Sun Mote Copse came whiffling through the tulgey wood

She had let any and all relevant parties know she intended to visit the Frosthawks and would be setting out on the morrow. In the meantime, Sugar made her final preparations for departure, which largely consisted of clinging to @Elwood, @Finley and @Avery despite her insistence that she would be back before they knew it. But they had other things to do, so she eventually found herself alone, with nothing better to do than roam the copse one last time before she left it for a little while.

Title from "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

As Sugar Glider was roaming, Nellie was hunting. She wasn't hunting for the pack's next meal however, nope, she was hunting for spiders - to be more exact, their houses. She believed that if she gathered up enough of them, she could gift them to the pack's healer in exchange for some tips and tricks. She hadn't checked if this was how it was done, if her captured spider webs would even be very useful, but she did it anyway. At the very least she was passing some time.

She had just stuck her head in a bush when she heard someone approach. She tried to pull her little golden head out, but the branches had snapped into place and were now keeping her hostage. She took a deep breath as she prepared to struggle her way out of this, but she didn't call out for help. She needed to be cool.

Although it was only midday, the sunlight slanted in a way that promised twilight's imminent arrival. Sugar thought she should probably head back to the den soon, get to bed early so she could rise with the sun and be on her way. Well, she needed to collect Bronco first, she supposed. Maybe she should find him now and tell him she planned to depart at daybreak.

She went looking for one sibling and found the other. Sugar stopped and watched the struggling Nellie for a moment before making an approach. "Need some help there?" she queried, studying the sticks and twigs entrapping her peer. It occurred to her that Nellie had just come from the place she was headed (per the grapevine), so maybe Sugar could ask her some questions, right after she helped her out of this stick-y situation.

Fig had been on his way to the borders to begin the first of his daily rounds when he'd been distracted by the sounds the two girls were making. He hadn't spent much time yet with the other wolves in his new pack, keeping mostly to himself when he wasn't with his parents or Fenn, mostly because he still didn't feel as though he quite belonged. But the sounds he heard that day suggested trouble, and the boy was helpless against the protective instincts that had driven him since his birth. Besides, he recognized that voice, and he recognized that scent.

"Sugar?" Fig called before he turned and trotted swiftly into the brush to close whatever distance had been between them. He was surprised by the sudden smile that slipped across his face when he saw her--a smile that was swiftly twisted into a frown when he spotted a familiar golden rump (not that he knew her by her rump--I mean, he never looked at it or anything--I uh..)

The "Nellie?" that came out next was spoken with more concern and surprise. He recognized her from the Frosthawks, which they'd both called home for a brief time. She appeared to be stuck, which was likely what had drawn Sugar Glider there as well. He stepped up alongside the Blackthorn, noting in a moment of distraction that Sugar appeared to still be quite tiny, though he had grown rather tall himself. His tail wagged a little as it struck him to be rather endearing, but slowed to a stop again as he refocused and contemplated what was the best course of action for freeing the other Blackthorn.

Her hind legs twitched and bent as she attempted an escape, pulling but ultimately not going anywhere. She knew she wasn't gonna die here or anything, but she also knew that for her to be freed she needed some help. That meant someone actually seeing her so pathetically stuck, and she really didn't want that. As the daughter of Colt and Niamh, she felt the unwavering pressure to be cooool...

Her darkest fears came true, but it took her a minute to figure out who had found her in such a pickle. Sugar? Is that you? She questioned. She hadn't talked much, if at all, to the small girl and she hated making a bad impression like this. It didn't help that another voice had joined them, one she recognized to be Figment. He had been there with her at the Frosthawks, making him one of the few remnants of her childhood she had had with her during her time in their sister pack. fuck... She breathed, her legs now still as she had given up the fight for her freedom.

Yeah it's me alright - how y'all doing? She asked casually, playing the part of the burning bush in this theater piece.

