Big Salmon Lake [BWP P4 Prey Opportunity] katatonia

His mother left—thank god she hadn't felt some need to approach him after what she'd done to him, though watching her leave without begging for forgiveness for what she'd done to her family was just as painful. When her figure disappeared in the distance, Dragomir let go the breath he'd been holding and followed Arcturus with his eyes, grateful for the Beta's interference. What unfolded next was a splendid display of Moonspear's prowess as Hydra not only rallied comrades to them, but (presumably) chased off the stragglers as well.

Dragomir circled the scene, doing his very best to conceal his limp, but it seemed none of the combatants was paying him any mind anyway. When the last of the loners had cleared out, he calm to a halt to listen as Hydra spoke, and found himself studying the wolves she'd addressed. He hadn't noticed them before. The lighter of the two had a curious adornment on his head that made Dragomir, a wolf of natural proclivities, quirk his lips with bemusement. The other's coat was a shade and pattern that made his heart instantly stop in his chest.

Chill ice seeped down into his belly and he froze in place, possessed of a rigidity that would be impossible to overlook as he stared at Tzila. From here he could not tell she was a woman. There was too much wolf scent and blood scent for him to pick her individual smell out. All he saw was Sanguinus and he couldn't move, he couldn't think, his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. His mind played back images from the cave, the cliff, being thrown to the bottom—

—he wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He could only stand completely, utterly still and hope that his tormenter didn't recognize him.

arcturus derived little joy from driving mother from son. his heart hardened as a look was stolen by the silver — and he knew however wrong he felt, this was right. the spear was no home for the soft-at-heart or the inconstant — and it would be best for the argent’s brood if the hard way was enforced.

he was relieved to not have to draw fang against her quarters. she left, though he caught in her singular eye a void of emotion he wish he had not seen. turning sharply, he followed her some distance — and once he was satisfied there was no guile in her intentions he turned back towards his pack.

stepping over the snarling roots of deadfall and river stone, arcturus surveyed the group that remained — attempting to see where his help was most needed. moonspear was out in full force here (a fact that caused a swell of pride within him) but his blood chilled as he glanced to dragomir, who seemingly was filled with a blanching terror that rooted him inexorably to the spot. arcturus looked to dirge helpless, assuming the boy saw some horrible shade approaching — but the more he looked the less he saw anything at all, and a terror of the unknown began to crawl under his skin. dirge! he barked across the river, tail up and hackles raised — for he knew not what hidden terror assailed the boy, and feared an ambush or worse was near.

Arcturus called out to him, but Dirge had not been far behind the path that Dragomir chose; he wasn't keen on letting the boy out of his sight and when he was standing stock-still, locked in some sort of fearful repose, it wasn't hard to miss him. It was a short distance to cover the ground between them, his long strides drawing him to a halt just ahead of where he lingered to scan through the congregation for something askew.

He saw nothing that suggested anything, barring squabbling and flashes of teeth. There was no grim reaper of souls snaking its way through the pale grasses and dark mud, and he was confounded by just what had snapped in Dragomir to make him freeze so. His gaze turned to him, ears folding back against his head as he stepped closer to the boy. A reassurance he wasn't so sure he could give, but nevertheless tried.

His words were gentle, but quiet: "What is it you see? Or who?" Where, he wanted to ask, but the most he could do was let his gaze attempt to follow out wherever it was that Dragomir had spied and stalled over.

Sorry if this is terrible lol D:

The stranger fled, and as Merrit watched the poor brute run, Merrit felt a crawling disgust. Not at Nightstar, but at himself. The slightest curl of his lip was all that revealed the faintest strain of shame. When he turned to Hydra, his eyes had again hardened to bullets of stone.

He was not Merrit who had left Easthollow; that man was a ghost still dwelling on the plains, wrapped up in misery, and placing stone after stone after futile stone upon the ground leading out from the Circle, in the vain and wishful hope his lost family might see and come running back home. And he was not Stark. No -- he was not -- never, no, never again. He shifted his eyes. "I'm afraid I've lost my name," he murmured; there was something hidden in the pitch of his voice, a strain that would betray him, and he hardly cared.

Yet when @Hydra mentioned children, his head lifted, and he understood what had led to the ferocity in her advance. Of course, and of course, mother would have done the same. His thoughts roamed to his siblings back home -- and to Valette, her loyalty to the blood of her offspring -- and he found himself nodding along. "We have very little prey, and we, too, have young and hungry mouths to feed..." but with this he glanced at the moose, and sighed. "I had hoped to bring at least a leg back to feed them, but the mountains... the travel will take many days, and I realize now the meat will spoil before I reach them. Perhaps -- "

But he never finished his thought; the call of a dark stranger distracted him momentarily -- not calling for him, but for a kin of Moonspear, Dirge -- and Merrit felt himself stiffen with the heightened sense of danger which cut through the air. His sharp eyes turned toward the wolves of Moonspear, and he surveyed them shortly before returning a questioning look to their queen.

As his eyes locked on Tzila, Dragomir found it was difficult to pay any attention to what was going on around him. His heart felt like a hammer pounding at his throat and Dirge's words sounded like they were coming from somewhere far away. His packmates might be able to follow his line of sight to the red-ruffed wolf if they tried hard enough, but getting a verbal response from him would be impossible until they were removed from the situation. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

On the inside, he was screaming. Even if Tzila wasn't actually Sanguinus, she looked enough like what Dragomir remembered for it to trigger all those unpleasant memories. It was like a movie was playing on fast forward in his mind, skipping from one horrific recollection to the next. He could almost feel his tormenter's teeth grinding into his scruff and tearing his flesh all over again. He could almost feel himself being dragged. He could swear his stomach rose up into his mouth the way it did when he was falling. Image after image whirled past his mind's eye with such dizzying intensity that he didn't realize what was happening when his body crumpled to the ground until darkness blotted out the memories.

