Arrow Lake A pretty picture but the scenery is so loud

@Asterr


 Reality was overwhelming, the colours too bright, the sounds too loud. The young shadowy wolf had retreated to the depths of her mind. Her mind just kept playing her memories, in a twisted, painful way. Every memory leaked into the other. 


 The nightmarish movie began at the night of her mother's death. The fire seemed to be screaming, or was it her? She tried running, but everything was slow motion. The image of her mother dying had burned its way into her mind. Next memory, Haunted Woods. The image of Grimnir had made her shiver, but she had felt different at the time. She was too tired to feel afraid, it must've been. It was all a blur after that, and her brain decided to stop at the next traumatising thing; when that wolf tried to eat her. Her last stop was at the worst thing yet, the bear. Her mind halted, then slowly played the memory. The last thing she could properly remember was the fiery pain as she got flung away from the monster.


 A soft whimper escaped her lips as the memory replayed again and again.

gonna keep this vague

Assuming some things, PM me if it's too much! c: Also, love the title < 3

Asterr had not forgotten the girl she'd decided to take in, having dropped her off at a location that had seemed safe enough. Though she'd then left the scene, leaving the injured wolf behind, the girl's mind had not pushed the memory away. With things in the lair having settled, the young chieftess had departed from the territory, her destination set. This time around, she'd slipped away without a warning being given, knowing her absence would not be long. It was a troubling case, the injured female, yet she could not abandon the other. No, to do so would be to condemn her to death, and the dragoness would not bear the weight of such a decision upon her shoulders. It her was her unwillingness to let someone she could help die, as well as her benevolent nature, that had driven the girl to inwardly insist upon saving her—and it was her morality that gave her the mental strength to give nothing less than her best.

Along the way, she'd been able to locate several groupings of plantain; something often looked upon as a pesky weed, but she knew to harbour wonderful healing properties. She had harvest several of the plants, digging them up roots and all, before continuing with her trek towards the lake. While she would have rather obtained another plant as well, the weather made it obvious that searching for it would be futile. It was dumb luck that the plantain had already started to show itself, but then again, weeds were always the hardest to get rid of. And so she'd accepted it as being her only usable source for the time being, not yet ready to delve into all her home had to offer. Of course, had the one she'd decided to save been a member of her tribe, she'd hold no qualms with searching high and low throughout the entire lair. Since the other girl was merely a loner, however, she simply could not bring herself to do that; the idea of stealing valuable resources from her own tribe was appalling.

The yearling's descent towards the lake had been slow, the path troublesome but not so much so that she'd take another. No, she'd pushed through the difficulties until her paws had touched down onto flatter lands, where she'd then proceeded to head straight for the space she'd left the injured girl in. It was small, only able to lessen the forces of nature rather than rid it's occupant of feeling them entirely, but it had been enough. As Asterr approached, a quiet whimper alerted her to the fact that, not only was her ward still alive, but she had not fled from the area. Against the idea of wasting time, the dragoness' approach was brisk, placing the plants down just outside the younger's reach. "Hello again," the Draconid girl murmured, her tone soothing. "Your wounds, have you been able to lick them?" Whether or not the stranger would even be able to answer her, Asterr had no idea. No matter, she would wait and see, just to be on the safe side.

Her mismatched eyes fluttered open, alarmed from the noise. Even now, she felt on edge, as if something were to attack her at any moment. Her instincts screamed for her to run, but the black wolf had lost all her energy. The most she could do was hold her head up. The only thing in focus was the wolf. With an open mouth to answer, she was surprised when her body stopped her. 

 'Talking could bring the bear back!', it said. She had only the knowledge of a very young wolf, so she didn't really think of the decision wisely. Instead, she closed her mouth and just shook her head, the thought never came to her. Even if it did, she would have to turn, which would stretch the wound, painfully. She could smell the familiar scent of herbs, but her nose stung with the metallic smell of her own blood.

The fluttering of the younger's gaze only served as further proof of the life she continued to possess, that her soul had yet to leave it's capsule. She observed the other female as her head was raised, noting how she must have managed to retrieve some of her strength. It was small, really, but it was progress all the same. As long as the stranger continued to stay on the incline, hope remained. However, still, it was troubling that the girl could form no words. Whether it was by choice or not, that was something the young medic could not diagnose. Without the knowledge of what it was that caused her silence, the dragoness settled for wordless responses.

