Stone Circle When the party is over

Valette's howl; Ripe with grief and urgency.

Greyback heeded it with his own—a call far away and distant that it took him a while to finally near the scene with senses set ablaze.  Blood was the first thing to hit his nose, it's acrid smell pungent and clogging his senses. The man wasn't new to the substance, having seen it spilt many times upon his life. But this smell. The taste of it in the air. Wolf blood.

Nothing could prepare him for the misery that lied ahead as he finally cleared the trees.

Bodies, twisted and mangled, bloodied and broken; strewn across the area along with scuff marks and the body of his wolves. Nanook. Arlette. Kaito. A cat.

Instantly the man waded down to them, shoving past the living in search for his mate, heart hammering within his chest. Valette. Where was Valette? Greyback looked left and right, twirling around in a frenzy until he spotted her hunched over the fragile body of snow. His heart swelled, and he slowly walked to stand behind her before touching his nose to her fur.

What could he say?

He looked down at Arlette, amber eyes scanning her fur before seeing the tell-tale signs of shallow breathing. He sighed at that, feeling a slight weight lift off his heart. Arlette was alive.

His baby was alive.

He continued to stare, taking in the image of her bloodied face and neck—her hind as well. He winched, sucking in a breath and turning to look at the wolves behind him, their faces filled with anguish and sorrow. Some were crowded by Valette and him, some with Nanook. He could tell with a glance towards the woman's body that she was already dead, her body too bloodied and contorted to possibly be alive. Kaito as well.

"Dear," he called. "What would you like me to do?"

Arlette turned her head away when her mother came closer. Her ears flattened against her skull, a warning that she wanted little to do with her mother at the moment. She had treated her like shit before this all happened. It seemed all to convenient for her mother that she now lost her pups that Valette hadn't welcomed in the first place. She ignored her mother's words. She probably didn't mean it anyhow. When Valette stepped closer to her, the pale female's upper lip trembled. She didn't want Valette to take over. It felt hypocritical for Valette to show affection after she had been ignoring her for what she did wrong.

Arlette snapped at her mother when she started to lick her face. Her teeth were bared and she made sure to give her mother a clear warning not to come close to her. She didn't need her mother, as her mother had decided not to be there for her when she needed it. Arlette had no intention to really hurt her mother, but it was clear that she didn't want the other around. Her red eyes then fell on the large structure behind her mother. Greyback. She hadn't even heard him coming. Same for Leta. Arlette shifted closer to Kaito and her stillborns. She was still lying down, shielding her loved ones. Her teeth bared to protect them from the Matriarch. Pain of her wounds shot through her, and she clearly winced at the pain.

When Arlette's eyes fell on Leta, she dropped her upper lip. Her eyes showed the pain, reflecting that of her younger sister. She hoped Leta would understand that she wasn't planning on snapping at her. Arlette turned her head so she was wrapped around Kaito and the stillborns, but her ears were alert for her mother. She was unsure about Greyback, at least he had not been as judgmental as her mother had been before this all happened. Arlette wanted little to do with her mother at the moment.

A call. 

Oryx rolled over onto her side languidly, stretching and yawning as she awoke only to hear that someone was calling out for her. She blinked blearily and pushed herself up into a seated position, noticing with a somewhat delayed reaction that there was a great urgency to the voice that took her a few moments to recognize. Was it her sister? No...No, she wasn't there anymore. She was here. That was Valette, wasn't it? She frowned and gazed down at her dark paws, which seemed to ache with the weight of her body. Her eyes felt fuzzy and blurred and she felt her breath slow and heavy. If it hadn't been for the note of anguish in Valette's voice, Oryx likely would have slumped to the ground and passed back into a druggish slumber, her exhaustion no doubt thickened by the effects of having consumed some of the valerian root she'd gathered. 

She had a couple more in her den, and picked them up more out of habit than anything else, and began to trudge along at a trot, and found that the bleariness faded away bit by bit as she forced herself into action. At one point, she considered heading back to her den and leaving the valerian root there- why else should she have brought it with her? She figured she could explain later- maybe say that she'd been digging them up to stash them away or something. In the end, it was pure tiredness and chance that bade her to carry the medicinal herbs with her- but it was something she wouldn't regret. 

The moment she caught the cougar's scent she dropped the roots and froze. The fur along her spine stiffened and prickled like quills and only then did she snap out of her delirium. It was a good thing the valerian was in her system, though- as it helped her fight off the immediate, overwhelming wave of anxiety and fear which would have otherwise sent her scuttling back to her den like a coward. She scooped up the roots in a sweeping motion and bolted toward Nanook's den area, dread filling her chest as she realized that the cougar had gone in the same direction not long ago...

She could smell the wreckage and ruin before she saw it, but was nevertheless shocked as she slid to a stop and approached the sombre, harrowing scene with careful pawsteps. The cougar was motionless- but so too were two wolves she did not recognize...But she could tell instantly that one of them was Siarut's mate, and that the other was likely Arlette's. Her heart sank. There was no need for her gaze to linger upon the fallen- their departure from the mortal realm was evident enough in the grief shown by all those who surrounded them. 