Before Dirge or Arcturus could get the answer they hoped for, Dragomir had fainted.

Didn't wanna run too far down this rabbit hole without Tzila's participation so hope this works to not derail things too much!

His revelation to her caused Hydra's ears to prick. Lost it? She inquired in earnest; did he not remember? It sounded as though it caused him some distress, or something akin to that feeling. Hydra was uncertain, but in any case: perhaps we can find it again, whatever it might be. The thought might make him feel better or worse, but Hydra hoped it was the former. How to help in such a thing though? Well, first thing first—

The matter of this. 

He addressed the haunch and that it might turn foul before his return, and Hydra recognized he was right. Selfishly she desired to agree with him, to take it into her own possession... but Valette had done much for Alya, and Hydra had not forgotten. Then you have what fill of it you can for yourself, and whatever is leftover, I will bring with me to Moonspear. You have aided me in filling my childrens bellies; the least I can do is ensure you do not feel hungry yourself for your assistance, she encouraged with the wave of her tail. Merrit had earned her respect this day, and Hydra felt a deeper appreciation for Easthollow. 

She too caught wind of the call, voiced by her own brother; as Merrit looked to her, Hydra gazed in the direction they headed in and picked up her pace. By the time she arrived, Dragomir was upon the earth; Hydra bridged the gap to sniff at him, but none had assaulted him. Hydra wrongly believed his hunger was the culprit of this; he had been so weakened by it, he had collapsed. She grimaced, looking to her mate. 

That his gaze had been upon any was missed by the Queen, and so she voiced her concerns: his hunger... seeing his mother... the fight... perhaps it all overwhelmed him, for none heeded the boy other than Moonspear themselves (her gaze searched the faces among them now); if there was a threat to him here, she was certain they would act on such impulses while the opportunity presented itself. Now, namely, when he was too weak to even flee. 

Hydra's gaze panned toward the three fighting; she knew that they could hold their own against the woman, united as they were. She looked back to Dragomir, then the food before them. She did not desire to leave him alone laying there. She looked to @Lyra and gestured to Dragomir, watch him. When I finish eating, we will switch, she drawled, so that her sister would receive her share once that was done. Looking to Merrit, she asked: Would you keep watch with her? These are our allies, but if there are other unwelcome wolves that arrive I want to ensure he is defended properly, knowing he, too, would be fed after. Hydra would not let him leave with an empty stomach.

throwing another post in, i think kit is too -- tagging those mentioned since i think most of us thought this was archived <3

from across the bank, arcturus saw the boy collapse. his attention now was on what unfolded before him -- and he forgot those that hydra instructed around the kill. dirge had turned to the boy, to ask him of what startled him so -- yet before an answer was supplied @Dragomir had fallen to the ground in what arcturus could only surmise was shock.

he retraced his steps quickly, coming to stand alongside @Lyra and @Dirge. he looked about the congregation almost accusingly, breath hitched -- what had caused dragomir to startle so?

he resigned himself to the fact he may not get an answer -- at least not now. with his gaze flickering between the trio, and then to hydra, arcturus made motion to bend down to dragomir -- if the boy did not wake up, he would have to be carried home slung across arcturus' shoulder.

 i figure if everyone else wants to get one more post in they can or ill archive end of the week?! since this is an older one! short post, fading as mentioned in chat !!

 

It seemed all had listened well enough to her instruction except her own brother. Hydra circled back and nipped him out of his heroic stupor; he needed to, and would, eat. He could not expect to carry back Dragomir otherwise, who was not at all a small boy. In fact, they would not do such; why not wait until he arose? It seemed a waste of energy to the matriarch, who also thought of dessert in the marrow. 

He listened this time around, and moved with her to the corpse; they ate their fill, and once sated Hydra turned to begin her own watch of Dragomir. @Lyra moved to eat then, alongside her mate @Dirge; Hydra, for her own part, yawned and hunkered alongside Dragomir. Whatever had caused him his unrest, he looked peaceful now she thought to herself. Hydra glanced toward the rest of the party feeling plenty satisfied; she licked her chops, the rest of those among them also moving in to get their well-deserved fill.

No need to keep archiving this, guys! I will archive it, when the thread is closed.

his hunger forgotten, arcturus hunkered down near hydra and dragomir, eyes watchful. he had not seen whatever it was that had caused the boy to faint -- that unknown quantity, lurking somewhere in the shadows.. the thought caused arcturus' spine hairs to prickle. he exchanged a quiet look between his sister and dirge, and then to merrit, their newest companion.

he swallowed uncertainly, suddenly unwilling to be here much longer. he felt exposed, out of his element. he longed to be back at the spear, where no phantasms lingered and struck his packmates cold. nudging dragomir, arcturus motioned to whoever was near to help sling the boy over his shoulder. dragomir was no small burden, but arcturus was a mountaineer -- he would not leave one of their own behind.

Super late but tossing in a quick exit post.

The fight hadn't been evenly matched. With two against one, the odds were already set in the favor of the Nightwalkers wolves. Wet, bruised and a little torn up, Tzila was no worse for wear as she returned from the shallow depths of the lake shores. Confident that Black Hat would be trailing her, and that @Sarah would not be making a reappearance, she approached the congregation with a tail held high in victory and a hunger in her eyes. Setting an even, but respectable look towards her Moonspear allies, she tucked in to take her share of the spoils of the day.

with his charge shouldered between himself and hydra, arcturus bid for dirge. together the three of them would bring dragomir home — he hoped at some point towards the spear, the boy would reawaken.

his nerves were unsettled as they made back to the mountain. as soon as dragomir woke, arcturus planned to ask him what he had seen — and what grave terror they should all look out for..