Ankyra Sound VIII. Standing in the back door crying, now you're going to need a friend.

Official birth! AW but please be aware @regin and @valravn will be posting -- come save her life, or finish her off - dealer's choice!  Raleska had dystocia & eclampsia -- she'll need medical intervention or its fishes.

When Raleska came to again she was aware immediately of the dull, pulsing pain to her backside. When she tried to sit up, her head swam and she was forced immediately downward -- down, where she felt something wriggling up against her chest.

She could recall little of what had transpired -- she remembered struggling to stand, feeling her senses swimming as a bolt of pain struck her true, and then, she remembered being laid flat out against the ground in agony and labor.

Her vision had been blurry and filled with dark spots then, but she could have sworn as slowly lost lucidity, that a pair of sharp yellow eyes had emerged from the growing shadows in the Grotto. That the owner of those eyes had swept close and propped her body up against the stone; that the dark, smoke-like shape had tore the brisket of membrane from Raleska's sides and removed from within gasping, wailing things --

and then that that was all she could see before darkness came for her.

Now she was awake, and gone was the wispy trailing of a smokeborn wraith -- gone were those familiar eyes, replaced now by two strangers suckling against her side.

A sob wedged its way through the girl's throat as she looked upon the lives she had borne, and the bloodbath that was her afterbirth. Around her was a thick and ominous gathering of blood, and she could no longer feel sensation in her hind toes.

Only a dull, throbbing, venomous ache.

surya had grown worried when @Aphrodite had been missing for a few days. it was unlike the woman not to be found near her herb cache or fishing, and after informing @Artyom that he was going to look for her, the yearling departed. he tracked her scent from whitebark stream all the way to the coast; his ears perked when he first picked up the sound of crashing waves.

there was blood at the end of her trail—blood and fear. aphrodite! he cried out, eyes widening to huge emerald orbs. he bristled, wheeling in circles, looking in a panic. aphrodite! aphr—

the name died abruptly in his throat as his nose picked up another scent. . .not aphrodite's, but one of blood, and linked to the masculine smell he had found entwined with his packmate's (he swallowed down the rage he felt at discovering this). it was pungent, more than blood. something foreign to him, and everything foreign terrified him now.

aphrodite, surya gasped out, lurching toward the scent. could it be related? taking shallow, shuddering breaths, he made his way down the cliffs and toward the cave. a dark, still figure appeared in the near distance. aphrodite. . . no. not her. another.

with a muffled exclamation, he trotted in ungainly fashion toward the. . .the. . .young woman? accompanied by— haaye bhagwaan, he whispered, horrified. a young woman, recently given birth. in poor shape. blood and mucous and. . .and. . .

oh, god! what should he do? what could he do?!

stay calm; it's all right, surya told her, trying to keep the quaver from his voice and put on a brave face. still, he was sure he looked as frightened as she felt. i'll get help—i'll help you—

he took a step back and let loose a shrill, desperate howl, searching for aid. it shivered into the sea-air; a small group of gulls fluttered off, squawking, disturbed.

tags for reference

valravn had seen many iterations in this world, just as the ghostly face of the moon saw countless faces stretched over eons. 

one thing was always the same. he always came into this world quietly, while chaos spread in spidery veins about him. he was always born dark, and he always found his archsoul. the white to his black that formed the dueling elements of yin and yang.  

his other half. the soul that bound to his time and time again. that little red ribbon -- 

one minute he was in the light, and the next minute, dark totality.

it was all slipping away, his most recent life. 

what was first a stark memory became rounded near the edges, then blurred as the fabric that bore gradually unraveled in misty silver ripples. he was resting in a stone den, somewhere, his fur warm and cast by luxurious sun dapples. he was old now. he had lived a long life, with many children who had lightened the years. a mate who had loved him always. she swam in his vision as a luminous silvery shape, bending over him. her words were soft as they carried away from that stony sepulcher. he tried to make out those soothing words, yet they were too muffled and he was drifting away. all the same, he tried to hold onto that past life for just a moment longer . . . 

