Shadewood Arrowbella half walked, half stumbled across the woods

Arrowbella half walked, half stumbled across the woods, paying no attention to where she was going. She could barely keep her eyes open as she moved along. Often she would catch her self drifting to sleep. She was caked in mud, from tumbling down the hill. Her stomach kept growling from the lack of food. Her tongue hung out of her mouth, trying to locate water, as her mouth was dry. She tried to bark but nothing happened. She was, all in all, miserable. She tripped over her feet and landed with a thud in the middle of a trail. Too tired to get up, she continued to lay as sleep took over. "So this is how i'm going to die." She thought. A small ironic smile tried to grow across her lips, but it couldn't yet do it. Her last view of the area was of the trees on either side, and the sun shining down so perfectly, she felt like she had ruined a perfect picture.

He was some semblance near Shadewood, but the urge to simply be up and out forced him to his fours in the dead of night. Unaware whether @Kai was wanting to go with him or not, he left the fae to both patrol the borders, and make do with any hunting that he could. Rubbing himself across any trees he came affront of, the Phantom Guardian patrolled through the fog like a ghost searching for his next haunt. Instead, his nose led him to a heap of fur and labored breathing, and a single strip of white against the edge of her spine. It was female, as previously noted, and they seemed to be on the brink of exhaustion.

"Hey," he nosed into her scruff with the intent of waking her up, hoping she was conscious enough to speak. If she couldn't, he would attempt to drag her back to the woods, keeping her out of sight from predators and enemies, alike. The front half of teeth notched into her dark scruff, pulling her until he felt she was shielded enough in the woods.

She heard what she assumed a male wolf say something, but she was too tired to notice. To her it seemed like a voice in the unconsciousness. She assumed it was fake. Until she felt a gentle thump thump and her body being dragged across the ground. She tried to open her eyes but could only manage to open them half way. She couldn't remember where she was or how she got there. Frankly, she didn't care. She was to weak to do anything about it. She used all the strength she had and lifted her head slightly off the ground. She could make out a male wolfs body standing, but it was to dark to notice anything else. 


"Help me, please" she whined. 


Then her strength gave out and her head fell down bringing her back to unconsciousness.

The naiad twitched in her sleep, leaves rustling where they were piled over her small form. 

A soft whine of fear escaped her, nearly inaudible, as her legs began to twitch in earnest. 

"Speak."

"Speak."

"Speak."

Always, always demanding she heal the mental wounds inflicted by the Sea's battering. An endless night punctuated by his occasional presence and the periods of pain he brought. 

Always, always demanding she break her silence until the naiad had nearly forgotten how to speak.

"Speak and I'll spare you."

It was not his voice she heard this time. It was Cry's.

Kai sprung upwards, panicked whines slipping from her jaws as the witch whirled this way and that in search of him.

Her heart slowed, her spotted sides heaving as her pants calmed. The witch swallowed heavily, her glass orbs slipping shut as she gritted her teeth. 

Get a hold of yourself. 

It was a moment before she realized Cry's absence, frightened as she had been. Something haunted lingered in her gaze as it swept the surrounding area for him but the raven was nowhere to be seen. Knowing she would be unable to sleep now, Kai hesitantly padded into the dark confines of the timber in search of her companion. 

The dryad materialized seemingly from the night itself, cracked gaze landing on the woman at Cry's feet. She approached, sniffing the unconscious form with concern.

This woman was once her.

"I...h..help," she managed to get out, brushing her muzzle against Cry as she whisked past him into the forest. Kai's berry-stained paws led her to the beginnings of a cache where she'd stored a few rudimentary herbs. Gathering a bundle of the pungent plants in her slashed maw, she returned to Cry's side. 

She could not explain how to use the medicines, she had no words, but Kai knew the titan would know what to do simply by watching her. The witch carefully licked mud from the woman's wounds to ensure they were clean before taking the herbs in her mouth.

She chewed a combination of goldenrod, and oak leaves, smearing it on the stranger's wounds. Her eyes turned to Cry then, seeking his assistance in shifting the woman so that Kai could wrap the injuries with cobwebs. Chamomile rested at her feet, for the woman to ingest once she woke up. 

"I," she began. "I will take care of her," Kai vowed as her glass gaze met Cry's wintry one. The naiad felt she had to protect the woman, to see her healed - perhaps because she was reminded of herself when she met Cry.

She had come from Shadewood as steadily and stealthily as though she had lived there for a many of cycles. He had watched her depart from the abyss as an intent and curious worry settled into her clear blue irises. As she greeted him, he returned the appreciation of her presence with a grateful kiss across the top of her speckled crown.

Seemingly just before Kai had come to aid him, the youth before them had passed into unconsciousness. His own worry set as this dark child had clearly needed assistance, but Cry was not prepared to help her, yet Kai was already on the move. Collected as she was, Cry could see her determination set in her short and stocky frame. The Sea-Found has made her mind up. 

Taking a step back to give her room to work, the shadowy guardian stayed near in case it be needed. Soon it was, as she silently asked him to flip the unconscious wolfette over to finish her dressage. Obliging immediately, Cry turned the body over and returned to stepping back to give Kai her space. 

