Firestone Hot Springs weary traveler, broken spirit

@Kieran Adrien or @Grayday maybe?

Warmth.

The shock of finally feeling anything besides the nagging bitterness of the cold was enough to stop Sorrel in her tracks before excitement and gratitude pushed her forward. All the time that she'd spent between leaving Maman and finding the springs had been miserable; between the fight for food and the struggle to keep herself in one piece against the frostbite, Sorrel was sure that she'd be dead long before she ever found the chance to get back home again.

Home.

The word felt so foreign; home had been so inconsistent, its meaning ever changing. From her childhood, all she carried now were names. Appearances had long been forgotten, as had any comfort that their images once provided. Kieran, she whispered, gently placing one discolored, blackened paw on the edge of the spring.

Oh gosh, it's great to see Sorrel again <3

Kieran had little idea of where he planned to go, when he left the territory of the Morningside wolves. It was simply an itching in his paws, yet again feeling restless, that drove him out. The boy was a yearling now, but honestly? It didn't feel any different than when he was younger. Perhaps he knew more, understood more about the world but all that had showed him was that it was a dark place. Maybe there was some light in the world, but he'd come to the conclusion that death was inevitable and trying to prevent that was a futile task. However, that didn' stop him trying. He'd always pushed through - for mother, for Sorrel, for all those he'd lost. 

His paws led him to no certain location - it was only as he began to approach the spring that he became aware of his surroundings, ears perking forward slightly as a small wave of wariness washed over him. Kieran hadn't been paying attention. He took a tentative sniff at the air, a scent drifting his way. It was not distinguishable, so the boy crept quietly closer until the wolf was in sight. Small, they were, and in slightly sandy tones of brown, compared to his ginger fur. The boy padded closer still, unsure if this wolfess was friend or foe - so he kept some distance between them, head turning slightly as he looked at her. Did he know this wolf? No, he didn't believe so. Perhaps it was someone from his childhood, but it had been far too long since he saw them and his memory had since faded somewhat.

I'm excited to get the family back together! :)

The faint sound of another's approach didn't even reach Sorrel's ears until the stranger was close enough to be seen from the corner of her eye. Her body tensed as she fell into an instinctual position of stress and fear, though she tried to make herself look as threatening as possible. Sorrel struggled to force her tail upwards, but because of the damage the cold had done near its base, it didn't make it very far. Stop, she whispered, her voice cracking near the end.

He was bigger than Maman but clearly much younger; there was something distantly familiar about him, but whatever it was, it wasn't strong enough to put Sorrel off of her defense. She took a step back, accidentally putting her weight on her bad ankle. There was a slight twist and a faint crack which led to a wince and her curling into herself, heart racing a mile a minute.

Yes, it'll be great! :)

The wolfess seemed timid and frightened the moment she spotted him, her small body cowering. Kieran took a slight step back, trying to ease her worries by giving a short wag of his ginger tail. Her attempts, then, at appearing threatening were fruitless - even her tail could not reach the desired height, he assumed because of the cold. She seemed very cold indeed. The one word she spoke, in a voice so distantly familiar, made his ears turn toward her but where he recognised the sound he still did not know. Who was she?

The meaning of the word was a pointless thing, he pondered, for he had already stopped in his tracks. The yearling tilted his head ever so slightly, forest gaze curious yet respectful of the fact she was clearly in distress with his presence. He had been about to speak up again but the audible crack that seemed to come from her ankle made his head raise instantly, ears flattening against his head for a moment. Then forward again they came and he wore a startled, worried expression. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to.... are you... are you okay?" But still he remained where he was, caught between rushing forward to help her, or continuing to accept that she did not feel comfortable with him close.

Sorrel herself was facing an inner conflict more intense than any she'd felt before. Being weak and injured, now worse than when she'd started, it didn't seem smart to let a stranger anywhere near. On the other hand, he could know where she could find help and perhaps lead her to this sanctuary. Although she had no way to know which was true without a doubt, Sorrel knew that on her own, she was closer to death than she would have been as even a captive, where at least she would have been given food and shelter to be kept alive. Stop, she whispered again, feeling as though she needed silence to consider her options.