and then he was here, losing memory like water through the palmed hands of a supplicant. pieces of who he was were gradually falling away, fading like the russet burn of sunset against a deepening green horizon. twinklings of his past selves coming and going until at last valravn's multi-colored tapestry was dark with formless movement.

valravn slept by his mother's side, blissful -- while the ebb and flow of old memories fled dreamlike from him in vibrant swansong. his coming into this world had bore no witness save for one -- a pair of yellow eyes which had watched simmering from some undisclosed shadow in the grotto. then, in a strong grip alien to him, had tugged and pulled him from the membrane that bundled around him, lifted the caul from his gasping face, and placed him gingerly alongside his mother's flank where his head did little shaky bobbles until at last he found a teat. 

here he feasted, unaware of the destruction that had been inflicted in his wake. heedless of the man who had come across his bloodbath, and unerringly unaware of any kinlife that stirred besides him.

Her arrival did not come quietly. Forced carelessly onto the cold stone floor of the grotto, the newborn Eyjolfur writhed uncomfortably within the fluid-filled sack that still encased her.

It was when she was freed from it, following that first inhale of air meant to inflate unused lungs, that the newborn released an ear-shattering yowl that echoed throughout her late grandmother's sacred halls. She didn't appreciate any of this: the biting cold that seeped into sodden furs, the vulnerability of being out in the open, the newness of it all.

Her voice quieted to pitiful little mewls when at last she located some of comfort. A sibling, another small being who she'd shared a confined space with, which was enough to settle her. The babe bundled against her brother in a desperate yearning for warmth, driven only by a powerful instinct to survive.

Dunno how long Ab will be here! if trouble comes around, he'll leave!

The smell of sick and blood filled the air, though the blood didn't smell particularly delicious at all, he was curious enough to follow it to its source. The air was disgusting but it didn't cause him to turn and find somewhere else. he had to know what was happening... A sick curiosity beckoning him for his presence and upon his arrival, the sight was just as foul as the smell. The stranger had already called out to whoever they were calling for, no one had responded yet and so Abaddon approached...

Carefully.

Eyes watching the half-dead woman, and the able bodie'd stranger too just in case. The puppies were wriggling and moving at least, but she, well, he didn't have much hope for her at all. The other male was frantic, saying something along the lines of helping her despite her state. he frowned, focussing on the male first for a bit while keeping the woman in his peripherals should she bounce back into life like some kind of B rated horror film. 

I don't think she can be saved. He said bleakly. Eyes dull and lifeless as he waited for the other's reaction. She smells foul, already like death. You'll only prolong her suffering if someone does come to your call.

She had abandoned the mountains for the sake of her stomach, drawn inevitably north until the grass gave way to sand, and the sand led down towards a grotto. All her days of empty wandering were curtailed by the many scents she found there; Stryx did not like gatherings, and she did not know if this was a pack's tribunal she had stumbled upon or not—but either way, she was present for it.

The great hubub was not what she expected to find here; as soon as the sounds of voices filtered to her ears, Stryx was eager to pivot on her heel and return to the safety of the mountain range. The pungent scent of afterbirth was everywhere — disgusting! — but she drifted along the outskirts of the gathered wolves like a ghost all the same, bright-eyed and discerning.

The largest of those gathered, a northerner by the look of his pale coat, urged for the abandonment of the injured wolf at the center of the discussion. Stryx caught a glance at her — dark, coppery, half-dead already. A youngster tended to her, and all Stryx could do from that point was scowl.

This was not her business. She was neither a scavenger nor a medic, but the sight of the woman left to the mercy of the universe was something that resounded deeply within her. Ignoring the fact she had been snacking on abortifacents mere days ago... She knew what not to use upon the mother, at the very least.

Against her better judgement the woman drifted to Surya's side, her expression grave but attentive. Stem the blood, she said. If it is internal there is no saving her, but if we are lucky— there is little luck in this world, she thinks, and the serious tone of Stryx's voice implies this belief as she sets to work trying to clean up the mess.

