Great Bear Wilderness as the crow flies

March 18 — @Arcturus. After this thread, but before this one.

The tingling through her legs was excrutiating, almost inhibiting her from moving at all. Its cause was a mixture of agression and arousal, each one acting as a mask for her growing anxiety. Ying was operating on auto-pilot; each step was taken without her permission, guiding her toward a destination which she had not chosen.

The sound of snapping jaws had long since quieted. It was now evening, and soon she would be able to rest. Confident that she hadn't been followed, Ying settled beside a stream and quietly preened her fur.

being super vague! dont want to make any assumptions <3

he had laid low, worming his way back under the guise of a steelbit moon. arcturus' face weeped openly -- a mat of maroon and cerise dousing the bluefire of his black coat.

how much blood had he lost? arcturus found his energies ebbing the closer he came to the spear. the beta collapsed by the bank of an unknown river, his sides heaving laboriously as around him, the rushing symphony of evening animals roared to life.

Although slight, the sound reverberated several times over through Ying's mind. Her head turned quickly in its direction, her ears perked and heart racing. She could smell blood, could smell Moonspear, and could smell —

Arcturus? She was afraid to approach, but forced herself closer if only to investigate. Ying sniffed around the space immediately surrounding his body and bristled, wondering if his brother was nearby.

languishing against the stony bank, arcturus's mind reeled. he was cognizant of something rustling -- yet he could barely muster the energy to raise his head. instead, the mountaineer issued a formidable snarl -- one he hoped would dissuade whatever apparition approached.

it would be just his luck that it was his brother come to finish the job -- yet try as he might, the beast could not rally enough to rise.

She pulled away, taken aback by his warning. Something had happened, and whatever it was, it had been traumatic enough to temporarily alter his being. Before, he had moved to protect her, and now...?

Arcturus, Ying sung. She wondered if he would be able to understand his own name, hoping that a part of him was still there.

the guardian's ear twitched as he heard his name. arcturus. between the rush of the wind and the soft gurgle of the creek, he had heard it -- arcturus.

he groaned, his face on fire. every nerve screaming. his gaze was swimming, a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and blurred edges of pooling black. ying.

a flood of emotions more raw than the feelings he had experienced when he first saw revui came to him. she had abandoned him. he had protected her, and she had left him. this misplaced blame welled up in him like a frothing wave, and his blood-matted face contorted into an unwelcome grimace. his throat worked roughly, his voice hoarse and barely more than a murmur: "you --" his lips strained, his expression lit with pain -- "you left me."

You wanted to hurt me. She studied his expression and stepped back, suddenly overcome with trembles. Her legs buckled; settled sloppily onto her hindquarters, Ying lowered herself into submission.

Everything, all of this, had been her fault. She shouldn't have returned to Moonspear while awaiting her heat. Had Ying remained on the island, she wouldn't have bonded with Arcturus, and he wouldn't have felt an obligation to her fertility. Ying had implied that his advancements were acceptable and had done the same for Revui through Hydra's engagement. This was her fault, because she hadn't been smart, but had allowed her ego to convince her that she was worth something more than a womb, waiting to be filled.

She lifted her head and looked at him, forlorn gaze lingering between blood-stained fur and reddened snow. You scared me, she whispered, I'm sorry.

you wanted to hurt me.

which hurt more in that moment - his wounds, or that accusation?

arcturus grimaced, his head falling back to the earth as defeat sunk its claws deep within him. he had never wanted to hurt her - how could she even think that? his mind had been clouded in that moment, but never once had he thought to turn his aggression to her..

thinking back on his fight only served to further incense and hurt his ego; revui had challenged him, and that had been unpalatable to the beta's pride. and now, his pride was broken anew by his wasted efforts; he had fought for someone who would not have done the same for him.

and that betrayal sunk deeper than his brother's teeth ever could. it tapped into a part of him that he had kept largely hidden from the world, because it was so vulnerable. and now, that part of him had been hurt anew.

had it been worth it? her apologies didn't come close to slaking the pain in his heart. not she, not hydra, not anyone had come to his defense -- and now, he was here. torn to shreds, half-dying on a riverbank -- all in the name of protecting someone else. "go away, ying." the beta labored, his breath giving way to a barely audible growl.

