Felltree Marsh fireton

faust moved with a deliberate pace, his breathing ragged as the adrenaline waned and the bite of his injuries settled deep into his body. the snow underfoot turned crimson with each staggering step, a trail marking his path as he pressed forward. his mind burned with a single name—not ayovi. no, she would survive. her fate was her own.

asha. asha, asha.

his lips curled faintly, the ghost of a snarl lingering there as the memory of the fight coiled through his mind. fury still smoldered beneath his ribs, simmering down into something cold and bitter as he trudged on. he cursed his weakness, his anger, the fragile thread that had kept him tethered to life through the battle.

he pushed harder, ignoring the sharp protests of his torn shoulder and the aching strain of every movement. but the strength he had left dwindled quickly. his limbs betrayed him at last, buckling beneath the weight of blood loss and exhaustion. with a harsh exhale, faust collapsed into the snow, the cold biting into his fur that relaxed him more than anything.

the world around him blurred, the stark white of the snow merging with the dull gray of the sky. for a moment, his body stilled, his chest heaving with effort as he lay there. his voice was a low rasp, carried on the frozen wind.

@Asha...

his eyes fluttered shut, though his ears strained for any sound that might guide him toward her. the fight was over, but the battle within him raged on

it was not the whispers of a name that brought her to him.

she had roamed away from the watch after allowing herself to become gluttonous on the kill he had given her. when it had thinned to bones and less-wanted meat, she left it for the birds. then pushed onward knowing that he might find her trail to follow.

occasionally she looped back and it was in this that she came upon crimson trails.

his bloody trail.

she could not say what happened next. it felt as though she was carried by something that possessed her. the time thinned into a darkness and she only remembered coming to his sunken form. it was as if someone had attempted to devour him, the way his flesh opened to weep with blood. she imagined it only had not taken because he had given the same.

she believed this, in her soul.

yet she was no healer, no mender of flesh and bone. how could she fix this?

she reached with her muzzle, tongue seeking to clean the wounds. perhaps, perhaps they would not be as bad as it all looked to be.

she feared the worst.

faust groaned as her tongue pressed against his torn flesh, a sound low and rumbling, like distant thunder rolling through the northern sky. his green eyes fluttered open, the sharp edge of pain dulling only slightly beneath her touch. blood still oozed in places, painting him a grim, tattered canvas of violence. yet, there was a flicker of relief in his gaze, finding her there.

good girl, yes, just like that, he muttered, his voice rasping from the strain, the words barely audible over the faint howl of the wind. his muscles shifted as he tried to push himself upright, only for his body to betray him, sagging back into the snow.

his head turned slowly, his gaze seeking hers, sharp even through his haze of exhaustion. lead me... water, he groaned, teeth gritting as another wave of pain seared through him. cold water. need it.

he blinked once, heavily, trusting her to understand, to guide him from this ruinous place to some semblance of solace.

did she harm him?

she could not tell. she knew only the need to clear his wounds so they might see the true damage, so she might discover if his life could be balanced in their favor. she trusted that use of his voice was a good sign.

unless he was rambling in dreams.

she did not think so, not when he tried to stir.

it was a ferocity that came over her now. the need to preserve him, to preserve this chance at survival in a roguish way. he was a future and if it died in her hands? she might begin to believe in curses.

stay. she snipped the word near his ear. for cold snow could be brought to him, chunks of ice that he might chew upon. there was no need for him to move and stretch open his injuries.

bring to you. no move.

she lingered, if only to make sure he heeded her command in this dire moment.

his head dipped slightly, a quiet acknowledgment of her command. the pain throbbed in his body, but the sharp edge of it began to dull under the snow's cold embrace. he breathed heavily, eyes half-lidded, watching as she moved with a determined precision.

i'll stay, he murmured, his voice low and gravelly, worn thin by the struggle that had brought him here. the snow beneath him seemed to cradle his wounds, numbing the fire in his veins. he trusted her, this resolute woman who spoke with conviction and acted with purpose.