He didn't really have a reason to be here. Once upon a time, he had lived here, though. Once upon a time, he might have made a life with a girl he respected. But those "once upon a time" tales didn't always end merrily and happily like they were supposed to. He had told Arbiter that he was going to go scouting for new recruits. That wasn't a lie. Legion was oh-so-close to being strong enough to really stake their claim, and Kaertok wanted that to happen so Arbiter would get what she wanted. And really, he wanted it, too. Their children would be safer and stronger under their rule instead of somebody else's.

He was mulling these things when he heard the call.

Thinking it might be an opportunity for him (and Legion), he galloped toward it with all the speed he could muster, although he'd been quite a distance away from it. Eventually, he found himself hearing a conversation that sounded much more tragic than he had expected. This white wolf, whoever he was, wanted to let the injured one die. Kaertok was often a "survival of the fittest" type, and in so many other cases, he would have agreed. In fact, he opened his mouth to say just that when he realized there was something sickeningly familiar about the mother's scent.

Raleska.

He hadn't even known... Was this... Had she been... Last time he saw her...

The Tartok's eyes shot toward the two others, assuming one of them had been the one to call. I know her. What can I do to help?

holy hannah, you guys are awesome! i am thinking rounds, unless you guys would like to stick to posting order? either way works for me. feel free to PP Raleska or whatever works for continuity <3

Raleska weaved in and out of consciousness for a spell; one minute she was in a dark place alone and in pain, the next, she was transplanted into a distant memory -- of sunny shores and asking her mother "Whozzat?" at a crab scuttling by with its onerous claws raised..

And then she was back again, gasping, screaming -- awake only long enough to hear a man's howl cut through the den, the sound of Abbadon's grave edict -- the murmur of a gentlewoman, the distant, strangely familiar voice of . . .

Of . . .

He was only a hazy ghost in her vision; her gaze slid skyward, unfocused.

She drifted off with a groan, unable to hold on for long. Her body's natural defense to total nuclear collapse was to shut down -- five, four, three, two . . .

One. . .

no order rounds work for me -- i'll get things rolling??

the pale man that appeared was of no help whatsoever. i don't think she can be saved. she's a mother! surya exclaimed, snapping at the man with eyes flashing. they cut over to the little pups at her breast, then back to the stranger, furious. we have to save her. they need her.

imagine if his own mother had perished. . .

another—stem the blood. he only knew vaguely what that meant, but he. . .he. . . surya flopped over, pushing against the young woman. he pressed a forepaw against (and there was no time to be modest) the place where she bled most, feeling the tide against his pad. pressed, and pressed harder.

there was no time to waste.

help, surya whispered, looking up at the newer pale man who'd appeared on the scene, offering aid. do you know what can stop bleeding?

his forepaw, foreleg, chest. . .he was covered in blood, and the situation was growing dire. someone needed to act with some intelligence, otherwise. . .

Guess I'll toss Stryx in again.

Time was precious. The boy moved first to do as he was told, but there wasn't much he could do alone. Stryx reacted to the blood sopping in to the soil as if it were a puddle of rainwater, glancing from it to the mother and then with a cursory dip across the babes at her breast; then she snappily issued some commands.

Vervain for the babes sake, ginger root if it can be found and chewed in time, as she listed this second thing, she looked pointedly at the pale beast of a man. You—strong man. Large heart-shaped leaves, very low to the ground. The flowers are small and the color of sunset; they don't matter... Rip them out by the root and bring me what you find. While explaining this she moved to the struggling woman's side and had begun to probe at her belly and underparts with careful gestures, ascertaining the damage, although it was quite clear.

Moss might soak up some of the blood, Stryx adds next, and turns her back on the patient to look around the chasm, realizing the grotto was one of the few places that did not facilitate the growth of anything green or useful. She hisses to the other pale wolf present—Kaertok—You! Find me moss, lots of it! Up the rise, in the forest there. 

What of the babes? Was the mother's body still able to feed them, was it warm enough, would they succumb too? No time—she had to focus on one or the other, and for now Raleska had her undivided attention.

