Redsand Canyon When we were kids in the backyard

Set upon her return after running into Bronco.
Tagging @Germanicus, @Killdeer, and @Fennec as per requested! A bit poorly and hastily written, but I wanted to get this out before I take the long drive home from work. hehe

Last minute thought, but tagging @Bronco as well in case maybe he would overhear the incident and decide to come on site.

The return home had seemed longer than it should have been. Had she taken a wrong turn? No ... — perhaps she had been so caught in a daze that she couldn't recall what time had passed. But she itched to be there soon, for her patience after today's events was thinning.

Soon, the familiar scents of Mereo came to her. Relieved beyond belief, Ali quickened her pace, breaking into a run. 

And with the excitement, perceptibility seemed to be something she lost all too easily. 

Before she could even grasp a reaction, the woman was sent tumbling forward at a lengthy decline. Down, down, down the hill she rolled. It was a clear path, mostly. Though, not at the bottom. Through most of the fall, she felt only the earth scraping at her flanks and cheeks. But once the bottom seemed near, she felt a sharp, brisk pain in her haunch area. 

The reaction was not missed this time. The pain seared through her entire body, and in response, a loud, pained howl escaped her. Her forepaws flailed against the earth, head struggling to lift itself to try to get a glance at what may have caused this sudden pain. But she couldn't quite manage it.

Again and again, Alstroemeria tried her best to move, fidgeting left and right. Though, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move than a centimeter or so—which only counted for the frontal portion of her body. As for the rest, it was realized with a heavy pang in her heart that she could not move it.

Eventually, her efforts ceased. Defeated, the woman lay sprawled there. Lifeless, but breathing; eyes barely keeping themselves open. She knew better, though, and refused to let them close for too long.

Small whines sounded, here and there. But any louder, and she feared she may send a second startling shriek. This, she wouldn't do. So then when her voice would break out, Ali would simply hope in desperate silence that someone would come. And soon.

the running allowed his mind to clear.

it worked freely now. germanicus felt constrained from the webs which had constrained his ability as tactician.

sharp ears darting to the left as he heard skidding and earthrush. the imperator veered at once.

he saw a swathe of recently degraded mountain and approached carefully. the sound he had heard was a freshfall of red earth. germanicus saw at once the marks of wolf-claw in the scored stone face.

and he knew by scent who had taken this fall.

he trekked down carefully, sending a call for @Cad to direct the others where to follow, to assist the imperatrix with anything necessary.

it took him a long while to choose a path safely down where he might be followed. "domina," he said, dropping lightly near the whining woman. his yellow eyes flickered over her body. she was hurt, and horribly so, but even in his wisdom he could not see its true magnitude.

the imperator put out her paw for alstroemeria to grasp, understanding she could not yet be moved. he sat over her, the eddies of stone-dust and dirt caught upon him rather than her downed frame. "exaudi vocem meam."

stay awake.

There was pain, and then there was not. Movement, then stillness. Fridigness, then warmth. Back and forth the cycle went.

Her ears were not quite attuned to her surroundings. But when a breath came, and then a voice, Alstromeria's head jerked sideways.

The familiar form of Germanicus was beside her. Hic es— She croaked, ear swiveling towards him. 

Momentarily forgetting her lack of mobility, she tried to shift closer, but didn't get very far. Panting, she reached for his paw. Then pointing with her nose, she gestured to her rear legs. Non potest movere eos... Another croak, broken by a whine. Speaking was difficult, but she could not direct him without words.

"fennec is coming, i am sure," he said, stepping back once more to call for his wife.

he returned to her side and flicked his eyes over her injured body. "you must have been struck in the fall. lie still," he urged. 

another call, this time for @Glaukos, in case the man was close enough from his ranging to hear.

Lie still. A gurgled chuckle bubbled, but burst quickly, throat giving out. That's all I can do. Even in moments of peril, the aging woman still found a path to humor.

It has to be the spine... my back, After thinking on it, this was all she could come to conclude. A fracture, most likely. Gesturing to his paw with a gentle whack of her own, she turned her head slightly towards him. Feel along the center and see if there is any misalignment or overly noticeable bumps that seem like they don't belong.

And here she was... playing doctor to her own self.

germanicus did as he was bid. "i think there is a jutting here," toward the middle of her back. "but i cannot be sure."

he gazed at her. "how is best to move you, domina?" for she could not remain here.

A jutting. He could see it. But it frustrated Ali that she could not.

The best way to move, she then pondered.

Until the injury can be better assessed— A pause followed, the woman wincing slightly after having moved her head to far. ... the body ... You aren't treating another patient, but yourself! She had to remind herself. My body, She corrected herself. Must be kept in the most neutral position possible. Lifting is dangerous.

Now to think of another way. But nothing came to mind. She looked to Germanicus, hopeful that perhaps he had an idea of how to go about this. He knew the terms and dangers now. But now to find a solution from it.

swiftly his mind worked.

germanicus stepped aside and when he returned it was with a sledge of heavy pine, dragged by his honed body.

he stared down at her in unknowingness, then glanced at the clifftops. she should not be moved.

"we can take you back with this."

The shadow of the imperator vanished, but only to return a short while after.

That will work, yes. For a moment she considered pushing herself into it to save him the extra trouble, but soon realized that twisting her body would only worsen whatever injury she had sustained.

With an apologetic glance, Ali looked back up towards him. Moving myself is too risky. I can't move my body that way. Slowly drag me by the scruff, head first. An amusing thought struck her then. And don't worry about hurting my neck, Ali chuckled. Not like you can hurt me any more than I already am. Crude humor, but it seemed fitting to lighten the mood by one way or other.

he did not like this.

but he did as he was bid.

"shall we wait a little longer?" the imperator asked. he felt foolish, useful only for the careful hone of his body which he had used to move the lady.

Wait. Not something she wanted to do. But she also didn't want Germanicus to exert himself too much.

If you want... Her voice trailed, thoughts roaming.

If this injury was to remain permanent, Alstroemeria feared for her future, and especially that of Mereo. She was no use to anyone like this.

Imperator... Throat now dry, she struggled. If- if nothing changes... I will no longer be able to serve Mereo. I cannot do much at all like this. Much of anything. She would no longer hunt for herself, be able to bathe herself properly, nor move from place to place. She would be utterly useless.

"your worth comes from more than what is physical."

he did not wish to wait. he would help slowly to draw her onto the makeshift sledge.

"the rest can be discovered when you are safe, domina."

germanicus took up the end of the branch and began the arduous drag back toward the commons.