Broken Antler Fen When the river touches the stars above

Eventually Odette found her way back to the Fen, fear dancing in her eyes.  Although this time the fear wasn't only because of the teh Steady and Sebastian connection, it was actually mostly because of her fall in the Haunted Wood, that scared her.

What was wrong with her tail?  Why couldn't she move it at her will?  Why couldn't she feel it?

So many questions.

She tilted her head back and howled for @Sebastian and @Pearl worry and fear edged in her tone.  She wanted to take back those finale seconds of blindly running.  She should've payed more attention, then she wouldn't have to be stuck in this situation.  A tremble ran through her body, but never reached her tail.  It just hung limply behind her, looking pretty dead conpared to the rest of her.  Odie whined.

Sebastian came rushing as soon as he heard her howl. The male hadn't slept since Odette left, he had been around the borders howling for her and even going away from the border to let out howls for her to respond too. Luckily for Sebastian Odette returned rather quickly. His heart was racing as the male was running at breakneck speed towards her howl.

Sebastian came running towards her, digging his paws just in time into the ground to stop in time. The male let out a whine when he saw her but did close to distance between them and nosed over her. "Odette you returned," he let out with so much relief in his tone. He licked her muzzle and cheek, glad that she had returned. So glad she came back to them. Sebastian didn't know what he would have done if she would have left.

He noticed her tail behind her, and at first he thought she was not happy to see him but then he spotted the weird angle. Like it was broken. "What happened?," he let out worriedly. Did someone hurt her?

When she first saw him, she wanted to run away again, but she kept herself firmly rooted to the ground.  She stood stone still as he nosed her over and speaking a few words with relief, when suddenly he noticed her tail.  Another pulse of fresh fear ran through her as her Father asked what had happened.  For a few moments she was silent, unsure of what to say, not even sure that she could speak.  Finally she did though.

"W-when I r-ran, i w-wasn't paying attention... I tripped over a h-huge r-root and fell.  N-now I can't move or f-feel my t-tail."  She stuttered out with a few nervous sobs, looking up at Sebastian with fear sparkling in her eyes.  "W-what's wrong w-with me?"

*Gently pops in for a Caregiver thread

Brandy had seemed relatively normal since coming home, and even today that was holding strong - it was not she who was in need of help. When Odette's fear laced howl rent the air, the copper yearling hared off in her direction. 

Seb got there first, but Brandy wasn't shy in trotting forward with her ears cupped forward in curiosity, mask twisted in worry. 

              "Everything okay?"

Her question was answered at the pups stuttered reaction - she couldn't feel her tail? Frowning, Brandy drew close to her alphas side and turned her lemon eyes up at him - this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about being a Caregiver.

Sebastian nosed over her some more as Odette started stammering out what happened. Then Brandy had the nerve to come in and push her nose somewhere Sebastian didn't want it. The alpha instantly growled and snapped towards her muzzle, not directing on actually biting her but more the air next to her muzzle as a warning. "Back off," he let out towards the russet female in clear warning, blue eyes strict. Of course she was not okay! Odette was his daughter and to him this was something personal where he wanted to talk to her about things as he would mend her tail or at least try to.

Sebastian was rather possessive, and always had a bit of a possessive streak which he tried to hide. Now he was an alpha it was less clear because as an alpha he could claim certain thing. "Go get straight sticks and those flexible branches, try those of the willow trees," he instructed Brandy after his warning. At least she could be useful and getting some of the materials he needed. The alpha's snappiness was probably because of his lack of sleep. Sebastian moved closer to Odette and nudged her. "Don't worry. We will help you," he spoke to her far softer. "Just lay down and let me take a look at it. It seems like you've broken it," he explained to her.

His pale eyes looked at her. She shouldn't have ran, but it seemed a tendency of her. She did the same while being at STM. Luckily she returned home. "God I was so worried," he spoke to her, wanting her to know that he cared immensely about her.

