The Sunspire Dark Shadows on the wall

It was with renewed vigor that Jace traversed the borders his bright blue eyes on anything and everything around him. The attack on the other wolf Valerius from the cougar filled him with a deep seeded unrest. He wanted that things head on a silver platter. It was making him anxious and antsy and he didn't know what to do with his extra and restless energy, so he patrolled the borders even more.

He was like a shadow wraith, fast and quick yet silent and dark. He wondered briefly how hawkeye was doing. Just like that though his mind went to @Summer and he wondered at the youth. He had not seen him in some days, and he hoped he was alright. He had seemed strange last time Jace had spoken with him, but he assumed it was merely exhaustion with searching for Ferdie.

Since I'm apparently on a roll this weekend... *springs trap*

Ty had not stayed, and while he understood, the fact was still difficult for him to accept. He hadn't wanted her to go. He'd wanted her to stay for a while, to regain her strength. To join their ranks and only go back to let them know of her decision. But she'd returned, and Summer was left to assume that he'd never see her again--just as he'd never seen any of the others who left again.

Summer felt miserable, and when he felt miserable, there was only one thing that helped him feel more like himself again.

The yearling staggered along the borders, barely seeing even though his eyes were wide and barely blinking against the cold air. He licked his lips repeatedly to clean up the extra saliva that inexplicably flooded his mouth. He turned his head back and forth as he moved like a fugitive on the run, trying to avoid their flashlights while having no idea where they might shine next. Summer was only half aware of himself at that moment, the the oddness of his appearance was lost upon him, sacrificed to the greater recesses of his mind, enabling him to focus on the thoughts that loomed at the forefront. The thoughts that told him that something was deeply wrong. Not with him, but with his world. He was the fugitive. He was being followed.

In truth, it was nothing but heightened paranoia, exacerbated by the drugs that wreaked havoc upon his suffering senses. Summer had been taking the opium for too long, far too long. He had begun to realize it, but it was too late. His dependency had grown to such intensity that he had not the strength or the will to break himself of it. And that night, he did not even have the awareness of even its existence as he stumbled into the simultaneously worst and best possible wolf he could have while in that terrible state--Jace.

But it was not Jace the drugged young wolf saw. Jace had never been so huge, so vividly and intensely black, so terrifyingly threatening. Summer froze, his pupils dialated like the panicked animal he suddenly was as he stared upon one of his dearest friends--now turned horrific stranger in his wild, wayward mind.

With a snarl, Summer lunged unsteadily forward towards the demon, every nerve upon his body screaming at him to fight for his life.

Jace had heard fleetingly of the female from the plateau that had met Summer and then departed. It had been strange to see so many come and then go again. He didn't always know how to handle it, so he ignored it.

Jace smelled a similar scent on the air and he turned his nose towards it. It was his friend and he turned to meet him with a grin. But all too soon his image was shattered as the beast coming towards him was not the summer he knew. With wide and stuttered eyes, the youth stared around unseeing. He was constantly licking his jowels and he weaved about like a drunk man. Jace stared and his fur bristled along his spine, what the hell was going on with all the wolves. Ferdie was crazy, it could be argued that Jace himself was not all there and now Summer.

Jace opened his mouth to ask indeed what the hell, but all to soon he was lunged at. He jumped backwards and snarled right back, while trying to stay calm. Summer! What the hell man! What's wrong with you? He came towards him and though Jace was loathe to do it, if he had to he's protect himself and take the youth down with him.

Summer reached out to snap his jaws at the monster, only to miss and crash onto the ground as it leaped back and out of the way. His head smacked against the cold ground as he landed--a painful, but fortunate thing for them both as it seemed to snap him out of whatever spell he had been ensnared in. He rolled onto his stomach and lifted his head, giving it a hard shake before opening his eyes to see Jace standing before him.

The yearling stared for a moment, his jaw dropped in confusion and horror until he shook his head again and moaned. His stomach turned as his head began to spin wildly. He crept on his belly away from Jace and lifted his front half up on his legs as he began to retch. His body shook as he heaved, rejecting the foulness he had put within it even as it seemed to beg for more. After a few minutes, he stopped, and stood coughing over his sick, finally stumbling back towards Jace and collapsing onto the ground with a piteous moan.

"Jace..." he whimpered, shutting his eyes tight as everything began to spin yet again.

Jace stared with wide blue eyes as Summer crashed to the ground. Missing him by a wide margin, any fool with eyes could have fixed their onslaught and gone after him, so it was a safe bet that something was wrong with Summer.

Jace's hackles rose as Summer moaned strangely and he backed up further unsure what to do. Jace wrinkled his nose as the smell of sick reached his nostrils and he blew out the smell in a puff. Dude what the fuck?

