Blackfeather Woods shorter of breath and one day closer to death

There was a call at the edge of the woods, and before she knew it, Blue had vanished inexplicably, taking wing from her shoulder and flying off into the trees. Maegi was bogged down in gathering herbs, so she didn't rush after him--not quite yet. They had guardians for a reason; someone would answer the howl, right? Blue was probably just curious.

But after a time, what could have been mere minutes or hours--she lost track, dealing with plants--Blue had still not returned. Constantly on-guard from all that had transpired over the past few days, she rose to her paws and began to head the direction the grackle had gone, bicolored eyes lifted to find him. Her brow was knitted in concern and some pain; the beginnings of a headache shimmered behind her vision, and--

Maegi careened right into the ghostly, gaunt form of @Mou, nearly knocking them both over in the process. She felt the familiar touch of talons on her shoulder and was relieved to know that Blue was safe. And with. . .with Mou?

"What's going on?" she asked, noting the troubled nature of it all--the call, the flight, his face. . .

mild PP hope it's okay

He had wanted to talk to her about everything but there was no place to start; Mou couldn't comprehend what he had done in a past life and wasn't equipped to defend himself or justify any of it - he, as Mou, could not ever justify the harming of children to begin with. He had become absorbed in his own worries and let Maegi go off to process everything in her own way.

But he needed her now. He needed to tell her - he needed to save her -

Blue was gone. He felt the talons release and didn't think to follow as the bird flit its way at Maegi until he was already roosting; and by the time he had turned and compensated for the change in his direction he was tumbling in to the girl.

No time. They were here -- no time.

Maegi, dey hea! Dey -- Redhawg, they -- you in danger. His body sickled around her, and he tried to herd her towards the herb garden and away from where the wolves were lurking. He was erratic and knew he had no proof -- but Blue chirped and flicked his wings and Mou kept trying to herd her away - It not save, Maegi, I wone led dem h'rrt you.

She only needed to hear the word Redhawk to know that things had gone belly-up. "Fuck," she spat, the very first time she had used that particular four-letter word in her life, and she took off running, headed for the swamp. Maegi whipped her head 'round, hoping Mou was right behind her (although how could he not be? She could barely keep a snail's pace).

The Melonii reached Namira's Mire and began to splash through it, Blue having left her shoulder to fly above. He would be safe, with the ravens. It was the wolves who were in grave danger. They needed to warn everyone, they needed--fuck. All she could think of right now was keeping Mou safe.

"There's an entrance to the tunnels below here," she gasped out, sloshing through the muck, trying not to get her paws stuck at the worst possible time. "The swamp will mask our scent, and we're far away from where the Redhawk girl is. We just need to hide out here until the coast is clear."

He felt relieved when she understood but the adrenaline kicked in as they fled, forcing a serious scowl across his face. The bird was the least of his concerns; Maegi was moving and he was keeping up, trying to urge her to be quick despite her restrictions. Soon they were at the mouth of a cave. Mou watched and listened to what Maegi was saying and it temporarily distracted him from the growing dread that flooded his system; the cave, the bear, the ever present threat of death - he thought he could brave it all for her. But she wanted to save them all, and he couldn't help but balk at this

Blue can tell dem. Maegi we godda run, godda go! Send Blue, send ravens, but we go. Except he turned to face the vantablack of the cave mouth and instantly quailed; his limbs trembling, hindquarters sinking, fighting with his adrenaline. Mou flashed a glance behind himself across the mire, looks to Maegi as he feels panic rooting around inside of him, and begs her, Come wid me Maegi, we be save. I won't led them tag you from me. Pees, Maegi, I love you.

She didn't understand. What was he talking about? They would be safe, down in the tunnels. The enemy didn't know about them--they had been safe from the Redhawks down below, during the last invasion. That was the point of the tunnels anyway. A little perturbed, Maegi looked at Mou, then toward the tunnel, then back to Mou again.

"Where will you take me?" she asked, her voice more than a tad dubious. After all, he had been the one that had gotten them into this mess. She could feel Blue's silver gaze burning into the top of her head; they needed to go, they needed to RUN!

"Mou, we're going into the tunnels!" Maegi insisted, jerking her head toward the mouth. "We'll be safe down there!"

She insisted they go, not understanding that he didn't want to hide but to escape and go as far as they could - adding to that his growing anxiety about the cave, he knew they couldn't fight, they didn't know how many Redhawks there were --- it was a lot.

I coming, okeh okeh, He hurried after her in to the tunnel, hyperaware of the shadows engulphing his body.

Maegi expected a fight, but to her utter surprise, Mou went along with her, and soon they were both engulfed in darkness. She drew up close to him, shoulder-to-shoulder until it was no longer possible, and still then she kept very near. Part of her was afraid to lose him to the shadows, as crazy as that sounded. With the way things had gone lately. . .anything was possible.

