Redtail Rise To the Bone

Masque looked downright gaunt by now. They continued tending to @Avicus, @New Snow and the rise’s six newest members, though it was time to look after themself a bit better. When they set off to hunt today, Masquerade intended to keep their catch all to themself.

Their energy had taken a hit, so they decided to take cover in a familiar blind and see what small prey might wander their way. Hours after settling, a rabbit came nosing nearby. It hopped tentatively over the forest floor, cropping small shoots of green and raising its head to keep an eye on its surroundings as it chewed.

Masquerade patiently waited for it to come closer, then sprang out of concealment. The rabbit darted and they chased, though they didn’t get far before their vision dimmed to black and they pitched forward, tumbling roughly to the ground.

The impact knocked the wind out of them and made several places in their body light up with small hurts. Their vision swam as they tried to right themself, only for vertigo to make them sink back down to their belly. Their limbs shook as they tried to catch their breath.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lilia was doing her best to fill the void left behind by Prophet when it came to border patrols. Like Masque, she pushed herself harder than she had before, dotting the borders with her scent where his should have been. It made her heart ache to find his scent dissipating. 

She would spend some time alone, away from @Relic and the den they shred, returning instead back to the den Prophet had made for her, to grieve his absence. 

Her stare was clouded by grief when she made her way along and she had been so lost in her thoughts that she was startled by the running hare. She didn’t have the energy to chase it down, and it had whizzed by too fast for her to catch.

But she heard an unusual thump and moved to investigate, only to see Masque, thin and frail, tumbled and panting. It was a good distraction for her darkened thoughts. ”Hey, hey,” She said as she came closer. ”Mathque, dude…You OK?” She asked.  Or the most natural healer in the world, but at least she was concerned. 

dunno if you’ve ever heard the song by Sammy Copley called “To The Bone” but it is DIVINE  and endearing and lovely.

Masque managed to straighten their frame into a sphinx pose, dark spots obscuring the day-lit greenery around them. They went totally still until the phrenospasm passed, then gingerly planted their forepaws into the dirt and pressed upright into a seated position. They still felt lightheaded, especially when they looked up at the approaching Lilia.

I think so, they replied slowly, blinking hard every few seconds to restore their vision. I tried to chase a rabbit but my eyes went dark and I tripped. I’m still dizzy and I think—

Rather than finish their sentence, Masquerade tentatively crooked out their right foreleg and carefully swiveled their head to look down at their elbow. They’d landed on it, scraping it badly. The flesh was torn and bloody. There were other places on their body which twinged from the fall, though this was certainly the tenderest spot.

Glancing up at Lilia again, they licked their lips and said, It’s just a scratch. I should probably clean it, but Masque still felt a little unsteady in their own body.

I’ll look it up and give it a listen!

Something was off. Masque was typically observant and decisive, almost to the point of abrupt- but clearly, the fall had taken a toll. Lilia waited quietly for some sort of explanation, not knowing completely what Masque was going to, until finally she heard the sound of trembling breaths. 

Lilia tipped her head back in understanding. She knew the feeling of having the wind knocked out of herself. Masquerade must’ve gone down pretty hard.

At first, Lilia assumed Masque might be a bit off because of the tumble, until she learned that Masque had blacked out first. In something that appeared like stupor, Masque began to notice the wounds, and Lilia assumed then that Masque might be in some sort of shock. 

”Uh, yeah, uhm,” She said. She circled around Masque, taking note of the scrapes that she could see, but she was more concerned with Masque’s confusion. ”You thaid you conked out before you hit the ground?” She asked. ”You eaten today? I get kinda dithy if I haven’t eaten,” She suggested- though she’d begun to wonder if perhaps she should call Ashlar, to come and see if everything was alright.

Lilia began circling them, perhaps taking inventory of their wounds. Masquerade tried to follow her movements, though swiveling their head made it swim again, so they quickly faced forward and focused on a distant tree.