Odette's howl fell on Pearl's alert and worried ears, prompting her to get moving. Pearl had been worried about both Odie's safety and Sebastian's health, so she'd remained awake to try and soothe him after his patrols. She arrived later than she would've liked, just in time to see Brandy and Sebastian fuss over her adopted daughter. 

"What happened?" she asked of either of them. Pearl bent down and started grooming Odie, who looked scared and hurt. "I'm so glad you're back," she breathed.

Brandy arrived shortly after her Father, asking her if everything was okay while of course it wasn't, then her Father was quick to tell Brandy to back off, then give out a command to go get some straight sticks and flexible branches, before telling Odie that everything would be okay, that she had probably just broken it and that he wanted her to lay down so that he could take a look at it.

She thought breaks were supposed to hurt though... she couldn't feel anything at all.

Without argument though Odette laied down at her Father's command, when she noticed Pearl who asked what happened and told Odie that she was so glad she was back as she began to groom her.  While Odette could've recited the story she didn't feel like telling it again, because now something more important was on her mind and while she knew she was young so she could possibly be wrong she flicked her gaze to Sebastian, question in her eyes.

"A-aren't breaks s-supposed to h-hurt?"

Brandy only made it to Seb's shoulder before he lashed out - his teeth nearly grazed her muzzle, snapping too close for comfort, but did no physical damage. It scared the hell out of her, and the yearling loosed a fearful yelp, springing to the side with incredulous look at the alpha.

                     "What the hell, I was HELPING. I thought you wanted to teach me about being a Caregiver?"

Her words were cold, confused, and as Pearl showed up, the yearling flinched anoher foot away as if she'd be snapped at again - thankfully, she was wrong, but at this point she was already hurrying away. For a heartbeat, she almost didn't head for the willows Sebastian had ordered her to collect. Grumbling under her breath, she knew better than to disobey a direct order. Stalking her way across the fen, Brandy latched onto a springy branch and tugged. It took a long couple of minutes, but eventually it fell - Brandy broke off the smaller sticks that Sebastian had instructed her to get, and stalked back to where they were waiting.

The yearling didn't come close at all - she stopped many yards away, only just being able to hear, and stood awkwardly in place, avoiding eye contact but waiting until either someone came to get the sticks or she was called forward. Even if she were to be called, she was likely to only bring them a few feet away and then sulk off in the same distance, watching Odette with a worried look but unwilling to even ask again.

@Brandy I clearly stated that Sebastian snapped his teeth in the air besides her muzzle. Sebastian would never use physical contact as a first warning. Would you mind changing your post?

Sebastian bared his teeth at the mouthy yearly when she even at the audacity to talk back to him. Luckily for her she instantly filled out his request. Which gave him some space with Odette. Pearl arrived shorty after and Sebastian welcomed her close. She was Odette's mother after all and she would have a more calming effect on the situation. "While running she tripped over a branch and fell on her tail," Sebastian explained to Pearl.

Sebastian thought about it. "It could be adrenaline that is rushing through your body still. Often that numbs the pain so the body can flee,' he spoke, which would be his only explanation. He didn't know about nerves that ran along her back and if they might be injured. He was never taught about nerves and how they felt pain. He looked at the tail with a light frown. Assuming it was a break.

Sebastian's ears perked up when Brandy arrived with the branches. She was quick. Perhaps him snapping at her made her more motivated. Sebastian stepped towards her. "Thank you, Brandy. I will explain later," he spoke giving her a nod in thank you. He grabbed the two bigger branches. Placing each next to Odette's tail.

SORRY

Pearl heard Sebastian's report, and then cast a worried glance to Odette's tail. In her continued streak of concerned glances, she looked at Brandy, who had distanced herself and seemed to be wary of Seb. What had he done? No matter the situation, she made a mental note to go talk to Brandy sometime after giving her a sympethetic smile. 

She watched Seb align the branches with Odie's tail, and continued grooming her to keep her calm. If it was serious, they might need some painkiller herbs, but it didn't appear to hurt. She pondered the possibilities while nibbling out the various decorations and undergrowth from her adopted daughter's fur.