With resolute standing, she faced Cry with a strict and single letter. ‘I.’ Everything in him wanted to protest, to tell her she herself needed to be well before she went working on anyone else’s ailments. But seeing that sound promise in her eyes prevented the avalanche of command from the Phantom Prince. Instead, he handed her the won over duty, but with a parting passage of words.  “Take care of yourself as much you do your ward, Kai.”  

And as he finished, he left her to it. Internally he mused over Gwen’s prophecy; seemed the Empress had a knack for telling the future. And hopefully, this future was going to be a bright one.

Arrowbella awoke to find it morning. She didn't know what day it was, but she hoped it was the next. She rolled over into a sitting position. It was then she noticed her wounds were dressed and cleaned. She didn't know who did it, or even who would take the time to care for her. After all, she was nobody. 

"It's better to leave. You'll never make any friends, or fate be have it, a family. Just go before you get yourself caught up in a battle you're going to loose." She whispered to herself out loud.

She began to stand, but thought better of it. Something, she didn't know what, but something urged her to stay there. 

"Great, now look what you got yourself into. Your waiting for someone to come and help you like a pathetic little wolf. When will you realize no body likes you. Those who get close to you die." She scolded herself. 

Still, she sat and waited for something, anything to happen.

Cry agreed, leaving Kai with her newfound patient.

The naiad watched his dark form be swallowed by the forest, remembering her promise. Her wounds too were smeared with poultices and bound with cobwebs - she and this unknown girl matched.

Kai snorted softly at the thought, for what an odd pair were they. Her glass eyes fell on the unconscious form, wondering how she could possibly move her. When it seemed the ebony fae would be remaining where she was for the night, the wolfdog piled some dead leaves around her for warmth and slipped away to curl herself into a pile of dead foliage nearby.

Exhausted, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

---

 Morning was not what woke her, nor the calls of birds but the soft whisperings of a voice that was definitely not Cry.

For moment, fear clenched her heart and she froze - determined if she didn't move then the other would be unable to detect her amongst her nest of leaves. 

The night before came rushing back to her - the nightmare, searching for Cry, finding him with the girl and treating her wounds. It seemed her patient was awake. 

Excitedly, a small, speckled head popped out of the nearby pile of leaves. Standing, Kai shook the dead leaves from her matted coat - at least ridding herself of the ones that weren't caught in her locs. 

Padding closer, an eerie cracked gaze took in the girl - who reminded the witch vaguely of a skunk with her dark coat and pale stripe. 

"Kai," she rasped softly as she neared, head and shoulders lowered to appear smaller. Her tail remained low, wagging gently with welcome. The last thing she wanted was to frighten the girl. 

"I..he-help," the naiad gestured to the bandages as she spoke, dipping her head once as she waited for the girl to respond. 

Arrow watched as a female wolf appeared in front of her.

"I he-help" it had said.

"Did you wrap my wounds?" she asked.

Kai's head dipped once more, in agreement. 

"What happened to you?" She mouthed, her nose hesitantly gesturing to the dark lady's bandaged wounds. They didn't see to be inflicted by another of their kind, like the ones littering Kai's small form, yet they seemed severe; leading the naiad to wonder what mishap had befallen Arrowbella. 

The question left Arrow to wonder? What had happened? When didn't quite remember. 

 "I...I don't know. I don't remember. There was a dark voice. It sounded familiar. And then, the earth was gone and I fell. Over there." 

The wolf turned left pointing her nose in the path she came from. 

" And then I tried walking but I couldn't " 

she turned her face back towards the wolf in front of her. 

 "And you helped me. Why ? No one has ever helped me before"

Her eyes got cloudy as she remembered her half mom. She had definitely helped her. How could she be so stupid?

 "Well, there was one person.... But, she's dead now" 

The wolf defiled its head in a sad gesture then instantly changed her mind and put on a light, if not forced, smile.

 "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

 Arrow didn't trust many people. But she couldn't help trusting the girl in front of her.

Kai shuddered slightly at the recollection - for it reminded her all too much of her own experience with the dark and the unfamiliar voice. 

"I..I help," she shrugged her slender shoulders, unable to explain. The sea witch could barely explain it to herself. Cry had seemed ready to abandon the girl on the edges of the Keep, to fare on her own but Kai could not. The girl had been injured, in need of help. So she gave it, simple as that. 

Empathy shone in her eyes as she muzzled the girl gently in comfort. She'd had Elin until the vixen disappeared - presumably dead. 

"Kai," she rasped softly. "Lost. C-Cry." 

"Cry? Last night, I saw a wolf standing over me... was that him?"

She strained trying to remember the unfortunate events of the days before. Blank. She felt the wind ripple through her fur and she shivered.

"It's cold out here. Is there a place we can go?"

Her spotted head dipped in confirmation. 

"Come," she stated simply, nimble paws whirling as she gestured for Arrowbella to follow with a sweep of her muzzle. 

Leading her new charge further into the Keep, into a new life, her form was swallowed by the trees. 

Arrow followed, unsure of wear she was going. But she could tell, before going anywhere, the place they were going was beautiful. Fall was her favorite time of year, and she loved the trees surrounding the area. Her heart jumped with joy, a thing it rarely did, and Arrow, for the first time in a long time, felt happy.