"We hid here during the first war," she whispered, her voice bouncing ever-so-slightly off the walls as they descended. "We were just pups; we couldn't fight. We were safe from the fighting but--"

Suddenly, chaos was upon her, and her gaze fell upon a brown female with bright eyes, engaged in a spar with Miraak, whose own indigo orbs flashed with the thrill of the fight. Heart hammering in her chest, Maegi watched, wanting so badly to leap into the fray, but kept her distance, hidden in the shadows, her muscles taut.

"I ventured up to see what was happening," she continued, now slightly choked. "And then--"

The old Melonii was doing his best--oh, and there were Nyx and Moonshadow, fighting a pair of wolves over to the side, they seemed to be doing fine as well and--Oh, oh, no!

Miraak's blood--gods, there was so much blood. She'd never forget the look of the woman, blood dripping from her victorious jaws. And Miraak's eyes, so like one of her own, losing their light. Slowly. . .slowly. . .

She dreamed often of Mou meeting the same fate.

(Not today, Satan.)

They slogged through the entrance and squished together for the rest, and Maegi's proximity helped to ease his worries but he found a strange warmth spreading through him. More so than their shared space, the narrowing of the dark corridor - he had felt it before but it was so out of place in this moment. Hormones? Now? Seriously.

But they soon stopped, and afterwards Maegi told him what she could of the first incursion of the Redhawks. It made him wonder if he had fought alongside them - if, once, they had depended on him. The look on the girls face might've been skewed by the dark but her voice, and its lilting emotion, kept Mou from losing focus.

It sounded horrible. He hoped he had no part in it - prayed to the gods of this forest, of the sea that had reworked him, to every force -- he demanded soundlessly that Maegi be protected. You save. He promised. I figh if I have to. I give dem me, dey can have me if it save you. No wah.

She is asleep when @Tegan and @Llewellyn arrive.  For a moment she is tricked into thinking she is back home, and as Tegan's voice lifts her name through the air, a single eye slits open.  Five more minutes, she thinks, stretching her legs out.  The cold hits her toes and she lets out a groan.

Then Tegan's call is cut off, and she remembers herself.  She raises her muzzle to the air and makes to respond but only a hoarse whisper emerges from her throat.  Another thing stolen from her; she would not be able to confirm or deny her presence here in the woods, and the thought caused terror to root in her chest.

From her vantage point she couldn't tell if @Wintersbane stood post out front, but it didn't matter.  She couldn't risk taking that way.  She slipped quietly from her makeshift den and towards the caves, and stopped when she heard Maegi and Mou. She catches the tail end of their conversation.  Creeping on her tiptoes, she gathered close, then released a hoarse noise.  

-Mou,- she signs (and mouths, for Maegi), -The Redhawks have brought danger to your doorstep.  If you show me the way out, I will spare your people.-

She smiled, but before she could respond to this heartwarming sentiment, the sound of pawsteps startled her right back into the present. Maegi moved to step in front of Mou--much good her tiny frame would do him--eyes flashing in the darkness. She had opened her mouth to inquire as to the identity of the stranger when the formless blob grew into something more, something she could comprehend. The girl.

What-- Maegi began, but was cut off by the patient--uh, wait, what was she doing? She tried her best to read her lips but was a little distracted by the strange movements; nevertheless, Maegi caught the sentiment of it, and snorted, shaking her head.

I don't believe that for a second, the girl said coldly. And even if you are telling the truth, how are you going to call off your family? They want our blood. They have for a long time. Miraak. The memory, so recently surfaced, sent her pelt prickling with unease once more. Her nostrils, as if bewitched, picked up faintly the tang of fresh death.

She looked back at Mou instead, eyes narrowed. What is she doing? Why was she making those movements? Surely it was for his benefit, since she had no comprehension of the mannerisms?

He can't see the expression on her face easily, the darkness being fixed across half his vision. It doesn't matter though. Before either of them can respond there is movement in the murk, a shape, a sound, and the duo become a trio. Mou feels Maegi turn to intercept the oncoming shape and then - as the boy fixes his gaze upon the captive, he realizes what's happening. The ensuing conversation is a mess in his head; he hears words, he sees words, and then there is doubt and confusion between the three of them.

Maegi doesn't want to trust her. Mou doesn't either, but he wants to take that chance.

What is she doing? Maegi murmurs.

Tawging. He replies with his hushed voice — but he doesn't take the time to explain.

—Will you keep her safe?— He signs to the red girl, and doesn't think to say anything or mouth anything for Maegi's benefit; he has to concentrate on the motions to get them all right, but finds them easier that speaking, and with practice it all seems so simple. —She isn't wrong. If they find her they will kill her. If I go to them, and you escape with her, will she be safe?—

His stare bores in to the girl, eager to read what he wants upon her face, listening intensely for that promise. He doesn't know if she can be trusted — she is a captive and he's hurt her, regardless of his intentions, and she is a Redhawk and — there are so many things wrong here. So many reasons not to trust her. But if it keeps Maegi safe, that's all that matters.

—What good will come of you not believing me?  They're here to kill you.  You said it yourself.—  The Redhawks were here for blood, and suppressing that urge once it started was a little like getting a train-engine to stop.  —I'm leadership.  That's why they're here so soon.  I'm important, and I have authority.—  It was a lie, but not one she hadn't already told.... and it wasn't like she didn't deserve it.

