Fairspell Meadow four letter word for the feeling you were born into

BFW members please, perhaps. this might be my only post so please don't feel the need to match length.
condition: exhausted, underweight, broken hind left leg.

It took time to find strength, although perhaps the strength waned more than she had gained any. Crawl, roll, wiggle. Pain, pain, pain. It consumed her backside even if only one leg had suffered the tragedy. If she found it in her strength to stand it did not last long and brought on furious beatings of her heart, fearful. She was so close and yet it had never felt further away. Taste them all on the breeze while a familiar goshawk grew into a stranger — startled away or perhaps knowing she was no longer a provider for his endless appetite.

Pain, pain, pain.

Useless, useless, useless.

She knew not of women or men who had such injuries like this back in her homelands. Perhaps for a reason kinder than the suffering she was pulled through. Whoever watched over her homelands did not watch over her here. Left for other predators to salivate over, hungry with the diminishing of prey. She'd be a poor meal but beady eyes did not seem like picky eaters. To think how they might snap more of her bones in a miniature scale of the rocks. Perhaps it was that, above all else, that drove her to grovel back to the meadow. If she was to become a meal for anyone she wished it to at least be for her own. Not that she thought it would come to that but....if it did.

Far longer than it should have, she made it. A new dawn painting in colors she never understood. How heavenly they looked. Inviting with their gentle touches. She took each and every shade for granted — lived in a world of drab. The forest, herself, her company. Even as she writhed in pain on the ground, seeking to make her mark in the earth as though it might help, she admired the sky. How lovely it would be to take off in a flurry of flight with hollowed bones and wide wings. Oh but how she wished to take everyone with her! To swoop her flock into safety, to lands further than any of them could imagine.

Her writhing slowed, heartbeat leveling.

A place on the water, thick trees but this time so full of color. If she closed her eyes she could almost forget her current on-goings. Pain seemed to soften when you thought about all the good things and all your loved ones. Yet it did not lull her, seeming to only pump some little bit of fight back into her. You're not done yet. She was close enough to be found but she could not wait until someone was to patrol the morning hours. It was a soft and warbled cry, far closer to a lost and confused child than it was a Morta meant to shield all.

It was then that she would hold her fantasies a bit tighter behind her closing eyes. She would not slip away, even if she felt as though the pain would be what released her, but perhaps she would find comfort. Perhaps if she thought of all of the good still left everything would be more bearable.

She had noticed Jakoul's absence but didn't think much of it. Maegi just assumed the Morta was out scouting. But when the wearied call floated across the border, the fur along her spine bristled; there was something in it that she hadn't heard before from her co-leader. She hastened her pace, going as quickly as she could given her own handicaps, and drew in a shocked breath at the sight of the woman on the ground.

Jakoul, Maegi gasped, rushing forward, lowering herself to her friend. She noted the ragged, dissheveled state of the Morta, eyes darting over her frame, looking for any external injuries. What happened? Where do you hurt?

Or perhaps the wounds were internal, not only subdermal but within the soul. Those were more difficult to heal; perhaps impossible, as far as Maegi was concerned. Her heart hammered, face drawn with the utmost worry as she waited for a response, if it would come.

Perhaps, just perhaps, she had expected strong handed welcomes — anger for being gone so long but she had come home! She had not abandoned her roost or post. Home. Nona. Comfort. The gasping of her own name before closeness.

Maegi. Strained, tired and oh so terribly weary. Hurt. That pesky four letter word that haunted her like the ashes of a forest fire. It seemed hurt was all they had known the last few weeks and the Morta had the audacity to bring more hurt into their sanctuary. How could she! Things were supposed to be good as they recouped from the weeks of destruction.

The question had not been repeated but it almost bounced around her mind, echoing down the halls of her thoughts. "...hurt?" A poor decision was made as the raven attempted to move that broken left hind leg to show off the location. She was met with a shoot of pain as she writhed once more, a mournful sound creeping in her throat.

