Spotted Eagle Mountain that shattered feeling, well the cause of it's a lesson learned

following the rift her sister had sown by calling her thief, astara fled into the chill of the wilderness and did not look back. her sabbatical from her homeland was fueled by the all too fresh memory of her mother's death, and the recent overthrow of her home in the hands of relatives she neither trusted nor loved.

she had run and run and run, killing what she could and sleeping fitful sleeps. it was easier to adapt to the solitary life than she had originally anticipated; she did not miss conversations since she rarely had them, and other than her sister, astara had been alone for a long time well before blackfeather's phoenix rebirth.

the eagles the mountain was named for were of particular interest to astara; their fledgelings had made the bulk of the girl's meals in her time here, for their nests were often on flattened crags rather than trees. she had to be quick, and more than once had nearly been plucked right off the mountain by irate birds -- it was a dangerous and risky endeavor and astara found sport in taunting the birds with their purloined children bashed to bits by her savage, hungering jaws.

the knitting of his injury had been slow, but sure — merrick could move now, though instinct told him to rest as often as he could. thanks to whatever blessing the cosmos had seen fit to toss down upon him, he had been granted meat, and marrow to lick from bony caverns. his body grew stronger, and though he would linger another day or two in the shadow of the eagles, merrick knew he must soon press onward.
it was they he heard screaming, angered shrieks that promised a bloodied retribution. curious, the boy limped through the dappled shadows, braving a ridgeline to see the taloned birds diving at a slim she-wolf darting between the grounded nests, and from here he could scent the dripping crimson on her jaws. the boy admired her for a long moment before his features narrowed into one of scrutiny, and he found himself calling out "you're a fool for that."

dodging the curled talons of a shrieking raptor, astara's dark form flitted from stoop to stoop, the squalling fledgling in her jaws flapping as she went. her egress was nearly halted entirely by the swoop of a second aggrieved eagle, which managed to sear the girl with an imparting blow that sent her staggering against a narrow shelf of shale.

it was then she heard something else above the shrieks; a crowing voice, sounding from a stony ledge nearby. astara's ears flipped forward as she scanned the monotonous grey of blasted stone, bespying a flare of russet among charcoal. meeting merrick's gaze with an insolent and wild smile, astara swung towards him with the bulleting form of the birds flapping in her wake.

she turned, and merrick's heart paused in a beat of contemplation to see the shade of insanity reflected back upon him like a mirror. however, he had very little time to consider this, for the winged devils raking through the air behind the girl were nearly upon them both.
though every instinct tugged him back toward the cover of the forest, the boy tucked his head and began to lunge awkwardly in her direction. pain sent a twisting spasm along his shoulder with each step, but merrick seized the next moments to attempt a deliberate collision with the girl, knocking them both to the ground the same second one of the enraged eagles descended upon the pair.
agony shot through the side of his face; merrick cried out and writhed upon the stony earth as blood poured from a torn ear and anguish reverberated in his leg, nauseatingly harsh beneath the warning screams of the mountain bird.

astara had expected to shock or spook the boy; instead, he met her head (or shoulder) on, his gaze reflecting the half-crazed wilderness of her own.

she went down with a loud thud, followed by the shriek of the harpies above. the fledgling was still held tight in her jaws, its wings flapping ineffectively against her mouth. with a growl the girl clambered and clawed her way across merrick's form, heedless of the blood and pain incited on her behalf.

once all four feet were on stone rather than flesh, astara hauled to the enclave she had seen merrick spring from; one glance was all she spared to see if he was following -- the birds were hot on her tail, and she stood to lose more than fur if she lingered too long.

the splitting pain was almost too much to bear, but merrick staggered up all the same, glaring at the dark girl and her insane dash for the forest. he followed, however, sparing a glance over his shoulder for the winged harpies, and ducked as soon as he was able into the dappled shadows cast by the trees.
anger welled in merrick; he whirled on his unwitting compatriot, teeth bared, but said nothing. the blood on the side of his face had begun to dry, and now there was only the matter of his throbbing shoulder. blowing out a breath between his fangs, the boy hobbled to the roots of a great twisted tree and lowered his haunches, attempting to remove some of the pressure.