"Aye, it's me," Sugar replied with a light laugh, which died in her throat when someone else approached. She swallowed, ears falling back uncertainly, as Figment strode nearer with her name on his lips. She had been doing much better lately, though the sight of a tall, dark man still triggered an anxious reflex in her. He's your friend. He's Fen's brother, Sugar coached herself, her breath suddenly rapid and shallow.

Somehow, Sugar managed to get a hold of herself and stopped the panic attack in its tracks. "Fig," she said weakly, wondering how to explain what had surely come across as a very strange reaction. But perhaps she was saved from having to explain herself, at least for a moment, by Nellie's continued struggles with the bush. "Oh—" Sugar blurted, moving closer to the swearing Nellie again. Trying to buy herself some time, she wordlessly latched onto the loose fur at the base of the other girl's neck and tugged.

Sugar's reaction to him had been a curious one, but one he dismissed as soon as Nellie's predicament took their attention. "Better than you, I daresay," he answered with a smile as soon as he'd determined she wasn't in any real danger. Like Sugar, he stepped around Nellie to see where he could be of help. He watched as the silver Blackthorn reached in to grab at the golden Blackthorn's scruff, apparently intending to yank her out. Fig's sharp eyes looked more to the branches that had her trapped.

"One sec," he said as he too moved in, reaching in with his paws to dig at the branches that gave a satisfying snap as he pulled and held them out of the way as best as he could. "Okay, pull," he instructed from his new position, a bit awkwardly placed alongside her with one arm stretched under her chest between her forelegs and the other on her right, ducked down low so as to not be in the way when she moved backwards out of the thicket.

Being the butt of the joke wasn't fun, but if it got her out of this situation then so be it. She was glad it hadn't been one of the adults to find her like this, they would probably gossip about her to her mum or something - 'cept Phox of course, he had kept her secret so very well so she much doubted he would tell her anything she didn't want to.

She snorted in response to Fig's comment. Whatd'you mean? It's like I'm back in the womb again. She replied in a joking tone. She felt one of the two align and grab her by the fur of her neck. Her eyes widened for a bit, thinking of her fiery locks being ripped out, but she kept her mouth shut about it. She closed them then, awaiting a sign to start struggling together with whoever was holding her (she suspected Sugar) but Fig, apparently, had a better plan.

She'd never been this close to a boy (or girl, for that matter), save for her own brother but he had brother-cooties, and she couldn't help but blush. It was probably the result of the embarrassing position she had found herself in, plus the close proximity to her goofy loonies, nothing else. She took a deep breath, then started struggling once again. She felt herself loosening, the branches that had trapped her now out of her way and extra support and strength provided by Sugar. She tumbled out at once, thinking only two things; "Oh fuck yes, I'm free" and "Oh fuck no, I hope I don't hit anything on my way out".

With a little bit of maneuvering and a lot of teamwork, they managed to orchestrate Nellie's extraction. The plan worked so well that she tumbled backward with some force, her weight hitting Sugar's forelegs and making them buckle so that she fell forward into her cousin. None of it hurt, so she spat out Nellie's scruff and righted herself with some laughter, the turn of events helping her fully recover from her trepidation moments before.

She glanced at Fig, saw that he appeared unperturbed (and otherwise preoccupied), and decided she could probably brush it off like nothing. Facing Nellie again, she assessed the younger she-wolf with her black eyes. "Are you hurt?" she asked, moving closer and sniffing for any traces of blood. Some of those sticks had looked pretty sharp.

So, his plan to stay out of the way didn't exactly work to plan. He both felt and heard the thunk on his temple from a paw or wrist when Nellie went stumbling backwards, followed almost instantaneously by the thwap of branches against his muzzle and across his eyes. Fig jerked his head away from the impact with a grunt, though remained rooted in place so as not to add his own lanky bulk to the pile that formed of Nellie and Sugar.

He blinked the pain out of his eyes as he gently extracated himself from the bush and turned to look at the two girls--one who was laughing and the other who might also have been laughing but I'm not sure yet. He couldn't help but crack a small smile at them. He winced as the corners of his lips quirked, though, and ran his tongue along his upper jaw to taste blood. It was only a small trickle spawned from a half inch cut across the bridge of his nose that he lifted his paw to brush away. He was more concerned with Nellie's answer to the are you hurt question than his own, so he stayed silent to hear it.