He thought he saw her eyes flicker open, and Kaertok clenched his jaw. His ears slid forward as he listened to the wolf who seemed most knowledgeable. She directed the first white wolf—the one who had said Raleska was a lost cause—to find various things, but Kaertok doubted that he would. Instead, he listened carefully, repeating the descriptions in his head as she listed them out. The names weren't anything he recognized, so he would have to go based on whatever she was able to provide in such a short amount of time.

Moss. Moss he did know.

Kaertok spun around and forced his legs to carry him faster, faster, faster. His chest was heaving, but Raleska...

He had hunted many times before, but never for weeds. Never for moss. But just now, that was what she needed. Whatever conflict was between them did not matter now. Racing against time, Kaertok managed to stuff his mouth full of moss and rush back as quickly as he could. He felt it had been forever and no time at all.

Hurriedly, he dumped the moss at the silver girl's feet and sped off again, this time in search of the other things she had requested.

i was informed it was my turn, but if i'm wrong, pinch me

the things the woman was saying flew right over his head. aphrodite would know, he thought, and then felt miserable as he realized he hadn't come out here for this. he had come out here for her, to find his missing packmate. and he'd found her scent, full of blood and fear. she was somewhere—she was in trouble!

but he couldn't leave this wolf, either. surya found himself between the proverbial rock and hard place, and all he could do was let the blood ripple over his forelegs like an incoming tide.

the unhelpful man was (shockingly) of no help, but the other white wolf brought moss. moss. . . that rang a bell somewhere in his mind. it was used for healing. he didn't know how. he assumed this woman would know. he could try and find the other plants, though he was loath to take the pressure off for even a moment.

what more can i do? surya asked hoarsely, turning his desperate gaze up to the woman again.

Skipping Abaddon & PPing him leaving, with permission <3 At this point, if you guys want to PP moving her somewhere or dragging her somewhere I'm good with that.

While the pale wraith made his leave, Raleska's eyes flickered behind her eyelids; her mind was falling back, back through a black chasm (of what? the pool? the grotto? some endless subterranean crypt?) -- she could only feel a sense of fluttering doom as she fell deeper, until at last at the bottom of this dark pool was the Grotto's mouth which yawned wide to receive her and then clapped shut.

She was out cold.

It was a good thing, too -- for the pain that encircled her haunches would have been unbearable otherwise. While Surya and Kaertok did whatever they could under Stryx's command, Raleska's body stopped its convulsing -- eerily still, yet somehow still breathing.

I think we're doing rounds, yes? Shouldn't conflict with anything!

He came back carrying no fewer than three different types of flowers. He didn't know if any of them were the right kind, but he would have to hope. He also brought back the heart-shaped leaves, the taste of dirt still in his mouth from where he had pulled them from the ground. Briefly, he thought of the wolf who had been searching for poisonous plants, and he hoped that none of the flowers he'd gathered were that. Kaertok hadn't ingested anything, but he was vaguely aware that some could be dangerous even without swallowing them.

Are these the right ones? he asked, casting a worrying glance to Raleska. Wasting no time, he sniffed gingerly at the two wriggling creatures at her side. They were eating, which was good, but if Raleska—no, he couldn't think that. They needed to be cleaned, as Kaertok had seen so many mothers do before. He set to work on them next, gently licking their fur dry as they drank their first meal.

The salty ocean air blew against her face as Sugar approached a stretch of trees and decided to stop and rest for a while. She had been traipsing north along the coastline the past few days, still hoping to find Penn and Fennec, her movements slowed a bit by a fresh wave of grief. She felt extremely weary as she padded beneath the leafy canopy, eager to seek out somewhere cool and shady to catch a nap.

As she looked for someplace to settle, the unmistakable scent of blood threaded through the sea breeze. Sugar stilled, tilting her pink snout into the air to assess the smell. Without being aware of it, she began moving toward its origin. Her little white paws carried her to the forest's far edge on a sharp bluff overlooking a strand of beach below. Her ears thrust forward, picking up on the sounds of voices, though she couldn't see anything from up here.

