Herbalists' Cache i never meant to be a savior

so sorry love

the sheer dumb face faded quickly as soon as the frail figure moved. gods, she was as tiny as he remembered from their childhood, but now she was dangerously thin as well. her pale fur against the chill, it seemed natural, but with his root memories of her being from so far south, she seemed out of place. but only after his frantic gaze studied her over did he realize what was truly wrong.

her fur was unkempt. her belly sucked in, empty. her movements, when she did move, were weak and shaky. her voice a ragged shadow of what it used to be, what it should be. it left a pit deep in his gut, twisted and turned. it brought flashes of ibis to his mind.

how could he be failing everyone?

"sh shh wren yea. yea it's me..." he made a conscious effort as he closed in on her, hovering protectively, to keep his voice low, short. to hold back the panic and worry that he knew would otherwise be heavy in his words. ten thousand questions flooded his mind, but of everything he knew in the moment, it was that there was no time for any of them.

"wren i... ima get you outta here 'kay?" he glanced around hurriedly, the urgency of his original mission gnawing at him. would he have to choose which friend in his life to actively save, and which to passively leave behind? no. no, he couldn't allow himself to think about it like that. first things first. "wren ima take ya somewhere safe. ima take ya t'get better."

dipping down ever so carefully, he tried to nudge his maw under her neck and shoulders, trying to find a way to gently maneuver her onto him. but each time he did he found himself halting after the slightest effort, anxious he was hurting her. "are ya okay? i'll carry ya if... if y'need me to..." because right now ten thousand more questions and doubts filled his mind. flurrying about.

and he had answers to exactly one of them:
she couldn't stay here.


@Wren