Noctisardor Bypass Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do.

The sky was a shimmering silver, and from somewhere she could not see from the ground, flakes of white were falling. It was light but it was plentiful enough to earn Indra's full attention; she walked with her head tilted up and back, first to watch her breath puff out of her mouth and then to watch the snow as it fell, awed by it. 

Her wandering had taken her to a section of Rivenwood she had never seen before (given that she'd seen very little of it, that didn't mean much). Her entire focus was on the snow as it shifted with the wind or collected on the little saplings that she passed, oblivious to the rest of her surroundings.

Remembering how the fish had been drawn to the surface by her “deposit,” Druid returned to the rivulet today and decided to try baiting them on purpose. Rather than vomit, she decide to use undigested meat to attract her prey. She brought a rabbit leg with her to the water’s edge, which she gnawed before unceremoniously regurgitating a mouthful into the small rapids.

However ridiculous she felt spitting chewed meat into the water, she quickly forgot about it when she saw several small fish appear to nibble at the small chunks. Druid smiled to herself and sat back on her haunches, feeling pretty clever as she brushed an errant snowflake out of her eye with her foreleg.

As she straightened and dropped her leg, her eyes drifted upward and she saw a small, red figure. Druid stilled and squinted before saying, Indra? Is that you?

A sound came from the water's edge. Indra was so focused on the sky that she almost did not hear it, and even so, it happened too late.

Her steps took her to the edge and her toes skirted across a thin sheet of ice that cracked, even under her diminutive weight. This she felt more than heard, and looked down sharply, to see the dark water and the wolf; this older girl who stared with one green eye (at a glance).

Startled as much by that as the smell of regurgitated meat, Indra staggered sideways — and down she went, as the ice gave way. Over the period of two frenzied seconds the little red girl was met with frigid water

The girl made no reply, though Druid knew she was right. She watched Indra wander closer, her head apparently in the clouds. She glanced upward to see what was up there, though all she found was falling snow. Of course, she found it enchanting too, so there was a small smile tugging the corners of her lips as her eyes dropped back to the earthen plane.

She looked down just in time to watch Indra tumble into the icy shallows. Although the water wasn’t particularly deep here, Druid instinctively leaped toward the pup. A wiser and perhaps more maternal wolf might have grabbed her by her scruff, though Druid’s teeth closed around her shoulder instead. She did exercise some restraint, tugging gently to pull the younger girl out of the water.

The cold of the water was different from the rest of winter. It seeped in to her fur and numbed her skin almost immediately, slicking the ochre-brown of the fur along her belly and limbs against her reedy figure. 

The plunge shocked her more than the feeling of the water but the fall itself, which Indra had not seen coming at all, caused the biggest reaction: a squawk, during which water slapped her in the face and coated her tongue, then the back of her teeth.

Something hard pinched at her shoulder and drew her away from the cold, next. Hoisted away from the awful feeling, Indra was brought to earth and as she sat there beside the older girl, completely baffled by it all, she stared wild-eyed at Druid and then let out another wail, this time complete with tears. 

Its so c-cold! She stammered, and curled up tightly against Druid the way she might seek her mother's warmth in a crises. Her tears were overwhelmingly hot against the cold of  everything else.

She managed to drag Indra clear of the water. Druid let go of her, taking a moment to shake the freezing cold droplets from her coat. The instant she finished, Indra’s wail pierced the air and caused Druid’s ears to flatten. She definitely empathized, though.

Stand up and give yourself a good shake, she said in a soft, no-nonsense tone. And then huddle close to me. We can borrow each other’s warmth. Druid motioned for Indra to do as she said. It wasn’t impatience than informed her gesticulations, but a sense of urgency borne from her own shivering and chattering of teeth.

Pulling away from the other girl as she was ordered, Indra looked as if someone had stolen candy out of her hand and eaten it while she watched; a look of betrayal shifted subtly across her features, as the girl's tone was hard on her ears. She was accustomed to that tone being used on her brother rather than herself, and she was wounded for it.

A new sheen of fresh tears coated her eyes. She sniffled and made some distance from the other girl, then began to shake the water off before it could freeze in to clumps. It felt worse doing this, as the quickening air made her feel cold and numb all over again, but it would be better in the long run.

Afterwards, Indra plunked her bottom down and curled in to herself, nursing a wound for the first time in her life - and with it being emotional in nature, she was ill equipped.