Unfortunately for Sugar and Figment, she did hit something - or rather, someone - on her way out. She was pretty sure one of her front paws had slapped the poor boy in his face, and she had practically back-tackled the little Sugar. She assessed the damage done to herself quickly, which appeared to be minimal. Some scruff had been plucked out, she had some cuts and bruises on and near her face and a horrible strain in her neck, but she was unharmed for the most part.

She carefully got up and gave Sugar some room, shaking her head to get herself back on track. There was a stinging cut right above her left eye, which might become a cool eyebrow scar in the future but for now just felt like acid, but she turned to her rescuers instead of worrying about it. Thanks - just a few scratches 'n bruises, what about you two? My tumble was pretty sloppy. She asked, brows raised in concern when she noticed Fig was bleeding too. Shit - man, I'm sorry.

That telltale metallic odor filled her nostrils, though it was a thready scent. Sugar moved to take an even closer look at the small slash above Nellie's left brow when Nellie apologized to Fig, prompting Sugar to glance sideways at him. He was sporting a shallow but bleeding cut on the bridge of his snout.

"Don't—" Sugar tried to say even as he swiped at it. She was too late, though she glanced between him and Nellie and said, "Don't touch them. You'll get dirt in them and risk infection. Let me clean them. Then you'll be good to go." Such superficial cuts wouldn't require any further medical attention, though Sugar knew it was essential to keep even small wounds clean.

"You first," she said to Fig, mostly because he'd already touched his and likely gotten dirt and germs in it. Forgetting entirely to be apprehensive around him, Sugar stepped closer, waiting for his okay.

Nellie's apology made him smile. He shook his head lightly to dismiss her guilt. It throbbed a bit, but in a way he knew wouldn't last. It probably wouldn't even scar, which was good--Fig was more the clean cut sort, in spite of the way his hair sort of stuck up on his head still.

But, who was he to argue with Sugar? Fig's smile melted as she spoke of infections and things. It was like when Raven talked. She used words that just made you shut up and listen, even when you didn't fully understand most of what she was saying. He glanced at Nellie to see what she thought of infections and things, but his attention snapped back to Sugar, who was coming at him now with that stern doctor sort of look in her eye.

Once again, Fig noted how very small she was. He dropped onto his haunches and lowered his head as she approached, knowing what she intended and knowing he was a little too tall for it. His stomach began to twist into inexplicable knots as he gave a small nod of consent. It was stupid--They were wolves, wolves were full of touches and lack of personal space. But she was a girl. Had she always been a girl? Were they both girls? Holy crap, had he just been underneath Nellie??

She let Sugar inspect her, not taking her eyes off of Figment. Her stupid head had literally caused all of this. If it hadn't been so big it wouldn't have gotten her stuck in the brush to begin with. Even when he smiled did she feel bad - at least Sugar was okay. Nellie hadn't known before this that Sugar was training to become a medic and had her trade already, but it was starting to look more and more like it.

Do I need to get you anything? I know a few plants. She asked when Sugar approached Figment, ignoring her own pain. She felt useless despite her knowledge. Maybe a life of healing wasn't her thing after all. She moved over to her rescue pair, observing from a distance. Even with a scratch on his face, Figment was pretty handsome - uhh, kind-looking. She really hadn't meant to hit him.

Anyways, thanks for gettin' me out of that sticky situation. You guys were awesome. She said, trying to lighten the mood, maybe distract them from any pain she might've caused.

Fig quickly acquiesced, lowering himself to give her better access. Sugar smiled graciously at him, then went about her work, removing any blood, dirt and debris with several thorough swipes of her tongue. She knew that her saliva would help it clot, so no other treatment was necessary aside from the quick cleaning.

She finished and stepped back, shaking her head at Nellie's question. "No, thank you though," she replied even as she inspected Fig's scratch. "It's amazing how much a cleaning can help a wound. You're all set," Sugar said, meeting Fig's eyes and smiling again before turning and saying to Nellie, "Your turn."