Jakoul presented her injured leg, and Maegi gritted her teeth, feeling the echo of the Morta's pain in her own slowly-healing forelimb. Damn, she whispered, eyes drifting to meet the other's gaze. I will be back. I'll find you something for the pain. . .and maybe a bite to eat, as well.

When she returned, she did so with a pitiful excuse for a hare, accompanied by one of the last of her poppy stash. The red flower was wilting, but the seeds were still intact; Maegi set both of these down beside Jakoul and nosed the kill closer, her own mouth watering at the smell.

Eat, she murmured, beginning to work the seeds away from the flower. Just one. . .no, maybe two. For me. And two for her, and maybe— NO! Maegi cursed herself inwardly as she let slip three seeds over her tongue, down her throat. She flung the flower away with some violence and rested back down on her belly instead, watching Jakoul with a concerned stare.

She had many questions, but they could all wait until later. Food, medicine and rest were most important right now.

It doesn't exactly line up, but I don't feel like making my own thread for this. Let me know if this is okay!

Nightstar loped back into their new territory and soon found the flash of white he was looking for. He slowed somewhat but continued toward them at a steady clip, hindered only slightly by the bite that had been delivered to his hind leg. It felt more like charley horse than rent flesh, he was pleased to note, and although he would like to have brought a whole leg for the others to enjoy, bringing fresh meat at all felt like something of an accomplishment.

"Nona," he barked as he drew near, because that moniker was easier to say with his jaws still clamped tightly around the slab of muscle and fat than Maegi. It was only then that he realized she was not alone, and that the wraithlike form of Jakoul was crumpled and sickly before her. He froze for a moment, one paw still lifted to carry him forward.

She watched with white-rimmed eyes as the form of Nona slipped away to do her bidding. Seconds ticked along like hours as her brain searched for a distraction from the sudden loneliness that held her. Her return was a bountiful one though. Food and a flower that seemed as though it had seen more flourishing seasons.

Her neck twisted as jaws clamped around the hare. Pitiful as it may have been, that did not deter the Morta. Prey was scare but she sought only to fulfill her own selfish desires. An empty belly that would not cease its rumbles until she appeased it. Torn apart with a ferocious speed that left her to be the occasional victim to coughing or soft choking.

Sunken silver eyes drifted over the form of Nightstar. More meat clenched between his teeth but still she was weary of his presence. A primal creature at her core, she would be wary of most in her injured state. Hackles raised as she defensively watched him but moved to grip at the flower that Nona had brought. Greedily the raven leader nosed at it in search of whatever it held that was promised to soothe her pains.

Jakoul ate, thankfully. Maegi was alarmed at each little choke but managed to keep her composure well enough. The appearance of Nightstar distracted her briefly, and she turned to give him a brusque nod before glancing back at the Morta, who was reaching for the poppy flower. 

The seeds, she whispered, careful to stop Jakoul from taking too many. Just one or two. They'll dull the pain. She watched her patient like a hawk, making sure she did not overindulge. Once Maegi was satisfied with the administration of food and medicine, she took the flower in her teeth and rose to her paws, giving Jakoul a brief, quiet assurance that she'd return. 

The Nona stared at the hunk of flesh in the hunter's jaws as she approached him, eyes widening. I thought there was no large game to be found, because of the ground shaking, she remarked, dropping the flower. Where on earth. . .? She was incredibly pleased with his initiative, bringing home the bacon and all.

Nightstar dragged his gaze back to Maegi when she started toward him, dropping his head in chagrin as he realized he'd made the woman uncomfortable with his staring. He set the bloody haunch on the ground before her, keeping his head lowered in submission so close to an injured pack member.

"There was a moose lying dead in a lake," he said quickly, wanting to get explanations out of the way. "Two other packs came for it — more than we could fight off. But I brought back what I could." He sounded as apologetic as ever, but also impatient to get to the next (and more pressing) topic of conversation, which was, "What happened? Has she been attacked?" And then, taking a steadying breath, "Is there anything I can do to help?"