Indra stepped away from her to shake out her coat, which surprised Druid. It was unprecedentedly considerate, given the circumstances. She stood still, waiting as the child shook out that bright red coat of hers that suddenly reminded Druid of Mireille. When she plopped to the ground directly afterward, the young Mäher moved closer again.

Wordlessly, she draped herself on the ground alongside Indra, curling her body around the smaller girl’s. They were both shivering, which wasn’t very comfortable, but Druid said for her sake as much as the pup’s, It’ll take a few minutes but soon we’ll be warmer.

In the meantime, she had the opportunity to think for the first time since spotting the Sämling wandering her way. Does Laurel—does your mama know you’re out here by yourself? Would you like me to call for her?

The other girl approached her. She moved like a grey cloud around Indra and positioned herself on one side, sharing warmth, and began to speak.

She snapped her teeth through the air and grazed a bit of Druid's damp fur. Indra didn't want to listen but she had to; and when the topic of her mother came up, she was already half-risen and drew away from the other girl.

No, which answered both the questions at once. She sat in the snow then, shivering lightly, looking very much like a cat that's been disturbed from its napping spot.

The snap caught her entirely off guard. Shocked, Druid pushed to her feet and sprang out of reach. Indra shrunk away at the same time, leaving them several feet apart. The juvenile stared at the pup in confusion.

Despite Indra’s sullen answer, the older child made an executive decision, raising her charcoal muzzle toward the snowy sky to summon @Laurel or, failing that, @Mahler. She wasn’t willing to get closer to the pup and insist on helping her, not if she was going to get bitten. But Druid wasn’t going to leave her young pack mate out in the cold (literally…), either.

the day was frigid. druid's call roused the graf from where he had been pondering the snow. he came as quickly as he was able, his lavender eyes spotting the dampened indra with a frown. the man stepped closer and reached out to sniff at the child.
"did you go for a svim?" he joked half-heartedly, glancing at druid's expression and wondering if there was more to what had happened.

Indra had seen this man before, but never for very long. He sometimes came to watch the children if her mother needed a break. That didn't mean Indra was particularly happy to see him.

She looked from the mean girl to the old man and in a split second decision, dashed for where the man stopped to observe them both. She flumped to the ground at his feet and wailed, She grabbed me! She hurt me, she's mean!!!

The child's teeth didn't chatter as much now, as she shouted and pled with the grizzled man. Make her go away!!!

It was Mahler who came, sniffing concernedly in Indra’s direction before looking to Druid for an explanation. Her lips parted but before she could get a word in edgewise, the puppy dramatically threw herself at Mahler’s feet and began screaming nonsense that made Druid’s ears fall back and jaw drop at the same time.

I was only trying to help, the teenager bit out through her own chattering teeth. She wasn’t looking where she was going and fell into the water, so I pulled her out. I didn’t— Well, perhaps she had hurt Indra, though not intentionally. She’d only been trying to help!

Surely Mahler would understand all that. In fact, Druid was so certain of that much that she didn’t feel the need to further plead her case. Instead, she threw the Graf a pained look and then did exactly what Indra wanted: she went away.

a misunderstanding. druid gave her explanation and removed herself. mahler watched the older girl retreat with a frown, and then ran his muzzle over indra's shoulders. "it vas a good thing that druid vas here. you are not yet old enough to deal vith the vater."
mahler stood back, indicating that the child should get up. "stand now. let me look at you."

Indra did not hear the other girl's words. She didn't even notice when they left, not when her attention was wholly for Mahler as she pled at him; her own voice was so loud to her ears, filled with an abundance of emotion.

Her dismay wasn't entirely genuine. Any flavor of emotion that Indra felt in that moment was too strong, even if it was only a small drop, and she put up a fuss as any child her age might - exacerbated by a lack of depth where it came to social aspects of life, being somewhat sheltered as Laurel's daughter.

Mahler sounded as if he was on Druid's side, and that earned a fresh level of wailing. She bit me! As if the very notion of physical contact was utterly taboo, unthinkable.

But she stood up when asked, everything about Indra drooping for the show of it.

Laurel showed up moments later than Mahler, to see Druid leave. She had no idea what had happened, but she knew that Druid had called for her. For a moment she almost stopped Druid to ask what was going on, but then she saw Indra's form in the distance and heard her say something; Laurel couldn't make out what, precisely.