There was a whole lot of talking.  She pinned her ears back as words passed over her head, just barely catching her Father's answer to her question, saying that it was probably adrenaline.  What was adrenaline anyways?  While she felt compelled to ask, she wasn't sure that now was the time.  Her question could wait if she even decided to bring it up at all.

She then watched nervously as Sebastian put two of the bigger branches by her tail.  A flood of anxiety ran through her in the heat of the moment.  For even though she couldn't feel anything, the scenario still deeply scared her.  Her tail seemed pretty dead, plus somehow Sebastian had a connection with Steady.  It was all so much to much.

She just wanted it all to go away.

Seb stepped towards her, and the yearling flinched back, dropping the branches and skittering away a couple of feet. She ignored his words completely, and in her haste to turn away, she also missed Pearls more gentle look - despite her previous wishes to learn, Brandy chose to leave then. She didn't feel welcome, or in fact safe, and even if she knew that was all crap, she let her paws pick up the pace until she was running across the fen. The yearling didn't care if anyone followed - she ran and ran until she was sure she was alone, and then turned to find her den. The grove she shared with Aduin had never felt more like home than now, even if she would still go to sleep each night in the Cove. 

Brandy OUT. Sorry for holding the thread up so long!

Sebastian noticed something off in the tail as he tried to straighten it. It seemed that she had no feeling it it. Normally a break would hurt badly, and now some of the adrenaline would definitely have been burned up. Sebastian looked worriedly at Pearl for a moment. All seemed to be quiet. Sebastian let out a long sigh as this was a difficult case for him to crack. Perhaps it was paralyzed.

He tested this by placing his paw on Odette's tail, he looked at her for a reaction, slowly pressing on more weight onto the tail till he would be very uncomfortable, not that he wanted her to feel even worse but he had to try it. Otherwise there was no use in trying to splint the tail. "Odette, did you feel that?," he asked to be sure.  Maybe she just wanted to be tough.

In the meanwhile Brandy had run off. Sebastian was unsure with to do with her either, but either way, in his eyes now Odette was more important.

Pearl's head shot up as Brandy scuttled away, sending a questioning bark in her direction. She looked back at Odie, who was obviously panicked about not feeling anything in her tail. The white woman exchanged knowing looks with her husband and patiently watched with anticipation as Sebastian slowly put more pressure on Odette's tail. She gritted her teeth together, hating to watch this happen. 

Why'd this happen? How did she manage to do this to herself? Pearl's thoughts raced as she nuzzled Odie's head.

Her Father asked her if she could feel that.  Feel what?  She couldn't feel a thing.  Was this a trick question or what.  Confusion darted over her gaze as she turned her head to see what he was doing to discover that he was applying pressure to her tail.  A nervous gulp made it's way through her throat.

"N-n-no I can't feel anything."  She replied, nerves fizzing with nervous energy.  Her ears pinned to her skull and she eyed her dead tail was a scared, wild look.  "What's wrong with it..."  She whinned fear edging her voice.

Sebastian watched it and noticed Odette's reaction. "I think... I think your tail is paralyzed. It seems like some kind of nerves hurt when you fell on your tail. I am not sure though it might heal and you might be able to move it better. But... if you have no feeling in it perhaps the nerves are severed," he spoke honestly and sat by her side.

"I don't think the branches will work then. It will only be in your way," he admitted and frowned lightly. "It could be that your tail will stay like this," he spoke to her in a more serious tone. He would still love her even with a tail she perhaps couldn't move. He hoped she would in the end though, it was nice to know for communications.

Nothing Pearl was doing seemed to help calm Odie, but that didn't mean she would stop trying nevertheless. She froze and her stomach sank as she listened to Sebastian's diagnosis. A tail wasn't a particularly vital thing to have, but for a wolf, it was a prominent part of everyday body language and communication. If it were permanently like this, Odie would have to learn to live without function in her tail. Dead weight, basically.

All she could do was stay by her side when Seb did. There wasn't much she could do, and lightening up the situation didn't seem like the best course of action at the moment. "It'll be okay, maybe we can see if it'll repair itself on its own," she stated, but not knowing for sure.