She motioned for Nellie to get into position and prepared to repeat her ministrations. While she waited on her peer, Sugar said conversationally, "I'm actually leaving in the morning to go study with Raven for a little bit. She's evidently a medical guru. Did you meet her while you were staying there, Nellie? With the Frosthawks, I mean?"

Sugar didn't appear to be having the same struggle as he was, which was probably a good thing, but Figment was too twisted to recognize that. He was being touched by a girl, and he was... Well, flustered more than anything else. He did feel something, but he didn't know what he was supposed to feel, so he wasn't sure what he really was feeling. It just felt like it should be... something. He suddenly, desperately wanted to talk to his dad. But could he just up and leave in the middle of this... this... session??

After the fact, he would reassure himself that he'd stayed put because he'd had the good sense to know that it would've been awkward as hell for him to suddenly stand up and proclaimed he needed to go see his daddy. In the moment, though, he was actually too stricken to move a muscle. He swallowed thickly when she pronounced her task complete and turned to care for Nellie, murmuring what was meant to be a thanks but sounded more like a "thhhuh," and some hasty throat clearing.

Fortunately for Fig, an opportunity arose for me to quit torturing him so much when Sugar mentioned her travel plans. His ears perked with intrigue. "Are you really?" he asked, not meaning to interrupt but unable to help himself, "Raven is the best. You'll learn a lot from her, I'm sure." He faltered then because I'm apparently not that nice, "I mean, I'm sure you know a ton already, but she'll.. y'know... help..." He cleared his throat again. Maybe running off to find Phox actually had been the better idea.

She nodded with a sure expression, observing the pair from a distance. She didn't know if Sugar noticed it, but Nellie thought Figment looked kinda odd. Had she hit him that hard? Maybe it was the swelling that had given Figment such a weird expression - being surrounded by pretty, young ladies surely wasn't the cause of this.

When it was her turn, Nellie lowered her head into the downy fluff of her mane and arched her neck. The conversation then moved onto something she did know a bit about, but Figment interrupted her wanting to respond. I met her too, yeah - she taught me the basics. She's really cool. She answered when Fig was done stumbling over his words.

But I didn't know you were leavin' - that's a bummer, what if I get stuck again? She joked.

But it was Fig who spoke first, speaking favorably of Raven. Sugar blinked, having forgotten that he'd lived with the Frosthawks before too. Well, she was definitely in good company. She vaguely noticed his discomfiture but chalked it up to discomfort over his minor injuries. Sugar offered him a smile that was at once sympathetic and grateful.

Nellie spoke highly of Raven too, even as Sugar went about cleaning her cuts and scrapes. She paused at the other girl's remark and said, "Aye, it's just for a little while." She couldn't help but think of Bronco's reaction. Aside from Avery, she hadn't realized how much her peers took to her. It made her feel warm and fuzzy. "I'm sure Fig can lend a hand in my absence," she quipped before returning to her work.

Sugar stepped back when she was finished and grinned at her cohorts. "Have someone else take a look at them tomorrow to make sure they're healing. And keep them clean, that's the most important part." She realized then that her job here was done, not just with Nellie and Fig but with the Firebirds in general, at least for now.

"I have to finish getting ready. I'm leaving first thing in the morning," Sugar said, feeling a pang as she gazed between the two. "Take care of yourselves and each other, okay? I'll see you again soon." She offered each of them a companionable shoulder bump, then turned to go.

No one seemed to notice his stumble, or so he consoled himself. The distraction was enough that Fig managed to regain some semblence of his typical calm, friendly self. The memory of his time with the Frosthawks always brought warmth to his heart in spite of the awful circumstances that had landed him there. He'd made good friends there who had helped him grow a lot. He was actually a little jealous of Sugar Glider for getting to go there. He'd felt at home there--something he did not feel here.