What happened? she asked with worry shining in her eyes when she arrived and quickly moved closer to Indra to warm her wet-looking little girl with her body warmth. She started to lick the back of Indra's head and softly whispered, Shh, it's okay now, sweetheart, mama's here. Laurel looked imploringly at Mahler while she groomed Indra; had he seen what had happened here?

"it seems young indra here fell into the vater," mahler grunted when laurel had arrived. "druid pulled her out, perhaps more roughly than she meant. but it vas a crucial situation," he went on, looking directly at indra now. 
"if you vould like to remain vith her at the pharmacy for a vhile, i vill observe her there to make sure she does not catch a cold," mahler offered, switching his attention to laurel.

She raced to her mother as soon as her figure appeared. Burrowing in to the fur of her belly, mewling piteously, as if being grabbed in such a way by Druid had left a grievous injury behind; oh, woe was me! I will never swim again! Indra took great comfort in the kisses given by her beloved mother.

The man said something but Indra wasn't listening, not until he mentioned the pharmacy - and she didn't know what that was. Her focus was netted more by Mahler's offer to keep her and she let out a squawk.

No mummy! No! I want to stay with my mum! And again, burrowing, crying, making all manner of noises to draw the attention of Laurel and drown out anything else the man might say. He was as bad as Druid! Tricking her mother, trying to hurt her. The mean girl might come back an' bite me again!

Mahler explained that Indra had fallen into the water and that Druid saved her. Initially Laurel was relieved to hear this, and it showed in her expression. However, when Mahler suggested that they move Indra, she didn't seem very eager to leave her mother's side. It's okay, baby, I'll come with, offered Laurel soothingly. At first she attributed it to nothing but childish fear of leaving her mother's side — a common thing, she knew as an experienced mother — but then Indra said that the mean girl might come and bite her again.

Druid? Did she hurt you? Laurel asked Indra, instantly connecting the dots. Then she looked up at Mahler and said, her voice commanding: What happened, Mahler? He wasn't telling her the full truth, that much was clear, and she needed to know exactly what'd gone on.

ope

mahler watched mother and child interact. "that vas vhat happened, laurel. indra was not willfully harmed." his lavender eyes asked understanding. he felt that indra was quite coddled for her age, carrying on beneath the demands of her mother.
mahler did not know why laurel did not trust his words.
and then he did know, and inhaled a long breath. "druid might vell have saved her life."

The man wasn't on her side either.
He spoke the same story that Druid had given, trusting the older girl over Indra, and the child wasn't about to accept it.
She rallied against the comments, making her voice rise higher and louder than before:
She grabbed me and she hurt me look mum! Look! Drawing briefly away from Laurel as she made her announcement, she showed off the place where Druid's teeth had roughly dragged her skin - it had begun to welt, but it wasn't dire. If anything it backed up what Mahler was saying.
SHE BIT ME! And out poured more crocodile tears, while Indra burrowed in to her mother again and this time her sobs were at such a decible that there could be no verbal contest against them.

Mahler's pointed words fell to deaf ears. Laurel looked at him equally pointedly before her attention was drawn back to Indra, who reiterated that she was hurt by Druid. When Indra showed her, it didn't actually look so bad. It did confirm most of what Mahler had said. It was probably just a dire situation, and that's why Druid had to pull her a bit harder. Indra screeched that she was bitten, to which Laurel said, Shh, it'll be okay. Though it was obvious from her voice that she did not appreciate the screams very much.

Laurel said to Mahler, Thank you, Mahler. Now — She turned to Indra and touched the girl's forehead, hoping to quiet her down a little because the volume of her tears were getting on Laurel's nerves. Let's go with Mahler to get you all better, shall we? I'll stay with you the whole time. And later, we'll ask Druid if she can be a bit more gentle next time she rescues you. Laurel winked at Indra, hoping that would smooth over the ruffled fur. Of course she didn't really plan to ask Druid about any of that, although she did think that the girl could have at least apologised. Even if it was unintentional, she had hurt Indra.

mahler waited for them to decide, smiling gently at each in turn. h wondered when laurel might trust him. ironically enough it would come to pass that she should have placed no trust in him at all.
when and if they were ready, he meant to slowly lead the pair to the pharmacy, pointing out things along the way that might divert indra's attention from the fright that she had suffered.
afterward he would seek druid.