Cerulean Cape 濡れた犬

Everything was a blur.

The guards had looked everywhere for them, to dispose of the so called "forsaken son's" kids -- but Yuki would never let them. They would not be picked off like leaves from a vine, they belong to this family too! Yet the Emperor only saw them as prey, competition to his own dirtied, blood-soaked throne. One day, Yuki would make him pay for the blood he'd spilt within his own kin -- and she'd do it for father, too. Whether it was his dying wish or not...

                                         -

Yuki's face was pressed against a mush of wet sand by the time she'd woken up, rather than stone. One might even call the she-wolf lucky that she even opened her eyes, considering the fall was supposed to have killed her. Her brains weren't splayed out for the word to see; good, but something was off. The snowbird must've went down stream in a river somehow.....she didn't recognize her surroundings. Before she could even work up the strength to gather her senses, however, she'd already been coughing up a horrid mixture of what tasted like salt and metal.

The Fujiwara struggled a bit to lift her head and steady herself to her haunches, feeling weighed down by her damp fur and dizzed consciousness. She'd cough again -- this time, into a forpaw. A splotch of blood and saliva revealed itself dribbling into the sands below her. くそっ... the yearling rasped.

Death did not claim her -- Yuki should be thankful for that. Yet the severity of her injuries concerned her much more...

trudging through the sand, the boy was lost in the state of his own mind.

he'd left the old man in the woods, finding it impossible to stay. maybe it was foolish to leave the only form of friend he may have left to be granted... but he was just being too stubborn.

he was here by the water now. it was nice to be away from the mountains and valleys. for those were the places he'd been pushed away. but not here.

the waves crashed in the distance; a pleasant backdrop. but the sound of coughing that soon accompanied it made him still. 

nearing, with cautious feet, he lifted a slow brow as his eyes focused in on the scene. 

it was difficult to make out exactly what it was—yet, when the cough came again, he tuned in more on that.

hey... you okay? an edge of concern laced his voice as he jogged closer, ignoring both his still healing injuries and sense of decorum towards the complete stranger.

Her icy blur gaze had traveled from the sands to what had been before her, ears twitching at the sound of pittering pawsteps. She was no longer alone -- something else to be thankful for. Yuki thought she'd bleed out on these sands without as much as an ear to lend towards.

He was a youthful boy -- a bit younger than her, from what she could tell from his face. Blue eyes a stark contrast to his shadowed form, all except for his lighter undersides. In greeting, she bowed her head lightly, but not before whipping the crimson substance that came from her mouth.

Can't say im entirely okay, but I just hope not too serious. she admitted. It had been a while since she spoke common tounge -- back home, most only spoke in the tounge father used. Hopefully she didn't sound too choppy. At least, not to this boy.

Yuki peered towards him and smiled -- at least, to the best of her abilities. Her chest still hurt whenever she breathed.

This your home?

she said it so simply, that he would have gawked if not careful. 

instead, he canted his head to the side. I'm not much of a healer, but I'd say it's fairly serious...

a healer. shit. did she need one? he didn't know the first place to find one. perfect. just perfect. 

what hurt you? how did you get here? there were so many questions left answered, he couldn't help but spew the two most prominent and entirely ignore her own.

She supposed trying to start off with some small talk wasn't the best course of action -- not when the young girl was in the state that she was. It was clear nothing flew past this boy, either, since he'd even ignored her question entirely. Yet it only made her smile more prominent; or softer, one might say.

How kind of him to worry like this. Even if she was a stranger.

Well, I....don't know how I got here, but I remember falling from a ledge.... now that Yuki thought about it, she must've fell into the rapids down below, rather than the rocks. That must be why she wasn't dead right now, yet the softer option of landing didn't seem to prevent injury.

A ink bloted paw found its way towards her breast bone, pressing lightly against the spot that pained her. Her dad was a medic -- yet he was no longer with them and did not teach her enough to fix this on her own.

What was she to do, now?

falling from a ledge? yeah, that was serious. hell, she was lucky to be alive!

the moment her paw moved, and he noticed the barest wince, he took a step closer. but before he was at her side, he lowered his muzzle slightly—a display that he meant her no physical harm. 

may I see? of course he would ask first. he did have manners, after all. 

even if he couldn't properly heal her, the least he could do was try to find the source of her discomfort.