She stopped mouthing alongside her signs, so Maegi could not decipher what was being said.  —Yes.—  Maegi had worked to keep her safe, and Maegi had wanted things to remain peaceful.  For now, Ceara could promise to keep her safe.  —I wil tell them to spare everyone else.  You're the only one I'm not sure I could save, Mou.  You've hurt us.—

Maegi shook her head; as much as she wanted to believe it, she just couldn't. As soon as they let her go, the deal would be off. She'd reunite with her family and slaughter them all. Before she could impart this sentiment, she went on, and--hey! Maegi was effectively cut out of the conversation now, not knowing how to read this strange, silent language.

Talking. Yeah, right.

"What is she saying to you, Mou?" Maegi demanded, a growl bubbling in her throat. "You can't--you can't make deals without including me. Whatever happens to Mou, happens to me, too. We live together, we'll die together, too." She said it with no hesitation whatsoever, firming her chin and glaring at the girl.

She didn't trust her. No, worse--she did. There was something deep-seated, perhaps something she had picked up from the islanders. Sympathy, perhaps? She had become soft.

But she couldn't. She couldn't let her go.

Maegi couldn't keep up with the motion-language and Mou didn't think about it, not until she sharply addressed him and by that point, an agreement had come to light. He nodded to the fire-coated girl, his expression filled with a sudden certainty. He would lay his trust in this so-called friend if it meant Maegi would be safe; if the worst were to happen and they be back-stabbed, Mou would avenge any wrongdoing. The seriousness of his expression might've gotten lost in the darkness of the cave, but he made sure to fix his eyes upon the Redhawk — finding confirmation there.

Maegi's voice broke that, however, he turned to her next and explained hastily, She say she resp-egg-tet by Redhawks. We take her to safety outside and she will save us. He was lying but it was so swift and so easy, as if he'd spent his entire life lying to one person or another, and that only mildly surprised Mou once he'd spoken. If Maegi took what he said as truth (as he hoped) then they'd escort the Redhawk out of the caves as planned, and then — provided she did not double-cross him — Mou would find a way to turn back, to find those interlopers and confront them.

He would trade anything for the safety of Maegi. Blackfeather be damned.

She's quick to ignore Maegi and default to Mou and his pleading.  With a curt nod, she affirms what Mou has said.  Whenever you're ready.

Maegi was a micromanager, and always would be--but she had come to accept that this whole mess of a situation was completely out of her paws. She could fight it, she could refuse, dig her heels in. . .but they'd simply move on without her consent, steamrolling right over her. Nothing she said or did could change minds. She was powerless to stop any of it.

The girl let out an exasperated sigh, a muffled swear under her breath. Then she raised her mismatched gaze to Mou, then to the ruddy captive, giving a curt nod. "Fine. We'll go." She turned then and slipped past Mou, their pelts brushing for a brief instant. Before she moved on, she craned her neck back to stare at the Redhawk girl, eyes narrowed.

"If you're lying, I'll kill you," Maegi said shortly, ice in her voice.

She turned and started to pad forward, heading to safety(?).

There was only one reason why he had followed after their forms. That was because the fiery woman was on the move. Kalganov had foolishly privately decided she was not to leave without telling him, without him being able to say something. He craved to know.

There was a hint of surprise to see she was not alone and that Maegi was there along with the tattered Mou. His ears flicked with little interest for them. It was not them he had arrived for.

It was their fiery companion.

A deep rumble built in the pit of his stomach and crawled up his throat, meant for her but would undoubtedly announce his presence to all. He was not entirely sure what was unfolding but he was about to make it his business.

There was movement beyond their position, back from where they'd started, and it made Mou turn and freeze on the spot. His fur stood on-end where it was still dry, and he stared imploringly at the darkness — until the familiar sight of Kalganov fixed itself in his good eye. The boy let out a whoosh of a breath. He was on edge; they all were. Whatever reason he had for being here, Mou wasn't going to find fault with it. Instead he passed a glance at the Redhawk, tried to look at Maegi questioningly but found he couldn't look at her without feeling guilty (and that would ruin his entire plan, if she cottoned on to what he was really up to), so he didn't let the look linger long.

Come, he commanded of the pale creature, more forceful than he'd ever been before, but also more determined — Kalganov was here now, and he would accompany them whether he liked it or not. They would need his aid if the Redhawk interlopers got deeper in to the territory. We leave, the Redhawg is helping us.

He looked fixedly at Kalganov as he said this, but it was specifically for the next piece of information that flowed from his lips, hushed and airy though his voice may be, Keep Maegi save.

If you're lying, I'll kill you.  Cross my heart, she mouths, and pushes forward the best they can to get a move on.

It's when she goes to move that Kalganov's growl reverberates through the claustrophobic chamber, and her fur stands on end in fear and recognition.  She hadn't seen him since Wintersbane held post outside her cell, and she wondered what he thought of this makeshift escape plan.

She backed into the space he took 'til her fur brushed against his (even if it'd be rebuked) and stared urgently at Maegi and Mou.  Let's go.