Sugar crept carefully down the side of the cliff, skulking onto the beach toward a sort of grotto. Her black eyes squinted as she took in the scene unfolding inside. There was quite a commotion, centered around a dark figure sprawled on the sand. Even from back here, Sugar could see the blood, though she couldn't make out the two babes. She wondered if this was a small pack, perhaps attacking an intruder. She naturally wanted to render aid, though she hesitated, fearing danger. There were four wolves moving around in agitation, not counting the injured one (and the pups she didn't realize were there)...

Make that three, she thought as one of the larger, white wolves disembarked. Sugar's gaze tracked his movements for a moment before returning center stage. They didn't appear to be in attack mode. She made up her mind when the other pale figure hastily left only to return with something green in his mouth.

Standing up straighter, Sugar's tiny toes dug into the sand as she shouted, "Hello, I'm a medic! Do you need help?"

The larger of the white wolves left. The second one moved with more insistence away from the grotto, and he came back just as quickly, while the other did not. Stryx wasn't attentive to who exactly returned with the herbs but she could smell their stink as soon as the wolf entered the grotto with them, and turned her attention promptly to his offering.

The boy beside her was struggling. She briefly shot him a command: Press the moss against her, and when the water runs red from them, take them to the pool—there—and rinse them. Do not stop. There were a few pools of water in the grotto, but they weren't ideal for what they needed. It would keep the boy busy though, and Stryx free.

The pale wolf had brought a few things: leaves, flower buds, but no root. Stryx scowled at his confirmation question and snapped, I need the root. I said to pull the plant up, the flowers aren't -- but she huffed, knowing it wasn't the time to argue. There were properties to these things that she could try to utilize too, although the root of the ginger plant was the most precious. The man was busy tending to the newborns anyway, and while Stryx was growing restless from all the tension buzzing among the group, she would not redirect him.

Instead she began to crush the flowers and the leaves together with the palm of her paw, grinding them against the dry stone underfoot. She took a piece of the moss that Surya hadn't used yet, added that in, and continued. As she worked she kept an eye on the woman but it became peripheral; then, when someone else arrived at the grotto mouth, Stryx's attention paused. She shot a look towards the striped stranger, bristling.

She didn't say anything at first. Rather, she gathered the poultice with licks of her tongue and then inserted her snout to Raleska's unmentionables and began to allocate the mixture where she thought the blood was thickest; some had coagulated, other sections flowed and carried bits of poultice away. It was frustrating but whatever Stryx was feeling did not matter.

I'm a medic! Do you need help? The boy questioned, and as Stryx lifted her bloodied face and chest away from the new mother's seeping parts, her eyes lit. There's so much blood. I'm trying to stop it, or slow it. Are you versed in such things? She didn't have time for amateurs.

moss. stop bleeding. he took this information and kept it for posterity's sake, all while stretching and seizing a clump of the greenery between his teeth. the position he entered next was. . .quite awkward, to say the least. but there was no time to balk, no time to be overly modest or a prude. he shoved the moss between the young woman's legs—trying desperately not to breathe in—and tucked it snugly there.

surya retreated, fighting every instinct to lick the blood from his nose. he swiped a paw over his muzzle instead, then again, then placed it against the moss. the plant was gathering blood quite quickly; before long, it was half-soaked, the crimson overtaking its vibrant verdance.

but it did seem to be working. he took it away after a while, doing the awkward ritual of replacing it with another clump, then took the bloodied bit to the pool. he rinsed it and himself, bristling at the dark cloud that rose up in the water.

he needed to leave before long—before whatever trouble had found aphrodite took her too far away.

For most of the minutes that followed, Raleska was unconscious. She did not feel any of Surya's damping of her blood with moss, nor Stryx's application of a rudimentary paste, or Kaertok's nudging of her infants; she did not even rouse when Sugar Glider's voice called down the cavern.

There was a brief blip of lucidity where Raleska's gaze fell on Kaertok feverishly -- the recognition that crossed her gaze was as brief as her snatch of consciousness -- with another groan, the Eyjolfur stilled.

Sorry for shortness, she's basically in/out of consciousness so IDK what to write lol <3

She was frustrated with him, but Kaertok thought he had brought the right thing. Apparently, he had not dug deep enough. He continued to clean the two babes until they looked dry enough, and he turned to see yet another wolf arriving on the scene. Figuring she (or one of the others) could take over if the puppies needed more cleaning, Kaertok drew in a breath and set off to find more of the flowers: this time digging deeper and bring them roots and all.