There were still a number of unknowns between them, but Ying was sure of her need to stay. Alone, Arcturus would surely die; his ill-feelings didn't matter, so long as he was alive. 

She shook her head — I don't want to. — and inched closer, scooting on her belly. Ying wondered if she should call for someone, but realized that she didn't have any names. Instead, she stood and sulked toward his flank, settling into a seat once more.

now she decides not to leave him? arcturus coughed, blood on his tongue. he focused his one uninjured eye on ying coolly, unable to muster much in the way of a cutting riposte.

he wanted to, though.

she drifted closer -- he had always wanted her close before, but in that moment her nearness was like an unpleasant prick of electricity. it sent his fur upright and clouded his mind. with a wheeze, he rested his head back on the bank. "call for kukutux," the mountaineer whispered, feeling his voice thread thin.

The guardian tilted her head back and sounded a howl for @Kukutux, urgency clear in the howl's flow. Ying kept her back turned away from Moonspear and focused her eyes forward, patiently awaiting the subject's arrival.

Concerned, she turned and looked at Arcturus. Where was he hurt, and how badly? How did he feel? She didn't want to break the silence with any of these questions, and instead moved closer to his side to watch out for any passers-by.

ying's howl rose into the murkwood. music to arcturus' ears.

he never doubted the sylph would come. she had been kind to him thus far, perhaps too kind - and he didn't know why in that moment he told ying to howl for her.. maybe it was because subconsciously, he knew lyra would be busy tending to osiris.

maybe it was because if nothing else, he knew kukutux could be discreet.

arcturus' wounds were grevious, but they would heal. he did not know it then, but revui's fangs had thinly nicked a powerfully supplied vein, which in turn had bled profusely until he had passed out on the riverbank. the bloodclot on his face was hideous, but most of his senses seemeed intact otherwise, and he was lucky his brother's tooth had been a centimeter deeper.

knowing help would soon arrive, arcturus sighed and his frame seemed to melt, as if the tension holding his body together had now fled. soon, kukutux would be here.

soon, arcturus would go home.

kukutux did not expect the summons that rose.

it was from a stranger, not of moonspear. she paused from where she had been lying the split sides of a trout over a warm rock, readying it to dry. springmint gaze rose, narrowed; the girl heard the importance of the summons and collected a small skin of wrapped leaves, similar to the ones she had shown arcturus.

she trotted swiftly toward the call, ivory hackles flaring at the stranger's scent and the heavy weight of blood within the air. the woman was a stranger, and she was far too close to

arcturus

eyes widened. kukutux hurried forward, features filling with worry. "what has happened?" she asked of the woman, but two fragrances tipped over her. first, the masculine glut of revui. secondly, the flower-soft aroma wafting from the other she-wolf. the pack-scent was somehow familiar, however, and so she relaxed her gaze, turning it quickly upon arcturus. blood flowed viciously from a wound barely staunched, and she began to lap at it immediately, hoping to uncover the source of the wound so that it might be bound.

Arcturus? He was no longer reacting, not in the way which he had. Ying moved closer and covered his hindquarters with her own body, guarding him from the threats lingering nearby. She didn't consider the potential offense of her scent, and didn't care for the consequences either.

Kukutux's sudden approach was met with the baring of fangs. Ying lurched forward but stopped, noting the obvious get-up of the aforementioned: a Moonspearian, carrying a bundle of herbs, obviously here to address his state.

She backed off, shaking her head in silent apology. Fighting with Revui, Ying explained, I see'd only the first part, and then he fin-ded me here with bleeding. She knelt down and nosed at his side, watching carefully as Kuku began her inspection.

revui had done this? surprise shuddered through the woman, but she kept to her task. there, the mark of teeth. she descended into the supplies she had brought, began to chew comfrey into a paste. no webs to be had here, kukutux thought grimly, teeth massing the gooey mess until it was a bolus she littered onto the tear.

as it set, the girl, beyond herself for once, pressed her ear to his quiet frame, touched his wrist with her muzzle. weakened pulse, erratic, but he would live, so long as he did not continue to bleed.

revui. this woman knew him also. "why did they fight?"