Thus they weren’t looking at her when they answered, I think that’s what caused it, before admitting, I haven’t been eating much lately. I’ve been trying to keep my mother and New Snow fed instead.

Masque knew they’d grown thinner over the past several months. Nobody had seemed concerned about it, so they hadn’t worried about it either. They knew wolves needed to eat to live, so she’d eaten just enough to get by. But perhaps it had gone too far.

Still feeling rather unwell, the Caru nevertheless tried to stand. They wouldn’t try to hunt in this woozy state, though they could at least walk to a cache and find something to eat. They glanced at Lilia.

I’m going to find something to eat in a cache, then find somewhere to wash my cut. I’ll be alright, Masque assured, letting the Bjern off the hook.

Lilia nodded, approving of Masque’s desire to supply both new mothers with food, but it had obviously come at a cost. Their caches were relatively stocked, though she hoped a larger hunt might happen soon. With both Avicus and New Snow den-bound, it left them short two valuable hunters. 

But they had been through harder times. And they got through it together.

”Here,” She said. ”Why don’t you take a break, an I’ll go getcha thomethin’ to eat. You done the thame for me, befoah,” she said with a shrug.

Rather than take the out, Lilia insisted on fetching Masquerade something to eat. They weren’t really in a position to decline such an offer. Besides, it was nice for pack mates to look out for one another.

Okay, Masque agreed, sinking back into a sit. Thanks, Lilia.

They intuited that this feeling of weakness wouldn’t go away until they ate something. But maybe if they took it easy while they waited on their pack mate, the dizzy spell would at least pass. Minding the contusion on their elbow, they slid onto their slim, rumbling belly.

Lilia nodded, content that Masque would heed her advice, and pivoted on her heel to seek out the nearest cache. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Masque was perhaps pushing things to the limit, providing for two families, but then again- they all had to pitch in. Just in different ways. 

Lilia could patrol, but she could do so without running, so she could be effective without completely wrecking her energy levels. Masque’s task took more energy. 

She found a hunk of goat’s meat, tucked away carefully from a scavenging trip she’d taken. She carried it back to Masque, pining silently over the fact that she’d be surrendering a good chunk of easily-found meat to another wolf. At the same time, it felt good. 

She settled down onto the ground, allowing her shoulder to brush up against her packmates, content to be simply company while Masque ate.

By the time Lilia returned, Masque did feel a little better. Some instinct told them to let their head hang low between their shoulders while they rested, though their eyes quickly lifted at the sound of footsteps. The smell of meat hit their nostrils and their head rose too, nose quivering as saliva pooled in their mouth.

Thanks, Lilia, was all Masquerade said before starting to devour the proffered goat meat.

After tearing off a few chunks and swallowing them whole, they tried to pace themself a bit. They glanced at their pack mate, wondering if Lilia might want some. It wasn’t in their nature to resource guard at all, though Masque felt strangely reluctant to share.

How are things with you? they found themselves wondering aloud between bites.

Lilia kept her head up, but for the most part kept her eyes off Masque during feeding. To stare might have shown interest, and Lilia didn’t want Masque to feel as though a debt was now owed. This was pack life; Lilia had learned how to co-exist. 

She flicked an ear in Masque’s direction, noting too the depth of their voice in comparison to the way that Lilia spoke. She sighed softly, and shrugged, careful not to elbow Masque in the process. 

”Meh,” She confessed. She flicked a rock with her paw and frowned. ”I jutht dunno why Prophet jutht up an’ left. Like wight when the kidth were born, an without thayin’ nothin’,” she said, ruefully. ”He thay anythin’ to you?” She asked, hoping perhaps a bit that there might be some sort of explanation.

A strip of meat got stuck between their teeth. They paused to poke at it with their tongue, eyes shifting to Lilia’s face. Masque shook their head, their brow furrowing. They unstuck the piece of stringy tallow and swallowed it.

