Qeya River i'm fixing a hole

vilkas's teeth grasp onto lily's soaked fur and scruff as the stranger lets go; but lily's body is limp with unconsciousness ( or, at least that is what vilkas hopes what it is ) and the current still tries to to claim her. the firebrand wants to be gentle but the reality is he pulls her onto the bank with some struggle ( thankful that she is as petite as she is ) he's not as gentle as he'd have liked to have been. he releases her scruff and circles tightly around lily, ears alert as he stares at her flank struggling for a moment in the rush of adrenaline and the pound of his heart in his heart like an insistent war drum to determine if she's breathing or not. she is, he deduces with a rush of relief a moment later, but they are small and shallow draws of breath. trepidation and concern immediately make their play by seizing and conquering his very brief moment of relief.

vilkas understands abruptly that he's out of his depth. he takes lives: he does not know how to save them. there's a good possibility that she's gotten water in her lungs and that if it is not expelled she would drown despite being on dry land. "stay with me lily. you're not allowed to die." he murmurs to her and then looks wildly for the stranger, suddenly remembering that they were not alone. his gaze lands upon the other — also a woman — who looks to them with ragged breath. "she's breathing but not well," the raptorial firebrand speaks to the unknown woman ...the woman whom had fearlessly thrown herself into the raging waters to save the shadow-kissed woman at his paws. whether lily survived or not vilkas realizes that he owes this stranger a serious debt ...but there would be time to talk about that later. lily was his most pressing concern.

"you wouldn't happen to be a healer, would you?" vilkas inquires, glancing down at lily shortly after. he hates to ask for more help, the stranger has already went above and beyond. with ear cocked in the stranger's direction to catch her response, vilkas attempts to rouse her to consciousness with nudges that vary in pressure and small licks to her face. it's what instinct tells him to do. for the first time he doubts his own instincts with lily's life hanging precariously in the balance.