Jace sighed and strode forward and touched his nose to the youth's head. He studied him for a moment not exactly certain if he even wanted to say anything, but deciding something needed said. Summer I think it's safe to say you are not okay, and you need some serious help? So tell me what's going on?

Summer dug his claws into the ground, trying to hold onto the earth so that it didn't throw him off. He shook his head against Jace's words, rejecting them. He did not want to not be okay. He did not want to be in too deep, to be too far gone. Everything was fine, he'd just had a little too much this time, that was all. It was fine. He was fine.

"I think... something I ate," he whined pitifully, "I feel so out of it and.. I don't know." Summer squirmed upon the ground as though trying to dig himself straight down into it. That actually sounded like a really nice idea to him right then--just throw himself into a hole and cover his body back up with soil. Return to the earth. Be reborn again. Hopefully into something less pathetic, less weak. Something strong enough to obey the powerful, dominant wolf buried inside of him. Something that didn't need some demonic plant to feel normal.

Jace stared at the way Summer clung to the ground ,like a mothers teat and he frowned. What could he do about the obvious issue here? He wasn't sure, and he was a little bit out of his depth.

Jace stared at him, he had heard of plants that could cause such issues, but surely there weren't any of them around were there? HE stared at Summer with trepidation, and knew that there was something not adding up. Are you sure Summer? I mean what did you eat?

Despite himself, Summer was finding himself growing irrationally annoyed with Jace's questions. Why couldn't he just leave him alone? Jace wasn't his father--wasn't even truly his brother, despite whatever bonds had grown between them. What business was Summer's personal "extra-curriculars" to him? He gulped down more empty air and fought against these emotions. Whatever the case, Jace was his beta, and Summer was no in condition to challenge him.

"Mushrooms," he mumbled, his mind finally coming to them as he remembered his father, long ago teaching him to steer clear of the little fungi. Summer knew that the more poisonous sort would be growing this time of year, not in these parts, but he had spied some in the wetlands when he'd travelled there with Cuan those weeks ago.

Even if Jace could not read the mind of the youth before him. He could see the agitation in his otherwise cool exterior. Regardless too of what he may think, it was Jace's right as a beta to know what was going on. So that he could help him and protect the other members of the pack. It was not a position without it's responsibilities.

Jace stared at him with a little bit of pity and revulsion. Mushrooms? Why on earth? There are some seriously poisonous mushrooms out there Summer. You could have died, and clearly the things are messing with you head. You've got to stop Summer you could hurt someone or yourself. And we can't have that.

Summer moaned as Jace responded, rather feeling much like he wanted to hurl again. He did not need a telling off right then. He needed rest, needed food, needed more poppies... No, not that. Please, no more, he begged of himself. He gave a feeble nod in response to Jace's words.

"Never again," Summer moaned, agreeing more thoroughly than Jace likely even knew. And hoping more desperately than ever he had before that he spoke true this time.

Jace sighed and strode forward swiftly on long legs towards the youth. He nudged him gently and lent his shoulder to the task. Alright first things first let's get you up and a drink, and a place to sleep. Then my friend you're in for a long night, because those withdrawals you're going to have are going to be murder. Cause you're stuck with me and youre not going anywhere until they are out of your system and then Imma make sure you never do this again. You're too valuable to this pack and to me to squander yourself so. Let's go tough stuff up and at em

Resentment flooded through him again as Jace spoke, making his declaration and speaking his orders. As though Summer were some wolf beneath him. One of the flock. The lion roared inside of his chest, demanding that Summer rise and take his place above this wolf who dared try to show dominance over him. Summer was truly in no shape to do so, and thus he kept his mouth shut, just as his good sense would have had him do anyway if he had any of it at that moment.

Summer leaned on his beta and pulled himself to all fours with Jace's assistance. His dominant resolve had faded, and he merely whined as pathetically as he truly was at that moment. He wanted only to get home to his den, to sleep. And he would take the help of anyone who could get him there.

If Summer had attacked Jace, the male wasn't even sure how he would have reacted other than to attack back. And that would get messy and all out anyway. he had been questioning his place among them lately anyway, and had Summer attacked him for something that had to do with Rank he supposed he wouldn't really be surprised. He'd been lacking lately and it was sad really, but it was true. A funk had descended on the dark boy since Ferdie had disappeared.

Jace led the boy towards his own sleeping spot. He didn't really sleep in a den, preferring the outdoors, but he would dig one for Summer near him if he wanted. Because it was no lie that the youth needed taken care of. He shifted and with his help lead him home, he had a long few days ahead of him.