Witch's Marsh there was a man whom sorrow named his friend

@Ira sorry this is short!

At first glance, the filthy, tattered form lying so still in the cold marsh looks dead. Perhaps he would have been better off that way — but the wolf lives, somehow. The wounds scattered across his body are in various stages of healing, miraculously uninfected; physically, his recovery will be brief. The damage done to his fragile mind is another story entirely — but that isn't so apparent now. The only sign of his consciousness is the occasional fluttering of his eyelids, though his eyes never remain open for more than a second. The light is as searing against his eyes as the air against his skin, though the latter is unavoidable. He's frozen in place half from the pain alone, and half from exhaustion. Realistically, he should never have left the coast alive — but he's here, alive and suffering as he's always been, waiting for the sweet release of a death that will not come for him.

holy cow this is so long sorry In advance LMAO

when it came to tracking, Ira had a lot to learn. Luckily she hadn’t been alone in her search for the fallen medic, others like Valette and Brynn had rushed to Korei’s aid in search of her friend.but that did not make searching vast terrain in new lands any easier.

Ira had traveled far from Easthollows territory, all the smells surrounding her now new and unfamiliar... at least they were until something faint crossed her nose. The scent caused Ira to backtrack in search of the medic and soon the faint trail grew stronger as she neared the marsh.

At a first glance the mountain wolf completely missed Alarian, but orange eyes sweeping the ground picked out his fallen shape. Her ears perked as she made fast strides towards the injured wolf,fearing the worst until she caught the slight eye movement and faint rise of the male’s chest.

Alarian! she nudged his shoulder lightly with her nose, avoiding the fresh wounds to the best of her ability. He was definitely injured to a point that would make traveling difficult, but he was surprisingly in better condition that she would have guessed. Then again the male was a medic... Ira would continue to shake the man in hopes of some response 

you might not know me, but I come from Easthollow. Korei sent us out in search of you to bring you home...

Through the darkness, a voice —

And his thoughts are given light again, slowly like the rising of the sun. The voice echoes all around him, the sound dividing and blurring into an unintelligible chorus for several jarring moments. His eyes flutter open painfully, dry and still crusted at the edges with sea-salt. All he sees for a beat is black. Then the darkness gives way to blinding color from his right side, though the left remains immersed in blackness, and he focuses blearily on the grey figure before him. The voice, he realizes through the haze, inhaling raggedly. His chest aches with the expansion, almost distracting him from the slivers of information that come with it; female, young, healthy... home? He sucks in another halting breath and shifts suddenly, piecing her words together belatedly. Easthollow, Korei — it doesn't make sense but it does, and he knows he knows these words somewhere deep within himself. Easthollow? His voice is faint, rough with pain and disuse, but there is a note of hope to his tone. Home, he thinks again, and this time he knows it.

Ira stepped back letting the male gain some bearings. She was no medic, but he certainly did not seem to be in great condition to travel. However, as long as the trip would not damage him more they would have to leave so he can rest properly and out of the cold. Yes, Easthollow. You're rather far from the territory, but I can escort you back safely. She wasn't quite sure if her words were reaching him, but she could repeat the information if needed. For now, she would make sure Alarian could even walk. Are you able to stand?

He tries to focus on breathing, grateful when the other wolf steps back. His chest feels constricted and his head feels strange, almost inflated, as if it might break free of his body and float away any moment. The woman's words come to him through a fog. This time, at least, it makes sense — and he's grateful for that, too. He swallows with some effort, wincing at the way his dry throat contracts painfully and sticks to itself. Yeah, He croaks, coughing once. I just need — a second.
Do you — He breaks off and swallows again, shifting slowly to a more upright position. I don't... really remember what happened. A frown tugs at his features, confusion written into his expression, and he looks away for a moment. Then he seems to remember something, eyes lighting up for a moment and then quickly darkening with anxiety as he looks back to the woman. Is Korei alright?

Ira did not mind waiting, she would remain a small distance away while Alarian readied himself. A spark changed his face as he asked about Korei and she would give a nod in acknowledgment. Yes, she's fine. I'm afraid I do not know the details other than something attacked you two, but she is resting. She seemed to be more worried about you. Based on his condition, she could understand the female's concern for her friend.

You have a good friend. Her tail swished behind her as she thought back to the night she ran into the white pelted female. She was definitely sweet and it was sad to see the concern etched into her face when Ira was called to look for Alarian. Just another reminder as to why she did not normally build friendships.

He's a little surprised at the weight that lifts off his chest when he hears the girl is fine, though he struggles to recall her face. He wonders guiltily how they know each other — but he doesn't have to wonder for long. The grey woman identifies Korei as a friend of his, and it sounds right. Thank you, He says softly after several moments, sucking in a deep breath and lifting himself fully from the ground. Pain shoots through his back half, centered on his left haunch, and he falls back gracelessly into a sitting position after no more than half a breath on his feet. He curses under his breath, embarrassed. I might need um... more than a second. Sorry. He knows he can handle walking, but the pain of the initial weight on his limbs had caught him off-guard; fragile as he is right now, he needs a few moments to recover. At least for the journey home.

As the male shifted his weight to stand, Ira noticed the strain due to Alarian's expression. Her paws moved before she had a chance to fully realize the man's struggle as she stepped forward expecting to catch him only for the smaller wolf to fall back to his haunches. She would give a small nod stepping back a pace once more allowing him to catch his breath. Do not worry about time. If you would like to lean against me, I do not mind.

so sorry for the wait! feel free to wrap this up

He nods in response to her words, expression grateful as he settles into a more comfortable position to stretch his leg a bit. It's awhile before he feels he can try again to walk, though every moment feels like an eternity to him. He just wants to be somewhere safe and comfortable, and maybe a little warmer than this, but the ache in his back half persists for some time. When he finally thinks he might be able to walk, he glances to Ira before slowly rising to his paws again. This time, he manages to stay upright. I think I'm ready now, He says softly, sucking in a slow breath. It will be a long, difficult journey home, but he's eager to feel safe again.

All good!

The female had taken a seat herself while she waited. Time didn't really matter, all that mattered was that she brought the injured male back home safely so she would be on the look out as he took his time. When Alarian spoke up again she would rise and move near incase his steps faltered. Let's head home then... Time for the long journey back to Easthollow.