With her question answered, Asterr could not prevent a sigh from slipping passed her lips. "Do not move anymore, lay back down." As she spoke, the girl had turned away, her form slowly disappearing from the injured one's line of sight. It was not far off that she'd gone, though, as she'd been quick to locate a small cluster of large rocks. They were much too big for her to knock over, but the spaces between them were spread just enough for her to weasel her slender muzzle in and pluck away at the thin coating of moss. When she had managed to secure a decent grip upon the blanket and pulled back, a full view of what she had to work with was offered. It wasn't much, but just enough to get by on for the time being. Silently, she'd calculated for how long it might last, before proceeding to then (very gently) pull a smaller clump from the mass. The rest was scooted back between the rocks for safe keeping, while the clump she'd specifically chosen was taken over to the water's edge. Gingerly, worrying that the current might rip it from her grasp, she lowered her muzzle down into the water, letting the moss absorb as much of it as possible. Once satisfied, the chieftess had returned to Lunae's side.

"This will be cold, and may even sting, but do not pull away," the elder of the two commanded, a discreet edge to her voice being added to better get her point across. Whether the girl tried to squirm or not, it would not matter. Asterr would continue to move closer to her, before leaning in and tending to her wounds. The first step was to clean away as much of the blood as possible, and that which would not come free willingly would be pulled away with soft nips. She'd done a similar thing to Leo a long ways back, removing the scabs so that she could ensure every inch of the wound did not go without a good cleansing. The same was to be done to her current ward.

Her protests died in her throat, and for a long time, all her words won't get any farther. Following the order, Lunae lay, attempting to return to sleep. She had long passed the thought of the black wolf attacking her, but now had trust in her. She squeezed her eyes so tight that it hurt, aware of the pain that would come. Her muscles tense, her limb burning with pain, and her breaths only visible through the rising and falling of her chest. Attempting to keep her breathing to a minimum, but her mind toyed with her fear, making her hear growls of the monstrous creature coming back to finish his job.

The girl's orders were not fought against, the stranger having chosen instead to obey them. Her faith in the unknown girl's survival continued to grow, her mind insisting that a good patient meant a good chance at living. While it was, perhaps, only her own desires that had inspired such thoughts, they were not ignored. Asterr continued to clean over the wounds, having needed to stop several times to either dampen the moss once more or remove a particularly nasty looking scab. When the cleansing had reached it's end, she'd retrieved the plantain that had been carried along with her, starting the process of chewing it into a pulp immediately.

"Remember to keep still," she'd repeated, speaking through clenched teeth to ensure none of the pulverized plant managed to escape her jaws. As she grew satisfied with her work, the yearling began applying the makeshift ointment to the other girl's wound, using her nose to press it down against the gash as gently as possible. It was to ensure no inch was left open to the elements, giving the poultice whatever time it needed to seep in and begin it's work. That which had been left over was stored away where it would not be stolen by the wind, for she knew the current treatment could not remain indefinitely. It would need removed, the wound cleaned, and a fresher version applied. That, however, was for later. In the meantime...

"I would like to ask you a few questions," the chieftess stated. "If you are able to speak, please tell me so. If you are having difficulties, do not force yourself—a nod will suffice." She waited, then, to see what the verdict would be.

It hurt. A lot. That she couldn't deny. But she did not stop the she wolf. She was aware of what was supposed to be done. And was still a bit surprised from why the she wolf wanted to save her.

 After the pain had passed, the black wolf wanted to interrogate her. She opened her eyes completely, fully awake now. 'Should I trust you?' she wondered silently. Well, this wolf did just save her life. So she nodded. Sure, why not?

I have had life get in the way, but hopefully i should post faster now :/

also sorry for the short post

All good!

With the answer having come as nothing more than a nod, she couldn't help but wonder if asking yes-or-no questions would be her only way to go about the situation. Deciding to test against the theory, she asked, "What is your name?" She would wait, then, and observe. Ears would remain erect atop her crown, eagerly awaiting any words that might slide from the girl's tongue. She hoped the other might be able to speak, for it would open many doors that had previously been assumed to be sealed shut. No matter, if that was not the case, there was nothing Asterr could do about it. She would simply have to adapt and go from there, making sure to word her questions in a manner that might make it capable to answer with a nod or head shake.

"Have you any family in these parts?" The query had slipped in quickly after the first, leaving hardly enough time for a breath to be taken. She assumed the darkling to be alone, but on the off chance she wasn't, the last thing the dragoness wished to do was keep her from her family. Already she'd gone through enough, keeping her apart from those who cherished her would do little more than worsen the situation.

officially have to finish seven six threads

 
She just stared at the wolf. Lunae's name defiantly wasn't yes, not even no. She just gave her the 'are you serious?' look. How was one supposed to say 'Lunae' without even being able to talk?

 After, the black wolf asked a more answer-able question. Apart from the dead corpse somewhere in a burnt forest, she was sure she didn't have any family here. The thought of her mother was sad, but she didn't feel very sad (weird). It was like a memory she wished to relive, but she had to go forward. So she shook her head, she was the last Libertatem she was aware of.