She glanced over the others- passing over the majority of those present as they were uninjured though she knew they might need some medical attention later, should they need something to cut through the keen pain of grief. As Arlette moved closer to the prone form of Kaito, she could see that her friend and fellow medic-in-training was in pain...But she felt uneasy about approaching her, as she recognized easily enough what the backturn of those ears meant. Wordlessly, she timidly approached Valette and set the valerian roots down onto the ground. She hadn't witnessed Arlette lashing out at Valette, but the intensity of the tension between them was palpable. 

She felt wildly out of place; though Valette had called for her, she knew relatively few of these wolves- and did not even know the names of the dead. She was also not established as a medic, so she did not feel in this moment that she should simply launch herself into the action and address Arlette, who was already being tended to, and who was likely not at all keen to talk to someone she knew as little as she knew Oryx. So she looked up to Valette with an unsure, doleful gaze, and looked back to Arlette. She wondered if she could simply ask Valette to give the roots to Arlette, so that Oryx would not need to approach her and risk her lashing out. But then...What help could she be, if she doubted herself and her value so much? She had something to offer- and whether Arlette wanted help or not- it was Oryx's job to see that she was in the very least offered aid. If she was going to be a medic, that would mean stepping up. She couldn't rely on Valette to mediate their interactions. 

She whittled her way closer to Arlette, and it was then that she caught the smell...And was able to see the stained fur near her hind end, and felt her heart sink even more. She was careful to mind West Tyree and Leta, who were also fixated on the fair girl, and remained out of reach as she set the roots down on the earth, and chuffed softly. She crouched in wait, hoping that Arlette might respond, or at least look up- to see and recognize the gift that Oryx had brought for her, in hopes that she might at least ease some of her pain.

New Round!

Valette was pretty startled that Arlette snapped at her. The mother frowned at the daughter as she stepped back. The message was well-received though. Clearly Arlette didn't want her close. Valette could understand that Arlette was not too keen on her but that was just a petty thing. Valette was about to tell Arlette off for it when Leta came by her side. It was probably a good thing. This was not the time. Valette chuffed at Leta to comfort her, calling her closer. The girl must have been so confused. Valette licked her cheek. "Oh Leta," she whispered. "Kaito cannot be helped," she spoke with pain in her voice. Especially since Arlette was right there. "But Arlette can. Can you stay with your sister and comfort her?," Valette asked the girl. She was good at that sort of thing

Valette was extremely relieved when Greyback arrived. He was her support system. Plus it was good to know that he was just okay. She didn't expect him to be injured but still. "Greyback," she breathed and turned around. She nuzzled in her fur, a soft sob escaping her briefly. "Nanook--- And--," she tried to steady her breath. Arlette didn't want her close so she might focus on something else. "Help me with getting Nanook to the circle, we will need to bury her," she instructed to Greyback. She then looked over her shoulder to Arlette and Kaito's dead body. "We will come for Kaito later when Arlette has calmed down," she spoke more softly.

Then Oryx arrived and Valette could tell that she was unsure. She just dipped her head to give the female to confirm that she needed her. She already had brought something, Valette figured it was some pain medication. "Oryx, thank you. Can you tend to Arlette and make sure she is in less pain?," she asked. While West would tell and gather all the other pack members, Leta and Oryx could look after Arlette. Valette decided to leave her daughter for now, since her message was clear and this was not really the time to have a discussion about it.

Just to clarify. Arlette has deep gashes on her shoulder, also on her neck (just missing an artery), bite wound on the base of her neck/throat, and some shallow gashed/scratches on her face. The ear on that side has a nick out of it as well. Her hind might be bloody but that is only from birth, not because there are any wounds.

It wouldn't be much longer until his mother arrived. She asked for him to gather the pack, but the way Arlette snapped as Valette neared made him hesitant. Would she not let her help? Why not, she was their mother? The boy's gaze shifted between his family, then to Leta. He wasn't sure when she had arrived, he had been so distracted by...well everything... soon another came and it became outwardly apparent that a crowd would be here soon. He was no healer, perhaps someone else was. Not wanting to get in the way, West would finally give a small nod to his mom before slipping past the group. Greyback was just approaching as he left. A weary glance was slipped his way before the woodland boy rushed off. He had been given a task, so without another look to the fallen he would go off in search of the remaining members of the hollow.

West exits here!

Leta nodded quickly to her mother; when she departed, Leta's legs folded beneath her, equal parts exhausted and shocked by what she had seen. For her own part, she recovered quickly enough and spread her legs out so as to reach her forelegs comfortingly over her sisters own. Arlette, her voice was meek, but to speak at all was to show she would be strong when she felt her voice might break with all she felt. Arlette must feel all that and more, and Leta could weep for her. 

And she almost did. She probably would... but not here and now. Arlette needed her. 

Be strong. 

She would be strong. For Arlette, if nothing else right now. 

Leta extended her nose to touch her sisters cheek, ears flattening submissively against her head as she prepared for any rebuke. Leta was all tender and mild, knowing that her sister was not okay—how could she be?—and so knowing better than not to ask. She wanted to clean up all the red that had been painted upon her sister, but would start slow and just be there for now. Leta could not offer much... but she had herself, and she would always give all of that to those that she loved.