.

While he was laying on side he started acting a little bit like himself, even if he was in such bad condition. "That was a little too easy.. I hope that isn't how all other members got in.." he said while eyeing at Charon, barely able to chuckle a laugh. "To think it took two years and a half for me to become a full knight and then a fall from the cliffs to the sea after fighting off an ambush to become Rain's Knight. I'd figure to join a pack I'd need to work at it like everyone else before getting in officially." Ended his sentence with more coughing. "Never thought a real injury would be this painful.."

Charon was relieved when they got Nishu into a good position where he could rest. He offered, "Call for Thistle Cloud if you want to have her take a look at these wounds. I'd reccomend it." He wasn't going to do it for Nishu, for it was a thing only he could estimate whether or not he needed it — though he certainly looked like he did. Thistle was the pack's only healer as far as Charon knew, so it would be wise for him to see her, but since it was Nishu, who knew what would happen.

At Nishu's surprise, Charon scoffed. "If you weren't a member of this pack, you'd be dead now," he said cynically. Perhaps he was softened by Nishu's pain and the fact that Charon was not sure at all if Nishu'd last the night to start with. His words were truly how he felt, though; if not by the bear's claws, then by the claws of Moonspear would Nishu have been dead had he not been a member. And that was perhaps the third reason why Charon was so easy letting him in: in Charon's eyes, he had been a part of Moonspear ever since the day of its conception.

Charon knew that real injuries could be painful, and thought back to his own. He remembered well the day that Amekaze had found him out along the Sunspire mountain range, after his fight with Dante. Ironically it'd been good, as it'd been the start of the pack's merge, but he remembered seeing Ame's face and thinking she was a valkyrie, there to retrieve him to valhalla (though in hindsight, he doubted valhalla was really a place — he would find out the day he died, he supposed).

Eventually he taped onto his previous statement, a confident smile on his face: "To get in isn't the hardest part. To stay in and prove your worth is." Nishu had as of yet not really proven his worth in Charon's eyes, and Amekaze was really the only reason he was still a part of Charon's pack at all. But he wanted a fresh start, and so he would get a second chance; hopefully he would prove himself this time.

Amekaze was finding that she did not have a lot to say. She was aching too.. but it felt so beyond overshadowed by everything now that all she was beginning to feel was just tired. Tired of worrying, tired of having the wretched bears loom in the background of nearly everything here on the mountain, just worn out and far too eager to move on past this with everything she valued in one piece. Even now with one of them slain and laying dead (and in the bellies of some of her packmates as well), she still could not seem to revel in their success. Not yet. 

But she still listened. Charon suggested Thistle, although Amekaze wondered if Nishu would even accept any treatment without a fight. Stubborn pride, and all that, which she could understand. She didn't like being tended in that manner either so was curious to hear his reaction to it, especially when there were still no guarantees with or without.

While it did ease her to see some of his typical attitude show through far more than before, she was still not feeling relieved about this. He was far from in the clear. "Trust me, it is not so easy. I already know what you are capable of, and he is right.. this is just the beginning," she filled in. In his position, there was not much she could even demand of him besides that he mend so that his strength may return to the pack anyway. One step at a time. She still pushed herself to be vaguely hopeful for a future. 

Joining a pack sounded more like when he first started training as a Knight. At the beginning it was always a struggle to find a place where one would truly belong in. Time and training was needed to rise up until finally the place where one would belong to is finally obtain. It doesn't end there once that place is found and reached. Next that followed was maintenance in order to keep that place. There was always work to be done, it was never over and that was something he understood.

Charon suggested to call in the healer but of course Nishu couldn't just let someone tend to him. This was a perfect chance for him to grow even tougher than he was before. Treatment, medicine, and that healer stuff, He had always believed it was best to let the body do all the work. He protested "There isn't any need for the healer. A little.." He was interrupted by the urge to cough and as he coughed more blood followed but that didn't stop him from finishing. "A little rest and I'll be fine in no time, just like every other time."

He attempted to take a deep breath but struggled a bit. It still hurts to breathe. Since now he was a member he was going to need to prove himself. Clearly he can't do anything right now but he also wasn't too sure what a pack member really does. "What exactly does a pack member do actually?" He asked. "Surely it can't be as difficult as Knight training." It could be an unusual question but Nishu had never experienced what it is like to be just a member. It's always been Knights do this Knights do that. It still felt like it would be a little difficult to do something new but surely he should be able to pull it off.