Finally, after a moment's thought, Sorrel came to the conclusion that she would have to put her trust in this male the same way she had with Maman. In both instances, she was afraid, alone, vulnerable, but knew that if she didn't let someone help her then there would soon be no one left to help. She moved her baby blues from the ground up to the forest greens of the brute before her, then gave a soft-spoken, Help, please.

She repeated that word, the whispered plea still pointless - his paws did not move, he remained standing in the same spot. He was not approaching. Though there was concern written plainly on his face. Was this his fault? For sure, it seemed he had startled her. The boy knitted his brows together, remaining silent for a moment, both the surprise at the event and the worry for this girl that he felt. For certain he couldn't leave her like this, alone - was there any way he could help?

The silence was broken by the soft words that came from her maw, and he peered at her with a slight frown. Then he gave what he hoped was a comforting, soft smile. He lowered his body slightly down so he was level with the petite, sandy brown wolfess and then he spoke words of his own. "I... can't help you myself... but.. there's someone at my pack who can help you. Is that okay? Would you come with me?" Perhaps she would decline, refuse his offer - he could not really blame her, for approaching a pack looking for help was definitely a daunting prospect. But he couldn't think of any other way to help her. "They're all very nice, I promise." His voice was quiet and soothing.

Just as Sorrel has suspected, the boy knew of a pack nearby with a healer who could potentially help to save her life. At this point, if she remained in her current state, she wouldn't make it through the winter and she knew that quite well. Every slip she made, every sprain she felt, every twinge of hunger or exhaustion was more of a reminder than the yearling needed. Okay, she said, taking a step forward with a hop of her hindleg. Help? Sorrel had made up her mind to go, but she needed him at her side rather than leading the way so that she would be able to keep herself upright.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him - she accepted his help. The boy nodded, cringing as he imagined her trying to make her way somewhere on her own. Kieran moved closer, slowly, then came beside her.  "C'mon, let's go. I can get you some food when we're there?" A hunter he was, after all. Though, of course, this was only if the others allowed her to stay among them and help, but he didn't believe they would turn her away.

"What's your name?" He asked as the idea popped into his head. He might as well ask her name now, if he was going to help her get to Morningside to recieve help. Surely the wolves he shared his home with would allow her to feed from their caches - though he supposed it was reasonable for them to deny her this, for she was a stranger simply in need of help. If this was the case, he'd have to spend extra time hunting for her, as well as himself, but he did not mind.

S-So...

It was quick but potent, nonetheless. The cramp that shot through from her throbbing ankle to her thigh seemed to kiss her spine before falling back through. The surge of pain lasted no longer than a few seconds, if even that, but it was strong enough to leave her only half-conscious and on the knees of her forelegs, trying desperately to remain upright. There was something wrong, something terribly wrong, but Sorrel didn't know what it was. 

Kieran didn't look like he was large enough to drag her back on his own, but Sorrel knew not of what he would be capable of beyond appearances. She looked up at him pleadingly and made another lousy attempt at standing, using the thought of home  as motivation.

Fade here? I can get up another thread at Morningside?

She spoke but a couple of letters before she was unable to continue, and he decided not to press. He could wait. More worried was he about her safety, though why he gained such a like for this quiet wolfess was unknown to him. He just felt like he knew her, but that was impossible, wasn't it? "It's okay, you don't have to try and talk."

He gently and slowly pressed his side up against hers then, helping to keep her upright. "I got you." He hoped she wouldn't fall again - it would do her no good. Hopefully with him helping her stay standing, they could make it back to Morningside safely.

Sounds good!

Sorrel took a deep breath and tried to speak again, partially to protest the waning of her own self, but primarily to give thanks to her apparent savior. There was still a certain lack of trust, as she didn't know where she was going or who she was going with or who would be waiting there for them, but that in itself was a testament to how much trust she did have.