Her eyes fell in the somber memory of her family -- because while she survived her own fall, she knew dad hadn't. Whereever her mother or littermate stood was still unknown to her, and Yuki was currently too busy with figuring out where she was, and if she'd even survive the next day. 

Her soft breathing began to turn into a low wheeze as the pain only got worse.

A cloak of ravenfur moved to the side of her vision, and when her icy gaze peered from below her lashline, she realized he'd slunk closer towards her. The snowbird's head raised once more, and her eyes became owlish in suprise. 

'May I see?'

A tail curled around her hip, hesitant at the suggestion at first -- but Yuki would lower her paw anyway and turn her muzzle to the side. A silent acceptance of his aid.

his ears flattened slightly at the sounds of her increasingly hoarser breaths. 

he knew what that felt like. he'd lived the last few days alone and in pain. no one near, though he never let them be. that was the difference. but he was glad, at least, that she was allowing him to help. even if that help was so little in comparison to what another could provide. 

it hurts to breath, yeah? such was obvious, but he had to say something to keep the silence from drowning them both and potentially stealing away her focus from the task at hand: staying alive.

he pressed his nose to her chest carefully at first, feeling around for any signs of abnormality. but when that wasn't enough, he used his paw, moving tenderly around the spot.

you may have cracked, or broken something. from such a fall, the latter was more likely. but that was much as he could tell. 

he moved on, then, carefully circling to search the rest of her body for additional wounds.

Yeah...it does... 

It felt as though a horse was sitting on her chest -- the way pain shot through her lungs whenever her breastbone rose and fell. The young girl's head hurt, too, but she figured that was because she just rose from consciousness. Talk about a rough start, huh?

She'd nearly jumped out of her skin the moment his damp nose pressed against her chest, and somehow it felt more prominent than her soaked coat. Yukimi couldn't help but remember how her mother stressed to never let a boy get this close to her, not unless it had been her husband. Clearly this was not the same context, but if her ribs weren't hurting her right about now, she'd be able to chuckle at the memory.

At the sound of the diagnosis, her ears flattened a bit -- and a sheepish grin appeared on her narrow features. I was hoping you'd say I was gonna be fine, doc. She quipped, yet nervousness was clear in the she-wolf's face. She had broken something....perhaps a rib?

How long would that even take to heal!?

she was trying her best to keep her spirits lifted, despite the circumstances. he chuckled quietly at this, pleased by her attempt. it was far better to keep morale, than assume the worst.

you might just be, he mused, playing along with the light humor. i could always be wrong, of course... plus, regardless of your injuries, your body will heal in time.

once he'd finished his—what he would consider a "thorough" enough examination—he took a step back, returning to her what privacy she'd had before he'd interrupted her space bubble.

got a little bump on your head too. not too bad, i'd say, though.

She shrugged My mother always told me that strong women don't die from scratches. You might just be wrong. A smile traced her lips, warm and genuine. It was nice to have run in to someone who she could freely joke around with -- ecspecially when she'd been lost and injured. You could sat her stress was pretty high right about now, but at least it hadn't withered her spirits just yet.

It looked like the girl would have to take it easy for some time before she got back on her feet. Even if she was eager to figure our where she was and peice the remnants of her family back together, it wasn't a smart idea to do so right now. Yuki would just be speed running faster towards an early grave if she made things worse.

At the mention of a bump, a forepaw slowly found its way towards her temple. Pressing against the tender, swollen area. Taking a dive off a ledge wasn't the smartest of ideas, I'll admit, but at least I escaped.

escaped?

he wanted to ask so badly. so, soo badly. but now didn't seem the most opportune time. clearly, whatever had happened was still fresh on her mind. maybe it was better to wait. if he even did get another chance to ask, anyway.

so, where do you plan to go from here? with the shape she was in, travelling wasn't the wisest thing. but she couldn't just stay here trapped on this beach either.

'Where do you plan to go from here?'

Yuki wished she knew the answer, just so she didn't find herself feeling as vulnerable as she'd ended up, but she couldn't. Even if she did want to make it seem like she knew which direction to go, what could the girl even say? She didn't even know where the hell she was. I can't seem to come up with a lie to make you think I knew, so....I just won't answer that. 

Her shoulders slumped. The snowbird was too overwhelmed to even know where to start, and the thought of long travel made her chest hurt even more than it already did. 

Maybe....just maybe...

Her gaze traveled back to the young boy -- A shimmer of hope made her eyes seem to sparkle.

What about you?

she didn't know. but, that was okay. he didn't either.

i would rather you be honest and say you don't, rather than lie, he shrugged, sinking to his rump.

i'm right with you there, though. i don't know where i'm headed either. 

it was likely he would never know.

Her grin grew, girlish and excitable. Even her tail began to sway -- even if it was wet and ratty-looking Then what if we headed nowhere -- but together? 

That's what she'd initially been meaning to ask. In truth, she did want to heal and eventually explore -- but she didn't wish to do it alone. It would've been more comforting knowing someone she could trust was beside her...well, trust was a big word. They were still basically strangers to eachother, and they hadn't even properly introduced themselves.

Even so, Yuki believed the younger boy to be a kindred spirit. Why else would he stop by to check if she was okay? Then again, maybe she was getting too ahead of herself.

Glacier eyes sought his own, awaiting an answer to her request. It never hurt to ask, did it?

together.

that word set a pang in his chest.

he had once hoped to do just this with his sister, and perhaps even the rest of their siblings. but that had no longer been an option.

yet, here, with this complete stranger, he was given the chance again. to wander the wilds; but to do so not alone.

his sadness was replaced with a sudden delight and eagerness.

a boyish grin to match her own spread along his lips. oh, i suppose i can. you will need someone to look after you, after all. so, why not me? puffing out his chest in mock pride, he lifted his chin high.

In the most unexpected timing possible, Yuki had made a new freind. No longer was she alone -- and though she was injured, the relief of another warm body to keep her company made things easier.

The snowbird feigned a gasp, playful in her mannerisms as a paw found its way to her chest for added dramaticism. Such a gentleman! How could I ever refuse!? She said with a giggle. Her own joy even made her forget that one of her ribs were fractured -- until a cough cut her laughter short. 痛っ! くそっ。 She still held her chest, but this time in pain.

Slowly, she stood from her haunches and shook her fur out, freeing herself of the sea water and clumps of wet sand trapped in her fur. She still needed a bath, that was for sure, but this would do for now.

By the way, what's your name?

he grinned in response to her added playfulness.

but the expression quickly fell away when she coughed. he was by her side in the next second, nudging her shoulder gently. hey, easy there..

snorting out a quiet breath, he offered his shoulder if she needed it, unsure of just how steady she'd be on her feet in this state. as much as it might pain you— no pun intended —maybe you should keep the laughing to a minimum.

when she asked his name, he cursed himself silently. after all this, and he hadn't yet thought to offer his damn name. 

it's ashkova. but i usually just tell people to call me ash. it wasn't like his full name was difficult to say, but ash just seemed easier.

Ash, huh? Ashkova -- what a unique name. She wondered what it could've meant, or where his parents were. Surely someone as young as Ash wasn't completely alone; he had family out there, too. She'd bump shoulders with him, a freindly gesture now that the two of them were better acquainted. My name's Yukimi, but most wolves just call me Yuki. Either is fine! 

She canted her head to the side. So then, Ash, what do you say? Wanna hit the road? Maybe along the way they could hunt something, too. She was feeling a little famished from almost drowning to death. Who knew you'd feel so hungry afterwards?

you call me ash, and I'll call you yuki, yeah? made things easier for them both.

hit the road, huh? he chuckled, shaking his head slightly. you are a funny one. but yeah, we can. 

with a returned nudge, albeit gentler than her own, he motioned them onward, then took the lead away from the ocean. he was careful to keep his pace slow, mindful of both her wounds and his own. and although his were older, they still needed a gentler handler.

Seems like a good place to wrap up <3

If you think I'm funny, then I'm never shutting up. Yuki said with a smile -- and just like that, the two of them were off.

There were still many questions besides his name that the snowbird was itching to ask, but it was getting late -- darkness followed them quickly as the sky reddened into sunset. On her mind was the thought of her remaining family, the rest of the Empire, and where she'd ended up. It was necessary to save things for a later date, though, as there was still much to do.

Walking side by side with the raven cloaked youth, they were off.