No, I never really spoke to Prophet at all, they said truthfully. I’m sorry he left without saying anything.

They couldn’t even imagine what that must be like. Masquerade didn’t have a proper father figure to lose, though they couldn’t conceptualize of Avicus ever simply disappearing. Even their siblings were fixtures in the rise. Masque could not picture any of them leaving for any reason, though they knew that if they did, they would say their farewells.

They made quick work of the rest of the meat and sank back with a sigh, their paw draped loosely over the bone. They would probably chew on it later, perhaps try to get at the nutritious marrow in its center. For now, they were satisfied.

Thanks again, they said before wondering, What were you doing before you stumbled across me?

She yawned and then clacked her teeth shut. She perked up when Masque spoke again, having uttered little more than a slight nod and a grumble in acknowledgement of the sympathy. She was too bitter to gracefully accept the condolences. She’d been abandoned once before by her parents; having it happen again made her fume.

She sighed. ”I wath jutht patrolling.” She said. ”Tryin’ ta fill in for him, while he’th away.” She realized she sounded somewhat stuck on the topic- and shook her head. She didn’t want to dwell. 

”What d’you think the kidth are gonna be like?” She asked then, knowing Masque had been checking on them regularly.

Masque shook their head at the question. It was impossible to answer. The pups were so young, their personalities were only just beginning to emerge. And they might change a lot as they grew.

It’s hard to say. We’ll train them to hunt and spar. They might be warriors, like you, Redd and Relic. Maybe some of them will be like me. I don’t really know, they mused.

They felt much better, having eaten. Masque rolled the bone out from beneath their paw and then braced their weight as they stood. They gave their body a little shake, then dipped into downward dog to stretch before straightening with a final roll of their slim shoulders.

I’ll join you on your patrol, Masque said, bending down to grasp the bone in their teeth.

Lilia could almost taste her own ambition. Thinking about training the next generation to become fierce, loyal and skilled appealed to her. She wanted them to look up to her, and see her as an influencer within the pack. Secretly, she thought, she should spend more time with them- win their favour by being present. 

But she wouldn’t be the only one- and she wouldn’t want to be. They would need hunters, guardians, but they would also need caregivers, like Masque. Between the two litters, she thought they might find some balance of skill and talent. 

Masque offered to join her on patrol, and she accepted with a lightly skeptical nod. She raised her brow. ”You feelin’ better now, yeah?” It felt like it chafed, asking Masque about their well-being when Masque was the healer out of the both of them- but she did it anyway. Masque looked a bit more perky, anyway- but Lilia wouldn’t get too ambitious. She stretched, too, and yawned. 

”Sure we can go around the Thouth thide. I didn’t get there jutht yet.” She volunteered.

Lilia gave them a skeptical look and an indirect inquiry as to whether they felt up to a patrol. Masque nodded reassuringly, then motioned for the Bjern to lead the way toward the southern stretch of borders. They fell into step slightly behind her, shoulder even with her hip.

En route, the Caru deposited the bone in a cache they passed. Although this freed them to talk, Masque wasn’t particularly one for small talk, so they didn’t say anything as they trundled along beside Lilia. They didn’t mind the companionable silence at all, though they also wouldn’t be opposed if Lilia broke it.

Once they neared the borders, Lilia's demeanor shifted slightly as she moved into a prowling pose, head down to scent and tail lightly curled so that any strangers within sight of the borders would recognize quickly that the Rise had guardians. Perhaps an onlooker might be dissuaded from trespassing at the sight of not only one, but two wolves going on a patrol. She liked having their borders well marked, and believed that it kept them safer. 

"I wonder thometimeth," She admitted, pausing as she stopped to squat and make a new marking. "If that one wolf we hunted down, if she'th thtill around." She said. "Not like- nearby, jutht bunkerin' down in thome pack, pretendin' she'th thomeone she ain't to thave her thkin." She said. "I jutht imagine thomeday, goin' out thcoutin' an' findin' the pack where she ran to, an what might happen then."

