Strider Visiting Reverie

[Strider]

Strider sat down. He had heard about what happened to Reverie. He could see her laying down alittle ways away. He shook his head. What could he do to help her? When he was young, only a pup, he had swore that he'd help any dog that needed any help. Did Reverie need his help? Strider shruged in his mind. He stood and padded silently over to Reverie. "Hi," he said quietly. "Do you need anything?" He waited quietly, his mind racing. Was she awake? If she wasn't, then she was very likely to rip his thought out.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Cody lifted his head to the voice of another dog. He had dozed off, forgotten by the other dogs. This had put him into a hurt mood. He barely had the strength to talk as he looked at the German Shepherd. "Wh-who are you? Where are the others?" he noticed Trisscar wasn't here, nor Amaya, and definately not Tyrant or Valentina. He followed Strider's gaze to Reverie, gave a nod, and rested his head on his paws, still watching the dog.

[Strider]

Strider nodded to Cody. "Hello," he muttered. "I'm Strider. It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled, which he did only once in a while, or when he meet a dog. Strider turned back to Reverie and waited. He wondered again wheather she was asleep or not. If she was, she would be less than thrilled about being woken up when she needed the sleep the most. A LOT less than thrilled.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Cody straighted up and squeaked puppishly, "Nice to meet you, too, Strider. I'm Cody. I'm new here . . . Truthfully, I have no idea what's going on around these parts." He did not expect an answer, but it felt good to talk right now. It drowned out his lonely feeling. He glanced at Reverie again. "What happened to her?" he asked, not unkindly.

[Strider]

Strider shruged. "Well, only Lord Tyrant knows for sure, but by the signs and rumors, Reverie's been in a fire. In fact, her and Val's been in a fire, but that's only a guess." Strider growled. "The fire was, if I remember correctly, at the old theater. Before I joined, I lived there, for a time." He shook his head again. The memorys weren't bad ones, but ones he shouldn't remember.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Cody gave a small bobbling nod. "I thought she smelt singed. 'K, thanks, Strider."

Where have the othes gone? he thought to himself, troubled. He could scent a trace of dog here and there. Have they abandoned me? Like . . . like . . . My family? He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. No. He had abandoned them! And he'd always regret it. And, for some reason or another, his deceased sister's face burned in his memory, and he released a sob.

[Valentina]

A few pebbles rolled down the sloping tunnel into the cavernous Hollow, announcing the arrival of the cream and rose femme. She skidded down the passageway, stopping and bracing herself against the wall again, her eyes clenched against the pain in her shoulder. Slowly she turned to look at it, her brilliant blue eyes seemingly mad at the injury, instead of hurt by it. Where her arm should have been a light cream hue, it was a deepening red; the wound had opened.

She cast a look over her shoulder to see if Tyrant and Trisscar had followed, then proceed to look around. She found Reverie still asleep, