Sawtooth Spire unordentlich
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Ooc — ebony
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#1
All Welcome 
backdated to april 23rd or so <3

mahler supported @Takiyok as much as she was in need of him. they stopped often along their way, his scarred muzzle reaching to steady and to search for the scent of prey. mahler, despite his tiredness, remained devoted to the sickened woman. he would not hear of her not gaining entry to sagtannet; in the days that they traveled from the hollow, he was swift to assure her where necessary.
they arrived at the spiked base and it was slow going upward until at last the land plateaued again. "ve are here," the gargoyle murmured gently. "i shall take you to the river first. vindholme, ve call it."
would @Stag come upon them? he did not know, but set a slow pace to the cold edge of the streaming water.
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#2
He was there among the rifling reeds when a scent hit him, the memory of it as strong as a fistful of bricks hurled towards his skull.

Stag froze, every fur aligned upright on his nap. His nose lifted, sifting through the wind -- surely....?

Then he saw as well as sensed the arrival of Mahler, carrying, supporting, dragging... He felt a chill rake down his spine. "Mom?" His voice was hoarse with surprise, and but for a moment Stag was stone-still as the reeds shivered around him.
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.  
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#3
She could only nod when Mahler told her of the river, the journey taking more out of her than she could have even imagined. She was ready to stop and rest, but the promise of water urged her forward despite how exhausted she was; just a little farther and she could throw herself into the river and gulp down much as her stomach would allow. She imagined how the cool liquid would feel once if filled her mouth and moved down her parched throat, and she could hardly stand to wait however long it would take her weak body to make it there. 

Almost nothing could have stopped her then as Mahler slowly helped her to edge of the water. Almost nothing, except the sound of her son's voice; it pierced her heart and she lost all the momentum she had barely managed to call forward. Even with Mahler's support, her back legs buckled and gave out, and she fell back on her haunches. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to regain her composure. She had hoped to get settled before seeing him; some rest after traveling so far would have made it easier to hide just how sick she was. But he was here now, and she wished she could go over to where he was frozen and pull him close. She wasn't sure she could stand back up just yet. Stag, she called out with her raspy voice. She had missed him so much.
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#4
permission to skip/pp mahler!

the boy did arrive, and mahler glanced between the pair. were takiyok stronger, he would have left them at once. but she was weak first and then again by their trek, too great for her in this state. 
her mother's love was clear, visceral — mahler swallowed and remained near. she would rest, and he would look away toward the river in silent indication of his respect for their discourse.
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#5
Seeing his mother sink back and lose control of her hind end tore a gasp from the yearling's throat. Incentivized to move, Stag bolted towards his mother and Mahler, ears splayed back with tearful concern stinging his gaze. "Mom!" He blurted, coming up besides her and nosing possessively along her fur, reading whatever he could from her scent. "What happened --" He turned to Mahler, his tone sharp with worry as he repeated: "What happened?!"
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.  
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#6
He was at her side in a matter of seconds, his nose moving through her fur. He was so grown, it made her heart hurt. He was, understandably, worried; it showed in his expression and in his demand. Stag, she said first. Calm down, she urged softly, reaching out to nuzzle his cheek if he would allow it in the state he was in. I'm okay. I'm just sick, but Mahler is helping me get better, Taki assured her son. She glanced over at Mahler and then back to Stag. She hated to see him so upset, and she hated herself for being here in the first place when she knew she wouldn't stay. I'm going to stay here while I get better, she told him, the implication that her stay would only be temporary hopefully apparent. If that's okay with you, He lived here; she didn't, and she knew it would be difficult for him when she left again. If he didn't want her to stay, then she wouldn't. She watched his face for whatever emotions might appear there, worried she might see hurt or something else equally upsetting. Her muscled screamed for rest, but she ignored it; this was important, and she could muster up the energy for it.
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#7
stag's voice, beginning to grow more masculine, cut through the air toward mahler. takiyok answered, however; their desperate touches piqued the gargoyle with a horrid realization. she was ill, and he did not know how to stave off the sickness. only her symptoms could be mended, and even then he did not know for how long. time was the arbiter of the winterwhite's fate. however, she was insistent that she would recover, and mahler conceded such to her. only takiyok would know.
"i found her in the hollow, vhere ve vent after the quaking earth," he said softly to the boy, seeking stag's worried stare. but that was all mahler could add; he did not understand the crush of emotion coming to thrum in his heart.
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#8
Stilled only by the command in his mother's tongue, Stag nosed along his dam's tattered fur; the scents here were myriad and alien. He pulled away helplessly, holding Mahler's gaze as he explained he had found Takiyok among the rubble.

