Hideaway Strath I promise I won't break it

For my dear @Arlette
Phone post

It burned. Despite the frigid air it burned.
Across his head, the blood that had been running freely down the right side of his face from the four gouges across his crown and down over his old, twisted scar has started to clot.
The marring continued across his shoulder, missing vital blood vessels in a spot of luck, hadn't clotted. Blood ran down his right leg, spotting the snow in a trail leading back to the warzone.

He trundled along. Seeking Arlette. She was probably huddled at the densite.
He groaned her name. His head pounding.
He just wanted to curl up in her warm touch and sleep for a good few hours.

Arlette was at the medical stash, trying to sort things and look for what they might need or already had enough of. She had collected a lot of reeds so that was something they had enough of. The cache was not too far away from the den she spend the night in. Her head perked up when she heard someone call her name. She turned and moved towards it. Only when she was closer she saw that it was Derg. Her heart jumped. "Derg!!!." she gasped and rushed closer. A whine coming from her throat. "What happened?"

These marks didn't look like they came from a wolf. She started to lick his wounds but realized that there was just too much of it to lick off. "Go lie down in the small stream," she quickly instructed, it was nearby so that he should be able to manage. "I will get my supplies," she added and then rushed to the cache of medical supplies. She grabbed poppy seeds first. She rushed to him and spit them out. "Eat, they will help with the pain." She didn't wait a second before rushing back and getting the reeds she collected. Hopefully the cold of the stream would numb his wounds a bit, and would clean him, then she could better see where the wounds were open and where it was just blood.

A flurry of snow kicked up as his love rushed towards him.
Panic evident.
He ever asked about her mate.
He suspected it was to do with her scars, but he didn't want to see that sadness well inside her again. He sighed softly, then inhaled her warm, herbal scent deeply.
She was safe.
"Bear attack. They're gone."
There were others injured. But there was Dove.

His ears slicked back as she licked his wounds. The pain of it evident, but too numb to be sharp.
She gave him instruction.
In his muddled mind, he didn't question it. He shifted with a nod and made towards the stream. Halfway, Arlette rushed to him and spat some little black spots on the ground and told him to eat them.
Poppy seeds.
He snapped them up with a mouthful of snow before continuing on.

He'd just lowered himself in the stream when she had rushed back with her supplies. The water was frighteningly cold, snapping at his legs. Then sweeping up his sides and draining his belly of any warmth he'd kept. The current washed over his shoulder, the pain nearly unbearable, but he looked to Arlette. It would only panic her more.

He lowered his dry mouth to the water, sipping at it slowly.
Blood leaked from his shoulder, staining the current.
He groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut.
Why did he have to get so beat up?

Arlette's ears flopped back when she heard about bears attacking. But then she frowned. "Don't they sleep in winter?," she mostly said to herself. It didn't matter, Derg was injured and he needed to be healed as soon as possible. The girl came to the stream and trotted in herself. It was cold. She ignored it though. The river stained red but it also cleaned out the other fur, quicker than she could have done by licking. She went to work on his shoulder and neck. Clearing it with clean water. She didn't want him in the water for too long. So once most of the hardened blood was out of his fur, she nudged him. "Go to the bank."

She hopped out herself. Her feet numb from the cold, but that was good because that meant that Derg's body would also be a bit numbed, plus the poppy seeds should probably have worked as well. Arlette started to pluck and push her paws on the cattail and as she did so, fluff was starting to come off the bulb. Luckily there was little wind. Arlette retrieved the fluff until she had a mouthful and started to push it against Derg's bleeding wounds. She continued this till each part of Dreg was covered in the fluff. It stayed put because of the blood it sucked up and made a hard crust.

Arlette looked at her work, her heart beating rather fast. She licked Derg's face. He was probably cold. She learned from this that she probably should have tended to him in a den, as now she didn't want to start the bleeding further by having him move. She started to lick his fur dry where he would need it the most. "If you are too cold you might need to move and I need to re add the fluff where you start to bleed," she commented worriedly. Maybe she should bring him to her den. It was small, it would be a tight fit for two, but- that would keep him warm.

A quick, grave nod.
He'd expalin later his thoughts.
But for now, he just wanted the pain to go away.

Her touch brought him back to reality. Jack Frost trying to steal him away in the winter.
But no, Arlette was his gate kepper.
He rose with a strained grunt, the sensation in his body almost nonexistent now.
He pushed himself up the snowy bank, sinking into the snow.
She set to work packing the still bleeding wounds. Her touch warm.
Creeping over him as her tongue scraped the cold away.

The thought of a den was too much to bear. He didn't want to try sleeping in the snow. He probably wouldn't wake up from it. "A den will be better." He'd try his best to keep his shoulder still so the fluff didn't fall out.
Worry evident in her eyes.
Derg reached his muzzle up to her.
"Love, with your care I'll be fine." He smiled weakly before pushing himself up. He had to move before the poppies rendered him immobile.

He kept his right leg suspended as he let Arlette guide him to where she wanted him.

Arlette nodded firmly. She assumed that it might be too cold for him. She offered her support to him, on his good side. Arlette felt nerves shoot through her. In her eyes was doubt. "I hope you don't think too highly of me," she whispered back. If she would disappoint him, she would disappoint herself the most because she would be losing Derg. Another lover lost. Tears sprung in her eyes. She turned her head away. No. She was not doing this self doubting thing anymore! She caught fish with Whrist and was becoming more knowledgeable. "I'm not going to let another wolf I love die," she grumbled, mostly to herself.

She looked to the side, a bit shocked as she realized that she said that out loud. She lifted her head a bit and continuously supported the male to her den. She let him enter first, and while he did, she rushed back to get the reeds. She took the fluffy ends inside the den. As she entered, she noticed that it was really a tight fit. She started to pull the fluff and press it against the spots on his neck and shoulder where blood was flowing again. It was almost like a big patch of bandage. Arlette made sure to coat it extra thickly this time. Once there was no more left, she settled down against him. The reality of this event settling in. Derg was injured, she revealed her crush to him, while it was possible he could die of infection or blood loss.

Of course, he thought highly of her.
Her resilience, her beauty. How she let herself be brought back from the edge, but didn't rely on him alone. She knew it was something she had to do, and he was just here to help.
He was about to tell her as much when those words poured from her mouth.
A wolf she loved.
Not cared for, but loved.
He glanced to her, but her eyes adverted.

He smiled, letting her think.
Perhaps she'd be terrified. He found it amusing even if it might be called cruel.
He slipped into her den. He didn't realise how small it really was until he filled it up. Nyra or Kynareth wouldn't be able to fit.
He lay on his left side, still shaking with cold.

He thought about his words while she hurried to get her supplies.
A smile spread his face as the giddy feeling of the poppies starting to ease him.
He watched her work. Letting her concentrate the best she could.
And once she was settled against him, he brought his muzzle close to her ear.
"I love you too. I have from the moment you showed up here."
He pulled away to lick his lips. No one likes wet smacking next to their ear.

Her body was like fire against him. It was probably just because he was cold, or the poppies - but he couldn't help thinking it was because she was embarrassed or something.
"I love you Arlette," he blinked, a goofy slightly smirk playing his lips, "you're attractive too, love."
He placed his head on his paws, but his eyes never left her face. Those gorgeous eyes. The soft curve of her muzzle.

Arlette was stunned for a moment. He... He loved her too? She felt her heart skip a beat. She never thought she would find love after Kaito but... here she was loving another man... and that man even loved her in return. The Arlette with all her scars and her self doubt. Her ears flopped back shyly. A big part of her confidence boost was because of Derg, the way he looked sometimes. It made her feel pretty. Wanted even with her scars. Where Kaito was sweet and kind, the things she felt around Derg were different, in a good way.

Her blood red eyes looked at him. Her heart beating faster to see him look up at her. She licked over the top of his head. The moment was so tender and intimate. "I love you too, Derg," she hummed back in return, so strange to stay it out loud, confidently so. Her heart jumped with joy. "I think the poppy seeds are going straight to your head," she chuckled. "You are talking nonsense," she teased about him calling her pretty. She then continued to lick over the top of his head with soft quick licks, soothing. "You should rest. Tomorrow you can tell me some more how much you like me," she hummed, tail trying to wag but it was squished.

She looked surprised or maybe perplexed.
He couldn't really tell.

He knew he wasn't talking nonsense.
Surely not. He really felt those feelings for her. He felt them every day. He loved the sidelong looks she gave him when they fell into silence. The way she inched closer when the pack was together.
Their patrols together, sorting the caches.
He sighed softly, ears pricking up again.
He reached out and pressed a soft kiss to her chin. Moving up to her cheek, a soft lick below her ear.
"You better be here when I wake up then," he grinned, settling his head back down.
His eyes never leaving her soft snowy fur.

Arlette leaned into she soft kissed, closing her eyes. She had really missed this kind of attention, she realized. It was perhaps why she felt so alone, because she had no one to share this type of intimacy after Kaito so suddenly left. "Or course," she murmured back. She had no intention to go out there. Besides she still had her healer's task to keep Derg warm. He might not warm up if his fur stayed wet.

Arlette watched over him. Listening to his breathing and checking if he was warming up, especially in his paws and by his belly. The female would also look at his wounds, who did seem to look like they were at least crusting over because of the bandages she made from the cattails. She smiled softly, glad that she could help him for once after him helping her so much.

Under her watchful eyes, he slowly drifted into sleep.
Feeling her shifting over him, licking his paws and belly a few times to see if he was warm enough.
Even if his paws were cold, his heart wasn't. It burned with the flame that Arlette ignited within. 
At warmth that resonated with his soul, his whole being.
His blood ran for her. To keep her safe and to love her.
Another smile twitched his lips as he fell asleep.

Even in sleep, he knew she'd stayed with him, pressed so closely to his slowly warming body. He liked to think that she felt the same way. It appeared so on her face, in her eyes. But did he even deserve her? Surely not.
Then there was that worry, nagging at him from the core. There was no one here to tell him off. No one to tell him he was wrong for liking men. He'd been drawn to a woman before, and he did want to see what it was like to be with a woman.
And he'd hated it.
Can Arlette be different? What would he do if Ronnie showed up? Or even her sister, Keen?
The thoughts plagued him day and night, but here and now, he was just happy he had her. And he'd find a way to make this work.

Eventually even Arlette drifted off to sleep. The female was snuggled against the male, her weight pressing against the wounds so it had nice pressure to stop the bleeding. The warmth in the den made her sleepy and very comfortable. She never wanted to leave this little bubble and go out in the snow, that she knew. She wished she could have more moments like this with Derg. Hopefully they would, since he did tell her that he liked her, even though he was kind of high on poppy seeds.

Arlette was slowly walking up, wanting to stretch out since she had her limbs folded for awhile, though there was little room. She slowly lifted her head and offered Derg little licks on his face. She looked at the fluff she applied to his wounds. They were pretty soaked but a good hard crust. Hopefully it would stay on, and form a good protection for the male.

Derg didn't stir when she did.
The poppy seeds and exhaustion putting him in a deep sleep- the deepest he'd had for a while.
And having Arlette snuggled against him made it even better. Keeping him settled.

In his dreams, Arlette licked his face. Probably some figment of his body telling him what was going on in the real world. But he didn't stir, aside from an upward twitch of his lips.
"Arlette..."
In his dream, and unknowingly in real life, he quietly whispered her name, wanting to keep her with him, but not having the strength or mind to do so.

Arlette hummed softly when the male whispered her name. She smiled down at the male, and continued to lick over his face tenderly. Every inch getting a little kiss. "I'm still here," she hummed back to the male. It was good that he was resting, and that he was out of it. Perhaps she would sneak some poppy seeds in his meal so Derg would take the mandatory rest before wanting to fight another bear. He was so different than she was used to. But that made her like him much better. She wondered if she wasn't too boring for him.

We can close here if you want

He didn't get another image in his dreams as to if Arlette was still with him or not.
He didn't need to worry, though. deep down, he knew she'd stay.
Curled up against him, making sure he wouldn't bleed out.

He sighed, his sleep deepening.
The poppies were doing their job, keeping him rested.
He curled up tighter.
Arlette.
He wouldn't wake until a new sunrise.