Phoenix Maplewood let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains

A rabbit dangles between his teeth, blood that soaks his dark fur still warm, dripping onto the ground, scarcely trailing.  The head of the hare sways back and forth while Ukko trots toward the Alpha’s den.  @Scarlett had been there the last few days, since the cougar attack, and he didn’t quite have the cougar to come to her.  He didn’t know enough about healing—moss simply wouldn’t fix this—so the boy had his shaky trust in Reek’s paws to get the woman back to good health.

Reek’s scent is heavy nearby, though the absence of Saena’s unsettles him, he decides he’s only focusing on his friend.  Several feet from the opening, once he’s seen it, he drops the kill at his paws and carefully sits down on his haunches.  The alpha doesn’t seem to be by, leaving Scarlett to rest, and he’s hesitant to speak up.  He simply offers a quiet chuff, one she might not hear if sleeping.

Scarlett felt terrible, after being in the stream and Reek cleaning her body covered in gashes, she had been cold, tired, and ready to give up on this life. Never had see been so depressed. The female showed nothing but kindness to others didn't do her any favors. Her life so far had only been met with drama and pain. The only lucky thing she had now was that she had a pack that cared for her, still it was tough to stay positive with so much pain going through her body.

Scarlett kept to her same spot in the small den, not moving, only her shallow breathing would quiet while sleeping. That wasn't the case right now. Her shallow breaths filled the den. Her ears caught a chuff, and for a moment fear seeped in. It was someone who was going to hurt her. Scarlett didn't feel like she would ever get over this attack. "gO'WAY," Her voice croaked, knowing that if it was one of her children they would probably have walked right in. Still the woman was in so much pain that the thought of even having her children close was met with dislike. A strange thing for the wolf that was the epitome of a kind lovable mother.

Sorry she is a bit down from all that happened <3

Ukko is there a few minutes before he picks up on any sign of life.  Scarlett shouts a frightened demand and he cringes in response.  His ears tuck against his skull and he worries, for a moment, that Reek might show up.  He doesn’t care to see the other wolf after the other day and has since spent his time avoiding the other.  An uneasiness settled inside himself and if it weren’t for the connections he’d made here, the fact this place felt like home, he isn’t so sure he’d stick around.  It is, after all, why he’d left his former pack.  It didn’t feel right for him, even if he’d been born there, and he worried Phoenix Maplewood might become the same thing.

He shakes his head as he thinks about Scarlett and what she might be feeling.  Even if he doubts Reek, Ukko isn’t the one with the healing powers.  He hasn’t seen them in action but he wouldn’t know what to do. The rabbit at his feet begins to soak into the snow, melting beneath the warmth of blood, and he nudges it a few times with his nose closer to the mouth of the den. If she could catch wind of the meal, perhaps she’d come around, but he’d leave it for her if she didn’t really want the company.  Ukko whines, resting his head against his paws in the meantime.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner.  I got busy with work and also wanted the other thread to move along so I knew what was gonna happen, lmao.

totally understandable <3

After Reek applied the special paste against infections Scarlett felt slightly better. But now, days after her muscles were hurting. The adrenaline had left her body and now it was only pain that she was going through. It was not fun for the female. She knew Reek lost a dear friend lately and he didn't want her to pass away too. Scarlett knew that but it was damn hard to see fun in life when every movement caused her pain. The smell of a fresh meal came to her nose but instead of creating hunger she only felt disgust. She didn't feel like eating.

Scarlett was however very cold. Maybe it was the lack of food, or the snow above her head that cooled the earth, but the female was having trouble keeping herself warm. She shivered and trembled with in her turn would hurt. A soft whine came from her throat. She wasn't sure who was out there but maybe it wasn't so bad to allow them in so they could warm her and the small den. Scarlett let out a softer chuff, as saying that the other wolf could come in. "C-cold," he muttered, not even opening her eyes.

It takes several minutes before Ukko notices anything coming from inside the den. She could have fallen asleep or is staying quiet so whomever is outside would leave. He won't force her to interact with him, nor would he blame her. He'd move the kill as close as he could to the den and leave. Whether or not he'd feel comfortable visiting again would be played out later but a soft chuff roots him quickly to the ground. He whines again and inches forward. Cold. The sound strangles in his throat as he remains on the cool ground. Scarlett might be inviting him in but it's not her den and after running into Reek the other day, he's unsure about being caught in his den. Even his scent nearby might cause an uproar and he doesn't want to put himself out anymore than he already is.

Ukko knows he can't leave his friend, though, and he quickly scans the area for signs of the alpha. With not immediate hint, he slowly picks himself up and grips the rabbit between his teeth to crawl into the small place. The rabbit plops down in front of the woman and, very carefully, the male lowers back to the ground and curls against the side most exposed to the element. He noses gently into her fur--a spot without any wounds--and murmurs nothing into her skin. Ukko nestles close with his large body and thickened fur, resting his head close to her to give her as much body heat as he can offer.

Scarlett didn't even react to the rabbit that was placed on the ground. She was more keen on getting a bit warmed up first. It took a moment but after a moment Ukko's large body blocked any cold and replaced it with warmth. Scarlett realized it was Ukko once she had buried her face into the warm fur and smelled the scent that she connected to him. Scarlett was more than grateful for this, seeing that she could now relax a bit more. Ukko also murmured things in her fur she couldn't understand but she found that it was rather soothing her.