Jealousy, but was it justified? She buckled down closer to Arcturus, as close as she could manage, and continued to watch the nurse work. Me, Ying explained. Her voice was hardly audible, though the guilt in her words was clear.

Is he okay? Ying didn't know how these things worked, but knew that something should have happened by now...right? She began to worry that he would never wake up, and she would have to live with the weight of knowing she had caused his death.

a brief frown crossed her features and was then gone. they had fought over this woman. this was why her people made arrangements for such things, rather than allow such horrid strife.

but this was not her land. and they must all abide by new ways of believing. "he has lost much blood," kukutux sighed, rocking back upon her heels. "but he is strong. if his wounds are kept clean, they will not become full of bad spirits."

she reached out to arcturus again, swallowed, hid the concern mounting in her breast.

Her concern was not "bad spirits". She wanted to know if he would continue bleeding, and if he did, how long would it be before he had no blood left? Ying huffed her frustration and looked toward Moonspear.

Maybe we should move him, the guardian suggested. Leaving him here was concerning, whether Arcturus was alone or left with Kukutux. She wanted to take him home, but worried that it might be dangerous to approach the border while in her heat.

who was this woman? why did she remain? "when his wound is closed, then he can be moved." she checked the poultice, clucking beneath her tongue. the stranger had been the cause of this, she should depart. indignation trounced through kukutux, but she reminded herself that this wolf offered only help for her leader.

casting a green eye over his heavy frame, kukutux nodded at the other. the comfrey had pulled the edges of the gaping wound together, and now she turned up her own voice.

@Hydra. we come.

she would be remiss not to tell the blackbear what had happened, and she searched for some way to make his transport easier. a branch, perhaps, though she was loathe to leave his side for it. and so the girl stepped back, stepped away, indicating that the other should lead them both through the task of moving him somewhat closer to the boundary line.

Call for someone, please. She looked mournfully to her fallen friend and frowned. Hydra does not want me close while burning. Assuming they'd talked about the subject, Ying knew that her friend preferred she keep her distance. Returning now, without either brother, would surely cause some conflict.

Still, Ying was not ready to leave. She had promised to stay, and did not intend to break her word. Her teeth clenched lightly onto his two hindlegs, Ying began to tug and walk backward, signaling for Kukutux to do the same.

no woman in her fire-time should be about, where men could prey upon them. more swiftly by the moment was kukutux willing to blame this she-wolf for all that had happened. males were weak in these moments. you took care to remove yourself as temptation. 

but arcturus mattered first. she complied, following suit and hoping hydra would arrive to eliminate the need for any other wolves that were not of moonspear.

<3 last from me

he stirred, distantly aware of kukutux near. she swam in and out of focus, a gossamer shape shifting as the shadows moved all around him.

someone tugging.

the earth under him, moving.

he came to with a start, a heave of choking breath as he clawed for air, aware of burning along his face and neck. "kukutux --" the beta breathlessly whispered, shifting to feet that could barely keep him stable.

he looked to both and staggered, pressed now against kukutux. for a moment his burning gaze held ying in full - if only he had won - before he lurched forward, ready to be supported as he limped for home.

exit!

Hydra's arrival would come soon enough. She met Arcturus's momentary gaze with a sad gaze, eyes drifting slowly back toward the ground. Ying realized that her attention was no longer needed and wandered off, watching from a distance how Kukutux conducted herself.

before she knew it, arcturus had stirred, stood. she pressed himself against his flank, eyes unguarded for a moment as she steadied him. the stoic blackrain man exchanged a look with the woman, one that inspired a distant pang in kukutux, but she lent all of herself to the focus of returning him to moonspear.