He dropped them at the gray and silver wolf's feet, once again watching as Raleska's eyes opened to focus on his face for a brief moment. Kaertok took a step closer, whining softly. He wasn't at all sure if she was going to make it through this, but keeping her as conscious as possible seemed like the right move.

The wolf who reacted first might have been silver, though it was hard to tell with all the blood smeared into her pale fur. "There's so much blood," was quite an understatement. She nodded and moved forward, taking in all the details now that she was closer. Aside from the bloodstained she-wolf who'd spoken to her, there was an agouti wolf tending to the dark figure on the ground. Close by stood the remaining white wolf, the one who'd brought back herbs of some sort.

Sugar's eyes eventually fell to the patient as she tried to assess the nature of her injuries. Only then did she notice the two newborns. She sucked in a breath as several things clicked in her mind. She wasn't a midwife and her experience as a medic was also limited. But she had recently helped Bat during her whelping. There hadn't been nearly as much blood then, nor had Bat lost consciousness. Whoever she was, this dark woman was in grave peril.

She came closer to stand over the prone new mother, her eyes and nose telling her what first aid these wolves had administered thus far. Sugar was impressed by what she observed. "You've done everything I would've done already," she said quietly, black gaze flicking to the silver woman's face. "Packing the wound with herbs should help stop the bleeding. I would take everything you have left and compress it," she added, "applying as much pressure as you can. It won't hurt her any worse than she already is..." Sugar paused. "We can do cleanup later." They would only need to worry about infection if she survived, though Sugar didn't say that part, nor declare her prognosis, which wasn't good.

Glancing at the unconscious wolf's face, Sugar repeated softly, "I think you've done everything you can for her." Looking back to the bloodied and hoary she-wolf, who seemed in charge of this scene, she wondered, "Who is she? And how are the pups?"

Although they had access to only rudimentary things, it was going well. The woman was not out of the woods yet as far as Stryx could tell, but the bleeding had lessened with the help of Surya's cleaning and her own attentiveness; when the pale wolf left a second time she watched him, and before long he returned with a mud-streaked undercarriage, and in his face he held more of the plants she had requested, this time with the roots attached. She fell upon these as soon as they were offered: pulling the stalks off, tossing everything she did not want in to a pile, then softening the root by submerging it in one of the small pools of trapped saltwater. Once they had most of the dirt removed Stryx took to chewing at them, breaking pieces off as best she could with her teeth (it came away messily, as strings) and then set about pulverizing the root with her molars. 

The darkly marked wolf began to assess the damage for themselves, remarking on Stryx's work as if they were an elder doing an appraisal. Stryx was too busy to be bothered by it; the shape of the grotto forced her to listen more than she'd have liked, but truthfully, she was happy to have another body to aid them all with this tremendous task.

Stryx could use a break. There was no telling how long they'd been working on the woman, but she knew her legs were tired and she was starting to feel dizzy from all the stress - not that she would stop even if her legs gave out. The panic following the poor mother's discovery had lessened somewhat as they'd worked on her, and now Stryx was sprawled alongside her - opposite where the babes lay at her breast - chewing at the ginger root while sharing what little warmth she held with those newborns. The stone beneath her was streaked with blood; she hadn't noticed how much of it had soaked in to the silver of her coat.

The white wolf loomed nearby, closer to the patient's head. It surprised Stryx just how many people had come to this woman's rescue; who was she? How beloved she must be to have so many caring for her survival. As Stryx worked on the root with her teeth, she looked around at the others. The giant who had expressed the futility of their efforts had vanished, but in his place stood the striped boy so eager to show off his medical prowess, and by the pools was Surya, also young but eager and attentive - they would do well, she thought, if they could handle disasters such as this. The chaos, the blood, and then to conquer death — that's what drove Stryx to this calling. She wondered about the youngsters briefly, about where they might have come from or why they would chose such a noble vocation, but stowed her introspection. The ginger was a paste, and it was time to continue treatment.