Her tiredness made the female slowly doze off in a restless sleep. She was having one of her nightmares again. If this kept going on the female didn't like to live on like this. Maybe it was also the depression she was dealing with that was looming over her like a big shadow. Her wounds so severe, they were meant to maim her. She would probably never be like she was before. Then she had her monster colored eyes, and complete with scarring too. A soft whine came from her throat. She had tried to live her life in kindness but she felt like her body was turning more and more into that of a monster. She woke with a start. A soft yelp came from her throat because her wounds instantly pained her. She started to sniffle softly. She was a bit broken, not only physically but also mentally.

He can feel her shivering as he leans in close to the woman but after a few minutes, she begins to settle.  She doesn’t go ofter the kill and he doesn’t force her, letting her do as she wished for the time being.  He doesn’t know the tracking of her progress or when she ate last and she wanted to believe Reek is taking care of her like he should but he doesn’t linger long on the thought.  The scent of his leader is enough to make him angry but he bites it back and tries to keep up close to Scarlett.

She whines and he tries to quietly shhh her but it does little and she’s soon yelping, causing the dark wolf to jump with a start.  Ukko whines again, pressing his nose against a soft on her cheek and trailing his nose until he finds a spot torn from skin.  He licks against her skin, trying to soothe her as much as he can but the boy remains at a loss to help.

Poor Ukko, so clueless what to do :P

Scarlett didn't need to wait long when she felt the comfort of another wolf close to her. She slowly turned her head to see the dark coat of Ukko sit by her. He was licking her wounds which wasn't something she preferred having right now. She moved away from his tongue and looked at him before dropping in a sitting position again. "Hurts," she croaked, meaning that his licking was hurting her too, along with the wound already hurting.

Her eye fell on the rabbit, oh yes. But she still didn't feel like eating. She felt her stomach protest at the thought. It was a kind gesture though. Scarlett placed her head down, now realizing what Adlartok might have felt when he was so fatally injured. The young male had kept his limp all his life. "I feel .. horrible," she whispered to Ukko. "Check.. on Desna, Nanook and Sesi for me?," she asked him. She found that more important.

Poor boy. This can end or go on for as long as you'd like.  I imagine Ukko would stick around Scarlett as long as it was safe for him to be there/as long as she wants him to.

Scarlett pulls away from him, going as far as to sit up out of his touch.  His ears fall back and he’s worried his done something to offend her when she quietly croaks out an explanation.  Ukko whimpers and puts his head on the ground in a silent apology.  He’d only wanted to help, wanted to soothe the wounds across her body.  Looking at her hurt him and he feels a sickness in his stomach that he hadn’t been able to get out there soon enough.  She shouldn’t have been outside the pack on her own, anyway.

The rabbit goes ignored, for the time being, and she eventually speaks up.  Ukko wants to shuffle back to her, wrap around her once more to keep her warm, but he remains on the ground—afraid he’ll hurt her again.

“Of course,” he tells her with a nod.  He hadn’t seen her children since first meeting Sesi and Desna. Nanook still hasn’t come across his path but, with his new goal in mind, he’ll temporarily forget his struggle with the leadership and seek out her children.

Aww Ukko is so sweet! <3

Scarlett nodded softly when he promised that he would look for them. She was instantly calmed down more. Hopefully her pups would be in good paws. But who was she kidding. They were already over 6 months old. They were close to being adults already and she was close to being dead. Scarlett let out a whimper at that thought. She battered her red eyes at Ukko. "I'm going to die, Ukko. I ... feel it," she croaked looking at him. The fact that she had no appetite and not wanted to move made her future pretty bleak. At least she had been a mother, that was all she had wanted in life. A loving mate and pups. But that mate part didn't work out. And the pups part only partly. Maybe it was better she died and not have another litter. What would have gone wrong then, nightmarish things always seemed to happen to her.

Acid licked at the back of his throat. Ukko shakes his head to dispute the very words Scarlett gave him. He didn’t want them; he wouldn’t take them. “No,” he objects, turning his nose to nudge into her but he pulls back. “You’ll get better. It’ll heal.”

Ukko's voice trails off into a whimper and rests his head on the ground nearest Scarlett. He longs to touch her, resisting the urge should he cause her pain, but he needs to keep her grounded, to understand that this is not the end. Just a few more days and things would pick up, to fight the infection her woulds could cause. Reek could do this, he’s the healer, he’s supposed to know what to do, but in his newfound frustration, Ukko does nothing.

The worst thing that could have happened to the normally determined female was that she lost her fight. She had been pushed down so many times that now, with all these wounds hurt her she was slowly getting peace in her mind too. She knew she would hurt the others around her. Scarlett didn't even want to think about what her pups would do in reaction to her death. But frankly she pushed her life on further than she ever imagined.

"It is okay, Ukko," she spoke softly. She had tended to Adlartok's wounds and these were maybe even deeper than this was. He had a limp and was most of the time in pain. Scarlett had chosen her path if she even had a choice in the first place. She liked to think she had.

It isn’t okay, he pleads in silence, orange eyes casting upward, watching the grim over her face. Her eyes are not as bright as they day he met her, his heart wrapping around the woman when she’d been so kind to him. He doesn’t even know a fraction of her life and what she has against her. A breath wisps from his jaws, deflating his chest. 

He wouldn’t accept it, wouldn’t let Scarlett go. It would work out, she’d get better and be stronger than she was before. “I know,” he murmurs, though their acceptance of the situation weighs entirely different than each others.

You can archive feel free to have another post if you like!

Scarlett let out a long and deep sigh she didn't know she was holding. Her eyes were closed again and she felt her tired body and mind slip away from this world to that of the world of sleep. At least that was what Scarlett thought so. It might have been her end right now. She had peace with it. She fought for so long, and so hard. Each time she tried again and each time she ended in the gutter. Enough was enough, but now it was time to rest.