He bit his lip; this was all his fault. If he hadn't been a chickenshit, if he had gone with his mother like she wanted instead of leaving her, she wouldn't have gotten sick. "I'm so sorry," he breathed as he tried to hug her, feeling grief wash over him like the brace of a horribly cold wave. "Sick -- sick how?" His eyes pleaded what can I do??
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.  
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#9
She still couldn't remember how she had ended up back in the hollow. Those days were all a blur of pain and dread, and that seemed to be all she could recall at this time. But she was grateful to have been found by Mahler instead of dying there alone. 

Taki shook her head at her son's apology. You have no reason to be sorry, she assured him. None of this was his fault; she was the sole holder of blame here. She was the one who had left, and she didn't hold his decision against him. His question had her shaking her head again. I don't know, she admitted. She really had no idea how she had become so sick or if she would even get better; she had only told Stag that to soothe him. It was wrong, she knew, but she still wanted to protect him from hurt. I'm just very glad to see you, looking so grown up and strong, she told him in answer to his pleading stare. Of course, she had Mahler to thank for that, as well as his pack—yet another debt to add to her list.
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#10
feel free to skip me, posting for dramaz

stag's gaze stabbed through him. 
mahler felt suddenly empty as their tones went on; he could not help but hear the saltwater filling the boy's voice, dangling in takiyok's own —
— he did not know what to say and so said nothing, gaze pulling from stag's own to the winterwhite as she addressed her son.
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#11
She didn't know. Stag was struck by forlorn silence; how could one not know what had reduced their condition so? What had truly happened all those months he had been away from her?

In that moment he wanted to hug her and pull her tight to him and never let go. Never let anything happen to her, never let her get sick or hurt or leave --

but that was not life. Stag knew it, Mahler knew it. His mother knew it.

He glanced to the general, who had slipped some distance away. He did not want Mahler to see him crying, and that rare brand of foolish pride was a powerful percolator to other emotions. "I'd give it all back," Stag bargained desperately, knowing it was futile. He didn't need to be grown up or strong if his mother was sick and ailing -- he would go back to being a child this instant, if his mother could be healthy again. "I don't need it." His lower lip was trembling and his eyes thick with tears that had yet to darken his cheeks. "Where do we take her?" He suddenly asked of Mahler, feeling a sick desperation take hold of him.
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.  
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#12
His words had tears pooling in her own eyes, and she was shaking her head furiously. Don't say that, she told him. She was unable to hold her own tears back as she saw his lip tremble, and they fell quickly down her cheeks. Your life is worth far more than mine. How could he think otherwise? He was the only child she had left; she would search for the other three for as long as she drew breath but after all this time, it was hard to constantly ignore the possibility that they were no longer alive. So for Stag to throw those words around as if his life meant nothing—it just wasn't true. 

She didn't immediately look to Mahler when Stag turned to speak to him; she was trying compose herself and stop the tears still glistening in her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and finally turned to add: I just need to rest; anywhere is fine. Even here was fine. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay awake; she was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted both physically and emotionally after the journey here and reuniting with Stag.
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#13
his heart ached, pierced through by the absolution and agony of their words. a breath drawn, and then stag's pleading gaze was upon him. the gargoyle shifted, stepped to the winterwhite's side. "to the medicine den," he chuffed, considering that its place in the more level places of sagtannet would suit takiyok better.
a glance to the son of his kill-brother; he saw the basilisk's resolution limn stag's long legs, and motioned him to help his ailing mother up the last slopes into the green hill-country of the place diaspora had gone.
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#14
Stag had since fallen silent, offering no retort despite the rebuke that threatened to break his composure: maybe such things should not be said, but Stag meant it. His resolve was every bit as genuine as the ground that held them up, every bit as real and truthful as the sun on their backs or the wind biting their cheeks.

He looked to the ground, unable to hold his dam's gaze for fear she might see his tears. Mahler's motion to Takiyok's side was enough to spurn him into action. He mutely stood alongside his mother and gave her his shoulder, cursing himself once more for letting her go where he could not follow.
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.  
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#15
She was too tired and too weak to try and deny their help when they both sidled up to either side of her to support her while they walked. She worried about Stag's reaction to her being sick but she wasn't sure there was a way to make him see that none of this was his fault. She understood that kind of guilt, and she didn't want it to eat away at him. 

She was starting to get light-headed, so anymore talking would have to wait until she had rested a while. Leaning against them both, she nodded that she was ready, and waited for them to lead her to this medicine den that Mahler suggested.
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#16
wrapping up? <3

Takiyok was borne up between the two wolves, and while Stag offered his shoulder he noticed how tired -- how bedraggled -- his mother truly looked.

He fretted the entire trip to the den; once they made it there, he pressed his muzzle to Takiyok fondly and then departed, off to hunt or find food for his dam; whatever he caught, he would bring back to her -- happy that at last, his mother was finally home.
and it brings me to you, but i won't just past through
i'm not asking for a storm.