Twisted Slough in the big rock candy mountains, all the cops have wooden legs

Powerplaying the puppies, @Sirius in particular.

@Hemlock, want to get in on this for Caregiver? It could be a Medic one, too.

@Pendragon, feel free to find the queen cowering like a useless pile of fur.

A strangled whine of pain crawled weakly from Lotte’s lips, shredding itself on the tightly clenched fangs it weaseled between. She issued a short, clipped howl — “Stay together!” — and immediately sought out Olive and Dakarai’s brood, winding her way through the fog and chasing away the current sentry with a low chuff. She had no way of knowing that Pendragon was on her trail or that he’d recently been relieved of his own duty. What she did know was that something in the air smelled off — and it was centered around the chubby-cheeked trio. Peering intently at the three of them, she noticed that whereas Cassiopeia and Aries were bright-eyed and bobble-headed, Sirius was practically listless in comparison. He was sleeping, but there was something different about him. His little body was chilled, and Lotte hurriedly hunkered down beside the three, tucking them against her thickly-furred décolletage. To stimulate the heather gray cub, she groomed him roughly, her tongue swiping insistently over his little body until he wriggled and fussed.

Rudimentary battle medicine was the most Lotte could manage — illness was beyond her abilities. She tipped back her head, intending to call for Hemlock, but just as she drew breath to do so, thunder rolled and lightning crashed, briefly illuminating the mire and turning the twisted trees into creatures of nightmare.

Fortunately, the puppies were still basically deaf.

Unfortunately, Lotte wasn’t.

The last time the smoke-and-shadow rogue had witnessed a thunderstorm, her entire home had been obliterated — Deirdre and Starbuck and Witchhazel and Castiel had disappeared — Lotte herself had nearly died. She had so much more to lose now, and she was utterly terrified. Trembling uncontrollably, she bent her body so that her throat and chin protected the children — and it would have all seemed very gallant and protective if it wasn’t for her squeezed shut eyes and traitorously whimpering throat.