Redhawk Caldera Kintsukuroi

The sun had risen just over the horizon, lifting with it the mists from the lands where the leaves were already begnning to become a bit dry. t would only be a matter of weeks before the golden touch of sun lingered in their colours, replacing the vibrant green of spring and summer. A sparrow flew overhead as the silvered male made his way slowly back to the borders of the pack on thin and still weak legs, though with every passing moment his body seemed to feel more and more lke itself, rid of the poison that had temporarily inhabited his system. He felt as though he'd been split open and left, cracked, chipped and broken when he'd told the faithful (but fortunately not too faithful) Sassafras to bury him alive to keep all other wolves safe from whatever poison it was he'd consumed. But time has passed and he felt now as though gold had been poured into his wounds, pulling those broken pieces back together and making something that showed its former fragments, but was more beautiful as a whole now, even with its past imperfections. 

Shrike was thinner than he'd ever been in his life, partially because of the famine and because his priority was to aid the others in the pack who needed the food more than himself, but also partially due to the illness that had taken him. He felt exhausted, but well and whole; breathing came easily to him, he no longer coughed or tasted blood on his spittle. Sure his mind was still a bit foggy from exhaustion, and he was quite lethargic, but in good spirits now that he knew he'd fulfilled the task he'd set for himself. He was not sure how Peregrine felt, given that Shrike had denied him the pleasure of defacing the murderer's corpse, but he hoped that the alpha would see past that and feel relieved that the murderer was dead and buried. Harmless.

Still, he could not be too sure. He and Sassafras had made the journey back to the border together, but fearing she might come into some harm he dawdled behind, allowing her to return to the home he knew she would feel secure returning to. He'd lost sight of her beyond the borders, and then he diverted his path to wander along the borders, half wondering if he was still welcome, but even if he wasn't, he wanted to do one more patrol and hopefully come across someone along his path that might reassure him.