Firestone Hot Springs flying like a cannonball falling to the earth

Preferably someone that would be nice to the little fox but she is in pretty bad shape.  Wounds are vague since the thread isn't over.  Roll a 5 in a 1d5 to kill her.

Sollie barely had time to evaluate her wounds when she narrowly escaped the wrath of two wolves.  She’d been in the shadows of night and without wind but they’d come across her anyway.  Being in wolf territory hadn’t been in her favor despite her precaution and she paid for it in wounds she is barely able to count.  She can’t put weight on her back right leg and her shoulders sting, among other places, but she doesn’t look back until she’s put several days between her and the other territory.  

The fox collapses near a body of water that irradiates warmth she can’t explain.  Snow has melted well before the bank and the smell of sulfur attacks her nose.  She wrinkles up her muzzle and tries to shake it off but despite the smell, she’s pulled to the warmth.  The ground beneath her heats three of her paws, moving up her legs and the rest of her body that’s connected to the soil.  She whines, quietly, and starts to slink closer to the water to ease her muscles.

It was time for another foray. Wildfire set out early in the morning after catching a quick breakfast with Floki. She invited him to come along but he opted to stay behind. She was used to making solo trips and didn't mind the solitude in the least as she shot northeast like an arrow, traipsing through the familiar Firefly Glen and emerging at a tree line on its far side. She walked along the forest's edge, admiring the enchanting views, but never entered. Wildfire clung to its fringes, then left it all behind as a strange smell drew her forward.

She had passed the hot springs a time or two but never actually visited them. No time like the present, she mused as she threaded toward one of the steaming pools. Her nose wrinkled curiously at the strong odor. She couldn't decide if it was a good or bad smell. Shrugging a slender red shoulder, she moseyed further into the natural hot spot. She noted the slight rise in temperature. Most wild animals probably enjoyed the respite from the winter's cold clutches, yet after only a few minutes, Wildfire already found herself missing the comforting chill. Perhaps it was strange, especially considering her name, but she truly enjoyed the cold.

On her way back out, she realized she wasn't alone. Wildfire stopped in her tracks, ears swiveling as she watched a fox wade into one of the fragrant pools. She felt a brief impulse to hunt but quelled it. Still, her approach was almost predatory as she slunk closer. She couldn't help it; she was a hunter by trade now and it was just her way to approach stealthily. She wasn't even aware she was doing it until she came within feet of the fox. Finally, she caught herself and announced her presence with a muffled woof.

Warmth washes over her limbs, soaking her to the skin and her muscles cry in response.  Her eyes close and she lets the water wade against her but doesn’t go past her limbs.  It would take enough effort to dry her legs when she’s done and she didn’t need to freeze and break them off later.  As her mind swims in the temporary relief, she’s lost to the world as it soothes her, letting her forget the pain for the time being.  If she’s still long enough, the pain is barely a dull ache, throbbing somewhere in the back.

The greeting catches her attention and she jerks instantly, nearly falling over on her side before she braces herself.  Sollie winces in pain, unable to hide is, as she catches herself with a front leg.  Some of the skin has been grazed off and she only notices it then.  A sharp hiss passes her muzzle, dipping it closer to the water.  

She doesn’t run, she won’t make it anywhere fast enough even against a smaller wolf.  The two from the mountain had seemed so big, attempting to tear her apart. She isn’t even far enough from the pack for her liking and it’s just as likely the wolf had been tracking her, ready to finish the job the other two hadn’t completed.  A pitiful sound escapes her, lifting one good leg up to try and ease herself out of the water.

The way the fox dragged itself—herself, if scent was any indication—from the pool made Wildfire think, She's injured. Mixed in with the sulfurous odor lingering about her head was the scent of blood. Her amber eyes took in the broken skin, then flicked to the creature's face. She was lucky Wildfire had a full stomach, because despite her benevolent intentions, it was suddenly difficult for the hunter to deny the instinct to take advantage of the wounded animal.

The pathetic mewl plucked two very different strings in Wildfire's heart. Simultaneously, she felt pity, as well as a rising urge to attack. She took a step back, not trusting herself to overcome her instincts. They took her by surprise. She hadn't been a hunter for very long, yet here she was, practically overtaken by her feral impulses in the presence of a weakened creature.