he closed his eyes for a moment, surrendering to her care. the world around them faded, leaving only the sensation of cold seeping into his skin and the faint sound of her movements as she worked to ensure his survival. for now, he would wait. he would heal.

it is anger that blooms in her chest when she finally turned away.

uncertain if she is angry at him, at who did or even at herself.

to spill his blood so freely! what could have brought this upon him? a survivalist voice tells her to leave him, that the earth will either take him or spare him. yet it is the thinking of asha that declined such an idea.

she did not go far. she knows that to bring back snow or ice to him, it cannot travel far. that it will melt upon her touch or mouth. so she shuffles what she can to him. ice that hung in the shade of logs, snow that piled in drifts from the taiga's wild winds over this place.

large paws worked and wondered if it was in vain.

with ice and snow haphazardly piled near his muzzle, she resumed cleaning his wounds.

the chill of the ice near his muzzle stirred something faint in faust, though the numbness had crept deep into his body. his skin was dry now, the bleeding staunched, but it was not the cold that had saved him—it was her.

his green eyes opened slowly, dull but aware enough to find asha hunched over him. he watched her work, her paws stained with the evidence of his fragility, her breaths steady despite the strain.

you stayed, his voice cracked but steady enough, rough from pain and silence. asha… thank you.

he closed his eyes again, his chest rising and falling shallowly. the words felt small against the enormity of what she had done, but they were all he could manage. he hated the weakness in himself but clung to her strength now, the only anchor in a sea of pain.

i owe you, he murmured, his voice almost lost to the cold air. more than i can repay.

where else would she go?

but he did not need to know this. she only stayed silent, working over the hot flesh. he would likely need more help than she could give. anything to make sure it did not grow infected.

he spoke of repayment, of owing.

what did either one of them have to barter with? only their lives, she supposed.

and in that she could ask for a great, heavy fee — then decided that was exactly what she would do now. even if it was not fair nor right. she was a creature operating on survival.

both of their survivals, it seemed.

mine. she huffed into the messy ruff of his neck. you live, you mine.

because what use did she have for a dead man? he was only good if he lived, if his strength continued to be proven.

faust’s green eyes flicked to her briefly, then away, his expression unreadable. her words lingered, sharp and unyielding, but he did not argue. instead, he nodded once, slow and deliberate.

sure, he murmured, the word rough but final. whatever she wanted. whatever it took.

his gaze fell back to the snow, his body still beneath her care. there was no room for resistance, no point in it. she said mine— fuck, he's heard it to many times, said it even. what he needed was just time to heal.

faust had never been a singular man. always taken for the quarry of women. now, it seemed that he needed her help more than ever.

i take you to a hidden place.

and in this he would be allowed to lay in healing, he could be untouched by whatever had gone for him.

i can move you.

she felt certain of it. if only for their close enough height. she cannot promise something pain free or something kind, but he will mend.

she demands it now.

faust’s green eyes flickered, dull but steady, as he watched her with a resigned acceptance. he let out a slow breath, his chest rising and falling with effort, before he nodded faintly.

okay, he murmured, the word quiet, strained, but willing.

he shifted slightly, bracing himself for whatever was to come, though he knew it would be far from painless. there was no point in arguing; asha had decided, and her determination left no room for refusal.

do what you must.

i can make a follow up? <3

it would be so.

time would seemingly drag on for the work it would take to move him like this.

yet once they got going, she knew exactly where she was taking him to. her path from here could be direct even if it might be long.

faust’s jaw clenched, his breaths sharp and uneven as waves of pain coursed through him. every movement felt like fire lancing through his body, but he forced his voice out, low and strained.

better...be good, he managed, his green eyes flickering weakly to asha.

his head fell back, surrendering to the agony, trusting her to see him through.

yes!!! tag me:D