Oh my, aha. Have fun doing that~

There came no name, officially confirming that the girl was presently incapable of speaking. No matter, Asterr decided to go along with it, making a note to herself that each question would need specially reworded. It made her think, however, of what might be causing the silence. It did not appear to be due to physical issues—her throat was clearly intact—so perhaps it was mental or emotional. The ideas were dismissed, her mind choosing instead to favour the notion that her silence was due to her toll of her traumatic experience. Surely she was exhausted, which might have made her adamant to use up an unnecessary amount of energy by speaking. Truthfully, though the latest of thoughts had been accepted as the case, the dragoness was unable to discover the true cause of the issue. It would take time to figure it out, along with an extensive amount of observation.

While her first query had been a bust, the second proved to be far more insightful. Ah, so she had no family around. It was saddening, making the yearling feel sympathetic towards her. She would not bother with going through a grand list of inquiries to figure out exactly what had happened, for they had naught enough time for that and Asterr wished not to delve deep into potentially touchy subjects. "Is there anyone that might be looking for you? A friend, perhaps, or a travelling companion?" It was hard to believe that she might be all alone. Truthfully, the dragoness could not even humour such a thought, believing it couldn't be possible. Yes, she had traveled by herself for some time, but it had not been by choice. The companion that had left Draconid with her had disappeared shortly after their arrival to Teekon, and some time had then passed before she'd met up with Leo, but the time alone had not been what she'd wanted. It was only natural, to the girl, that one might seek the companionship of another, for a life by one's self seemed awful.

Again, the answer would be no. She had made the choice to travel alone. And only alone. She clearly wanted to leave the horrors of the dark Haunted Woods right where they stayed, and she believed the pack itself had diminished anyways.


 She left the twisted little family, not wanting to participate. Hard to admit, but she saw some of herself in that pack. Now deep down, she hoped those feelings could be used for a better cause. Once again, she shook her head, the story behind her journey seeming unhelpful for the moment, a somewhat bitter memory.

No family. No companions. No anyone. It seemed as if the girl was completely alone out there, and it had already led to her getting herself into a great deal of trouble—and with a bear, of all things! Asterr wondered what she should do, how she would proceed. There came the idea of bringing her back to the tribe, but she believed such a trip could not yet be made. Getting to the lake had been difficult enough, but leaving it was sure to be an even greater task. Given the other girl's current state, she wasn't at all confident in her being capable of traveling such terrains. It seemed the other might not even be able to get up just yet. The dragoness was worried for her, the only upside being the fact that the warmer days were just within their reach. Lunae wouldn't be stuck out in the cold.

"Hm..." The yearling glanced over the other again, examining her wounds. "Do you believe you might be capable of standing?" It was a stretch, she knew, but there was no harm in asking. "If you are unable to, do not force yourself. If you would like to try, please, move slowly. Any sudden movements could tear your wounds." Any that had started to heal would be ripped back open, placing them right back at square one. It would be a troublesome thing, and would also result in more paste having to be applied. Asterr didn't mind doing so, of course, but she knew she needed to be mindful of her supplies. The plant was a common one, found nearly everywhere, but still she did not wish to run the risk of using up all she'd collected on the trip over.

Lunae bit her lip in pain as she eased herself up. Careful to put no weight on the injured leg, she somewhat limped forwards. The wound itself had not opened, but it hurt like hell. She forced a weak smile towards Asterr- 'ready to go'.

 It was as if she was walking on three legs; hard, but not impossible. The trick was to balance on her left front leg and back right leg. The journey would be challenging, but hopefully worth it. 

wanna fade with your post?

Done~ Thanks for the thread. ^^

The pain felt had been seen simply by looking at her face, which had allowed for the observant chieftess to catch it without so much as a second glance. She'd almost stepped in, almost insisted that the other lay back down and rest for a while longer, but she hadn't. Asterr had kept back instead, allowing for the nameless girl to do her own thing, but watching with the eyes of a hawk. Once Lunae had finally managed to stand, her body was walked around once or twice and looked over perhaps a bit excessively, assuring her current caretaker that no wounds had been pulled back open. It was almost satisfying to see that their conditions hadn't yet changed, but that wasn't to say things would continue at a constant. The more movements made, the more often her physical well-being would be put at risk. The dragoness made no comments on this, though, choosing to keep it to herself until the issue itself became real.

It was shortly after that when their journey began, with Asterr keeping close to her ward to ensure she did not end up toppling over. Her pace had been slowed considerably, and she'd constantly made them stop for breaks and a cleaning of the wounds, but it wasn't for a long while after their time of departure that their journey had officially ended. The darkling had not been taken into the tribe's lair, but was instead settled into a space just outside the borders. She'd be hidden away just enough to go unnoticed by anyone who didn't know that she was there, but close enough so that the yearling could get to her quickly when necessary. The road to recovery was sure to be a lengthy one, but it was a path that Asterr would gladly walk with her.