with the fledgling that had nearly cost both of them their lives still dangling from her jaws, astara flew into the forest followed by the limping shade of her companion. the winged devils shrieked and lifted their fanning wings skyward, having little room to pursue through the thicket.

as they ran, merrick's teeth came dangerously close to astara's rump and she scooted forward, a snarl gurgling in her throat in response to the baring of his teeth. she slowed only as merrick limped off under the eaves of a budding oak -- she watched him silently, apprising his condition while the fledgling gradually stilled between her jaws.

the nightcub had little pity for the damage she'd caused him. treading wide of a gnarled root, astara set on her lean stomach and began to tear into her prize hungrily. after a gristly snap she pared the meager meal in half, flung its piece towards merrick, and then dove with quavering snaps into her meal.

this girl had led eagles down upon merrick, scrambled over him, and graced him with naught more than a bubbling snarl, but she was generous, and the boy was in no position to decline her offer. hungrily he fell upon the tender flesh of the fledgling, lamenting silently to himself that it was gone faster than he had liked.
keeping a watchful eye upon the wild shadow, he cleaned blood from his jaws and tested the tenderness of his shoulder with a step. it landed him back on his haunches with a grunt; merrick drew an irritated breath. she had said nothing, and so neither would he. as it seemed, they would be parting ways soon, and again he would be left in the darkened forest, injured and more helpless than he wished to be.
the idea did not appeal to merrick, and so he chuffed lightly in her direction, ears angling forward as he tried to assess whether or not she was like nunataq. the thought of his traitorous sister brought a cold light to the boy's eyes; soon he glanced away, attempting to settle the roil of sudden anger in his too-delicate gut.

much like merrick, astara's meal finished much too soon for her liking. hungrily, she licked her chops and glanced over to merrick: his portion had been neatly scarfed, and none remained to be bullied from him. drawing her tongue idly across her paw, astara caught the cold flicker in his eyes and the subsequent glance away. her ears pulled forward immediately, and the girl rose to her stilt-like limbs in suspicion.

an emotion had overcome him; he might try to steel himself from astara's prying eyes, but you did not get to be mute and not become observant of the emotions that afflicted those of a speaking persuasion. astara stalked over to him, chuffing as she drew her nose across the back of his head (if he'd allow) in answer - as if whatever plagued him would become immediately apparent by such an action.

though he wanted to recoil, to jerk away from the girl, merrick instead held himself tensely below her inquiring muzzle. touch of another was something he had forgone since nunataq had betrayed him; his body saw it only as a threat.
and when he could bear it no longer, the boy did not seek to escape her questing lips, but instead sank his chin upon his forelegs, melting into himself as the flame of his copper eyes churned toward nothing in particular.

astara had expected the cobra's strike; her muzzle pulled across his head and spine without rebuff, perplexing the yearling. in her experience wolves either abhorred or relished contact; merrick seemed almost indifferent to it. or maybe, her.

she pulled away as merrick rested his head to his long limbs. his scent bore nothing she could detect, and after a bout of hovering silence the girl settled several feet away, peering into the foggy woods in thought.

indifferent, indolent, stricken with pain both physical as well as a rising sense of nausea in his gorge. merrick lifted his head and stared at her again, wondering from where she had come. did it matter? in spite of himself, the boy was relieved she had not left him alone.
exhaustion was beginning to claw at him; his lids grew heavy, and presently his muzzle dipped again. for now, the two young wolves had nothing to say to one another, brought together only with a flight from eagles, half a kill.
merrick slept.

some time passed before astara brought her gaze back to merrick. he was asleep, looking more haggard than she -- no doubt, the scrapes inflicted by the demons above would sing curses tomorrow. flicking her ear noncommittally, but secretly considering his presence a boon as well, astara stood watch just a little longer -- but then too, she felt her lids grow heavy, and was soon in slumber of her own.