Northstar Vale Lost but not forgotten.

Having hovered in a crouch, once she had nestled on the ground, Raheerah pulled himself back into his normal posture. He lingered closer to her, but still did not touch her, protectively coiling around her mangled body. His gaze reached out to her, to see the twistedness of her spine and the uselessness of her legs behind her. She would be unable to move, at least, that was his diagnosis; legs like that he had only seen in cripples, rendered motionless by the loss of control in their limbs. Her tail, too, was missing half of it; as if the snow had tried to slough off her lower half, succeeding only in the sensation of it. It pained him further. He wondered if this was some punishment for his latency in finding her. He should not have let Xi'nuata hold his attention for so long.

Suddenly she moved in close, pressing her nose into his fur, but only barely. His gaze snapped back down to her muzzle, realizing that she could only drag herself closer to him without the use of her hind legs. He inched closer to her, allowing her to make the contact she had yearned for before, biting back the guilt that would swell in him. A collection of disjointed words flew out of her mouth, forcing the dragon to furrow his brow and attempt to piece together meaning for them. "Xi'nuataaa. Acaaciiaa. The monk." He spoke the word with audible distaste. "Theeey escaaped. Iii uncoverreed Laaarch, as wellll. Iiin my search for yoouu." No semblance of regret or sorrow would tint his words as he spoke of the avalanche. He lacked it, as he lacked joy and love; he cared little for the survival of others, despite knowing he should. "Thaaat is aaall." He added stoicly.

The beast wrinkled his nose, glancing once more at her hind end to follow up on her first observation. "Bloood, yes." Raheerah confirmed. "Yoouur blood." He twitched his lips into a frown and fixed his gaze back on the empty stare of his Goddess, pushing forward another whine.