"What happened to you?" she wondered aloud, not sure the vulpine would be able to understand her or make a reply. But a conversation might serve as a good distraction... and, quite frankly, save the fox's life.

Sollie tries to keep her breath steady but her ribs pump against her desire. The longer it takes for the wolf to pounce her, she might have been able to take a turn for her escape. Her toes have grown roots and she’s unable to flee. Instead, she heard the other’s voice and she swallows the lump in her throat. 

Her ears fall back against her head and she looks down, hesitant to speak her answer. “Two wolves,” she breathes a reply, quiet. She glances behind the other’s shoulder and then her own should the other two show up and finish what they started. It had been able to put several miles between them before giving herself a chance to rest.

When the fox replied, her quiet and helpless tone could have (and perhaps should have) continued to trip Wildfire's predatory instincts. But it only made her pity the poor thing all the more. With a great deal of forceful mental exertion, the young huntress pushed aside her baser instincts. She would not hunt this creature, no matter how tempting. She wasn't even hungry.

"I won't hurt you," she began. "Do you think it's a good idea to soak in that?" she asked after a pause, glancing at the pool of warm water. "It smells sorta... filthy." Wouldn't the fox get an infection? "Although I'm not sure what causes the smell, to be honest. Or what makes the water warm, for that matter." Wildfire paused again, blinking. "Do you?"

Just because the wolf tells her she won’t hurt her doesn’t mean she’s going to relax. She keeps one paw lifted to run, sinking back on her rear while the other talks. She’s telling her things and asking her something she doesn’t know the answer to but what she does know is the rip in flesh of her shoulder hurts and she isn’t even sure her ankle isn’t broken. She hasn’t been able to put full weight on it since she ran away from the mountain.

“I don’t know,” she murmurs, looking into the mucky water. All she knows is is it’s warm and enough to ease some of the tenderness. It isn’t a long term plan and she might even freeze once she leaves the area of the warm springs and returns to the cold of winter. Sollie remains unsure of how to answer the woman, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “I want to go home.”

They were perhaps inane questions, given the circumstances, but Wildfire was trying to distract herself from reverting back to a primarily predatory state. And the explorer in her was ever curious about her surroundings. But the fox didn't know and Wildfire accepted that in silence, amber eyes roving inquisitively over the nearby pools as she filed her inquiries away for a later date.

"Where's home?" she wondered, eyes moving back to the vixen's sprite-like face.

The longer the wolf goes without attacking her, she only feels more tense with each passing minute. She tries to engage but Sollie would rather curl up into a ball and disappear, for a little while, but she isn’t given the reprieve as another question is asked. She takes a deep breath to prepare her answer, but exhales without producing any sound. She could lead this wolf and others to her home if she tells the truth.  The girl closes her eyes and lowers head head so that her chin lightly touches the ground and her legs sink back into the wet soil.

“Blackfoot Forest,” she finally tells the canine with a slight of pain on her muzzle.

Wildfire remained motionless when the fox sank down to the ground, her predatory urges once again warring with her sympathetic ones. She wondered if the vixen was preparing to die right here in front of her or if she was just resting. She no longer expected an answer, yet she got one anyway. The forest's name rung as vaguely familiar and the she-wolf shifted her weight, trying to place it.

"Isn't that close to Sawtooth Spire and Sleepy Fox Hollow?" she thought out loud. Unsure whether the fox even needed directions, she added, "If you follow the river southeast, then cross the mountains, you'll get there." As for whether the vixen would survive the trip, Wildfire wasn't really sure. And she wasn't about to offer her help, not when she was constantly fighting two very polarized impulses.

In fact, it was probably best she just leave the fox alone entirely. "I'm going to go have a look around, try to figure out the source of that smell," she remarked idly, amber eyes weighing heavily on the downtrodden vulpine for a long beat. "Take care," were Wildfire's last words before she turned and removed herself from the scene, feeling a very strange mixture of guilt and regret as she put space between herself and the fox.