Masquerade’s lips pulled into a frown at Lilia’s words. They hadn’t given given that entire situation any thought lately, though it still rankled, as did the idea that she’d found refuge in some random pack. It was certainly possible, though as much as it rubbed them the wrong way, Masque didn’t see much of a point in pursuing her anymore. They wondered if Lilia spent energy looking for the white woman specifically or if she just meant to keep an eye out during her everyday scouting.

But they didn’t ask. They didn’t say anything at all, especially when they realized just how fatigued they felt. Masque didn’t feel dizzy or sick, at least, just exhausted. Their meal hadn’t been very large, yet it weighed heavily in the pit of their stomach, even sloshing a little bit. Suddenly, all the Caru wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

And there was still the matter of their torn elbow. They’d pretty much forgotten about it, though as the exhaustion swept over them, the sting of it returned. Masquerade slowed in their step, then fell back entirely. They wearily inspected their elbow, which they could reach. They quickly cleaned it with their tongue, then looked up toward Lilia and sighed through their nose as they hastened to catch up to her.

Lilia kept her gaze focused on the path she intended to take, sniffing out markings and reinforcing ones which had weakened, making new ones where she felt the markings were too far apart. She trusted Masque to do the same, and didn't turn an eye in the red-faced wolf's direction. She continued to chat, though, content that someone let her talk without interjecting and opposing her. 

"Hopefully that jutht nevuh happenth, tho it nevuh becometh a problem." She continued with a flippant roll of one shoulder. Her interest in pursuing the wolf had dissipated over time. She could barely even remember the wolf who had been killed at their borders at this point; she remembered more vividly the attack, and the several pack hunts they'd had along the way. "It wath kinda fun gettin' to go out on a big hunt like that, ekthauthting ath it wath- huntin' them hortheth wath definitely pretty-" 

She looked back when she realized she couldn't hear Masque's feet over the sound of her voice. Masque looked fairly woebegone, and had begun to fret over the injury again. Lilia turned, and closed the gap between them, allowing her head to fall and tail to wave. She gave Masque a soft smile. She didn't want Masque to feel pressured to keep going, but she didn't want her to feel left out, either. She exhaled, and squinted, triggering herself to yawn. 

"Y'know, I think I'm gonna jet off to Thapphique, thee how Anthelin'th doin' over there." She said. "Might thtop by the den on the way. Wanna come with?" It would give Masque the opportunity to duck out of border patrol without necessarily quitting.

Lilia met them in the middle with a good-natured wave of her tail. Masque offered a tired smile, preparing to let their comrade know they probably couldn’t keep up with a patrol just now. Before they could speak, the Bjern offered them an out, though they didn’t realize it.

I don’t have the energy for this patrol, much less a visit to another pack, they admitted, ears flattening a little. But you go. Tell Ancelin I said ‘hello.’ Sorry, Masque felt the need to add, barely biting back their own yawn, I’m just… beat.

Her eyebrows raised slightly in confusion, but not wanting Masquerade to feel judged, she smoothed her expression and nodded. "Of courthe- I mean, you really went ath over heelth back there," She said. "You should take a break. I'll tell Anthelin you thaid hullo," She said, her tail waving. She'd not intended for Masque to go with her to Sapphique- only as far as the den, where she'd hoped the caregiver might choose on her own to stay put- but this seemed to work out in the long run. 

"I'll catch you 'round," She said, offering Masquerade a light bob of her head, before she turned and roamed off, cutting through the pack's territory so she could get to the borders near the Tangle. Once there, she roamed in what had become her most frequented area since Ancelin's departure, and found herself losing the courage to go and approach their neighbouring pack. She made excuses for herself- telling herself she was too busy patrolling to go, or that she thought she caught a whiff of a stranger's scent. But in the very least, she got a bit of patrolling done before she turned in.