I think you've done everything you can for her. The girl assessed. As she asked her further questions, Stryx hurried to add a new compress of herbs to the mother's underside, and then began to allocate small amounts of the pre-chewed ginger in to her mouth, taking care not to overburden her tongue or her throat, and softly urging her to swallow with a few touches of her nose.

Who is she? How are the pups? The girl had asked. Stryx did not know the patient and so she only shrugged, but glanced quickly to the pale wolf, as he seemed to know her. She is a new mother, I suspect. Ask him. This pale man had come out of nowhere, but he had done his best to acquire what was asked of him in a prompt manner, and he seemed quite involved with both the mother and her children. Perhaps he was the father.

a small wolf that called herself a medic appeared, throwing out some advice. they now had a solid little group of wolves caring for the new mother, and things seemed to be. . .better. not good, yet. but better.

surya shook out the now-clean clump of moss, the water streaming down his limbs, and padded over to the main event once more. gently, he placed the plant beside the silver woman, who rested beside the patient, dealing with herbs surya had only thought of as pretty foliage. how could he have known their powers?

i. . .need to go, he admitted, looking as ashamed as he felt. a friend of mine is missing; i followed her scent here and there is—there's blood. i think she's in trouble. i don't—i'm sorry. he cast apologetic looks all around, his eyes finally landing on the young, unconscious she-wolf. when i find her, i'll return. my friend is a healer; she could help, too.

please. . .don't die, he silently pleaded, blinking down at the nursing pups. mother or children.

with stiff legs he departed, returning to the end of aphrodite's scent-journey here. like a bloodhound, he followed it away from the sound—his mind pulled in two places all the while.

<3 you guys are all amazing! this will be my last post with Raleska since she's unconscious, but feel free to continue on, if you need another round for your trades just let me know and I could chuck Val or something in to keep it going.

How tirelessly Stryx worked alongside the downed she-wolf, with Kaertok and Surya bent to her aid. Raleska was more than lucky -- she was enormously fortunate -- if Surya had not howled, if Kaertok, Stryx, and Sugar Glider had not been nearby, surely she would have seen her end.

As Surya slipped away and Sugar Glider inspected Stryx's handiwork, offering her own experience, Raleska let loose a final groan before she truly and deeply lost consciousness. She would not awake for some time. Dreams -- if they could be called that -- stole her away, full of long dark shadows and sharp, silver-yellow eyes.

Her name is Raleska. She lived here once, but her pack, Rusalka, has moved. I don't know where they are now. As for Kaertok, he would stay, at least until he saw Raleska conscious again... however long that took. One of the others left, though Kaertok had not caught his name. It did not matter much in these circumstances anyway.

He took a seat and stood guard, deciding that was the best he could do for now.

Feel free to skip Kaertok from here on out! He's just going to be guarding like a good boi. But also feel free to tag me back in for follow-up questions, hehe.

The gray she-wolf redirected her question toward the palest among the group. Before Sugar could make any further inquiries, the agouti stranger announced his departure, mentioning a missing friend as he stiffly swiveled and left. Sugar frowned after him, though she didn't judge him for his hasty exit. In fact, she commiserated with his search.

There was no time to think about that now. Sugar's attention returned to Raleska, who lay motionless on the damp ground. "We need to keep her and the babies warm," she said quietly, black eyes roving over the white male's face. He hadn't introduced himself as Raleska's mate or the father of the pups, though clearly they knew one another. She would try to obtain more information from him later, sort out Rusalka's location.

Exchanging another look with the ringleader, Sugar dropped into a sit and scooted closer to Raleska, curling her small, warm body around the prostrate woman's. She slung her chin over the slope of her back and flank, affording her a view of the newborns. Her lips twitched into a faint smile at the sight, which immediately reminded her of Bat's litter.

All her weariness quickly caught up to her, despite the situation and the strangers surrounding her. Her eyelids drooped and soon Sugar slept. She didn't move at all, snuggled tightly against Raleska, and did not stir for hours. When she eventually did wake to find their patient had survived despite the odds, it would be as surprising as it was gratifying to the young medic.