Charon exchanged a glance with Amekaze when Nishu broke into a fit of coughs mid-sentence. He didn't regret re-accepting Nishu into Moonspear, but he was once more reminded of the reason behind his sympathy; he wasn't so sure that Nishu would make it through the next week. To be honest, Charon didn't really feel like talking; it was probably better for Nishu to rest up, or whatever. Though he felt softened, knowing the pain that Nishu went through, Charon wasn't suddenly Nishu's best friend. A dark part of him thought that maybe it'd be better would Nishu not survive, but he would never tell that to anyone — especially not Amekaze. It was obvious that she still cared for Nishu despite his brash and stubborn behaviour, and it was by her graces that Nishu would survive and become a real member of Moonspear.

The only thing that kept him by Nishu's side now that they had reached their destination was also Amekaze. She looked weary, and Charon would've normally left by now, were it not that he wanted to support his Alpha Female. "Wolf stuff," he replied with the same cynical tone he'd used before. "We can talk about it later, when you feel better." Charon did not really believe that anything he told Nishu now would stick at all, so what was the use?

She eyed him warily as he declined a healer and proceeded to cough up more blood in practically the same breath. He seemed assured that rest would be enough to help, although his mention of just like every other time seemed to hang in the air to her -- had it ever been this bad for him? If he believed that deep in his bones, then so be it, but Amekaze held fast to her skepticism, and knew that there was no telling until it was all said and done. The hours that would follow would be critical, she sensed, and within them he could turn for better or for worse in no time. Depending on how he seemed come morning, then she'd know whether mustering up hope was a waste or not. "If you are sure.." she eventually managed to agree, although didn't sound entirely convinced.

Charon answered concisely and Ame, too, wasn't interested in elaborate responses right now. Nishu seemed pretty aware of himself and all things, but she had to wonder how long that would last. She also wondered how many more of those coughing fits he could sustain.. and since those seemed to be irritated by conversation (or maybe just him being was enough? she couldn't tell), she wanted to keep that to a minimum if they could. "Exactly. Rest up, and you will see it for yourself," she said. While never normally so dismissive of wolves wanting to understand the intricacies of the way pack life ran here, this was not the time and place for it.

"Is there anything else you need right now? I want to go check on the others, and clean my side.." she asked Nishu and felt itchiness twitch at where the bear's claws had raked her; she needed to pick the fur off the edge of the wound first before it scabbed up messily. That, and she wanted time alone to process this, although it was a guarantee that she would pass back by here to see how he fared once she had cleared her head better.

No real answer for his question was given. He figured that there were more important matters the Alphas needed to attend. With this injury he had plenty of time to guess what wolves normally do. He has been around him for long period of time, he should be able to guess at least a few things correctly. He wondered how Rain was going right now though. He eyed at this broken leg, 'so this is what she felt.' The pain that comes with it was definitely no joke.

It was really only now that he noticed he was taking a little too much attention. "Seems I've taken a little too much of your time, I apologize." He paused as he resisted coughing. "I'll be fine here, I'll be able to move around soon so there is no need to worry." He said confidently. Truly Nishu believed that this was the same as a little cut. It will heal in no time. That time was likely much much longer than what Nishu expected.

Maybe if he had been a better wolf, Charon would've found his heartstrings thrummed by Nishu's suggestion that he had taken up too much of his Alphas' time already. As things were, though, he just felt like it was another pathetic attempt to get more attention. Part of Charon felt guilty for thinking so lowly of his pack mate even in his darkest hours, those which he may not even survive — but he had never liked Nishu, and vice versa, and there was something about a wolf garnering sympathy by being hurt or special in some other way he didn't like (perhaps because he, as a child, had often exaggerated tragic stories to garner sympathy and attention, himself; not that he would ever admit such a thing).

"Rest up," he told Nishu. Charon affectionately ran his nose along Amekaze's neck in reassurance for the state her friend was in, before he slipped away from the scene to allow Nishu to rest up as best he could.

Her ears fanned back; it wasn't necessarily that he was taking too much of her time, it was more that she was at the end of what she could do right here and now. She needed to step back, take care of a few things, then this would be something she could approach with a plan in mind. For now, rest. Everyone needed to rest and there was nothing about that she could do besides leave them all to it. So, she wasn't going to argue the matter and prepared to step back in full.

A worried, minty stare lingered on Nishu just a little extra before she murmured a vague farewell. Right after Charon left, she did the same and went off on her own.