Otter Creek I don't believe in fate

@Zephyr

He found himself exploring more often lately, growing restless if he stayed home for too long. He wasn't really sure why, but it didn't bother him enough to really think much about it; he would just get the urge to wander and take off for a few days. This last venture from the bypass had led him to the mountains, where he crossed into the valley and then continued through it and over the other side. He had never been this far south before, and he he found himself at a creek that he followed for a while before stopping to rest and take a drink. 

He stood on the edge of the creek and lowered his head to draw water into his mouth. As he drank, his mind idly moved through random thoughts, but one thought continued to pop up over and over: he wondered how Zephyr was doing. It had been a while since he had seen the silver boy, and he wished he knew how his wounds had healed. 

A crack of tree branch made him freeze and pull his head from the creek. He heard the thudding of hooves somewhere in the distance and he scanned the area worriedly before the source came bounding out from the trees at the base of the mountains. A goat larger than any he had ever seen with long coiled horns came bounding towards him, eye wide in fear. Something had startled it, but Pheiros had no time to try and figure it out—the goat was coming right for him, looking as though it had no intention of stopping. Pheiros scrambled to get out of the way and while doing so, his front left leg got caught in a snarl of roots. At the same time, the goat reached him, and the golden boy had to twist to miss being trampled by it. The move stretched his leg strangely and then pain radiated up from the place caught in the roots. It was a pain worse than any he had ever felt. He cried out and fell to the ground, injured leg still trapped in the roots. He was unable to move it enough to get it out and was in too much pain to think clearly.

He keeps his wandering close to home, wary of any journeys that might keep him away from Phillip for too long again. He can't imagine leaving his lover for so long again, now that they've reunited. Rowan will have to do the recruiting for awhile.
Yet fate still has plans for the wraith. The distant crack of a tree, the sound of hooves beating against the ground — normally he might ignore these things, but this time, something about it draws him in. A gut feeling, at first. Then he hears the cry, recognizes the scent, and his pace picks up, a streak of grey against the land that comes to a near-skidding halt near the distressed golden boy. Pheiros, His voice is grave, soft, eyes flitting quickly over the scene. He's trapped, and Zephyr can see why. The wraith moves to his side without thinking, bracing against him to push him to one side. This way — and then just relax, and I'll pull your leg out.

It seemed fortune would smile down on him today, despite his already terrible luck. Zephyr appeared out of nowhere and came to his side, attempting to help him stand up. I'm afraid to move it, he said, voice shaky as tears began to wet his cheeks. It really hurts. He swallowed and tried to focus on anything else but how much it hurt, but it was difficult. He was starting to get dizzy, and he kept thinking about how bad this seemed. The pain was bad, and he was scared to see what exactly his wrist looked like. But he couldn't just stay here forever. He drew in a turbulent breath as he tried to calm himself and listen to whatever Zephyr told him.

Pheiros is in bad shape, at least emotionally; Zephyr hasn't gotten a look at his leg yet, but he imagines it can't be good either. Don't look, He commands gently, nudging against him a little more to get him to shift in the right direction. You have to move, to get the pressure off of it, or it won't come out. Or it will come out a different shape than it went in. He leaves that part out, resisting the urge to shudder at the memories of his time in captivity. He'd seen so much suffering...
But now isn't the time for that. He focuses on getting Pheiros to move, and when the angle of the stuck leg seems more natural to him, Zephyr reaches down to gently remove it with his own foreleg, bracing it underneath Pheiros's golden arm just below the elbow and lifting it gingerly from the trap. Sit. He tells him then, turning without pause to push his head gently against the boy's chest and plant himself firmly between him and the offending tree.

He was willing to do exactly as Zephyr directed, and so he buried his face in the other boy's soft fur, closing his eyes tightly. Pheiros shifted more against him, shuddering painfully as his stuck leg was slowly worked out from the tree roots. The pain made him nauseous and dizzy, and he swayed a little as he sat down.

He tried to collect himself a little, which was pretty much impossible. He looked at Zephyr with a pain stricken expression I think it might be broken, he said shakily. The pain, and the way his paw limply hung there were both good indicators. He didn't need any medical knowledge to know that.