"I'll start patrolling the bushes every day after I finish patrolling the borders," Fig reassured Nellie with a small grin. Stevie would like to take this moment to point out that she could totally make a good "bush patrol" joke right here that would make Fig really uncomfortable, but because she's super mature and kind, she resisted. The young wolf merely turned his attention back to Sugar as the conversation continued, finding himself in agreement with Nellie that it was kind of a bummer that she was going to be leaving so soon after they'd arrived.

"Yes, ma'am," Fig agreed, cataloging the information. He didn't know much about medicine, so he was glad for the tips. He agreed silently to Sugar's instruction to take care of Nellie, though that wasn't something he needed any encouragement to do. He protected all of his friends. He always had and he always would. Sugar had someone to take care of too though, and before she left, he made sure she knew it by saying, "You take care of yourself."

Hell yeah - bush patrol! She said excitedly, smiling warmly at her rescuers and newfound friends. Even if Sugar was leaving, they wouldn't be separated forever, right? She was just going to hang out with the Hawks and it was awesome there, and they could come visit whenever! It wasn't like Nellie wasn't gonna miss her, but she was trying to see the more positive side about Sugar leaving. Another positive side; Sugar seemed pretty stoked to go, and ultimately what made her happy, would also make Nellie happy.

No prob, Bob! She responded, bumping shoulders not long after. Don't have too much fun without us. She added with a grin.

She watched her leave and sat herself down, waiting till Sugar was out of hearing distance and mostly out of sight. Damn, I'm gonna miss that little Glider.

Fig smiled as Sugar said her last and took her leave. Like Nellie, he thought of what a shame it was that she was leaving, and so soon after his arrival. He remembered when they were little and Phox had brought him here to meet his extended family. They had played together until a flash of lightning had temporarily blinded her, and then he'd been her guide. It was a role he was very familiar with, but it had been different with Sugar. Somehow.

He shook his head and looked back at Nellie. He let a small smile twitch across his lips as he commented sardonically, "She's probably going to have a ton of fun without us." Fig glanced at Nellie.

short post is short :/

She smirked confidently. Oh - I ain't so sure 'bout that yet. She commented, giving him a little side-eye action. With Sugar leaving, pretty much her only friend her age right now was Figgy, and she was pretty alright with that. He seemed fun and friendly enough. I'm pretty fun too y'know.

no worries! short posts are coo with me :) wanna fade out or something since we have the other going?

Fig smiled at Nellie's confident retort. Same as her, with Sugar leaving, Nellie was just about the only friend he had. Things were still rocky with Fennec and he hadn't really spent much time with the other youths (except for a couple of run-ins with that Penn kid--he was an ass). He was glad to at least have someone, though. It helped that so far he enjoyed Nellie's company, of course.

"Oh, I know," Fig answered with a confident nod, "That much is pretty clear. I mean, who else would think to use a bush to get a party started." He wagged his tail, a bit nervously. He wasn't sure if she'd think him funny or if she'd think he was totally lame.

Yeah that'd be cool! I'll leave it open in case u wanna pop in the last reply but otherwise feel free to archive

Luckily Nellie hadn't met any asses yet - though in some cases, perhaps she was the ass. Did two asses make something positive? Well, no, apparently it made an even bigger mess if you looked at her and her mother right now. Nellie wasn't proud of all the trouble she'd caused and would still cause, but it was hard changing her entire self when nobody around her seemed to change for the better.

She snorted at the comment, trying to hide the noise she found pretty awful with a golden paw that swept at her mouth. It's my only party trick, for now. She commented with a smirk, getting up and turning around. Anywayz, I'm hungry - let's get some lunch-dinner... Food? The offer was open for him to take, but if not that was cool too. She was getting her grub either way.

Fig chuckled at her response, noting silently that the fact she'd shared was likely to change in the future. Nellie struck him as someone who simply drew interesting things to her. He was confident that even if it was her only party trick now, it wouldn't be for long.

"Lunch-dinner food is my favorite," he commented with a smile, nodding his head to her as an indication that she was free to take the lead. He followed after her contentedly, happy to let her direct their path and their conversation as they slipped off into the woods together.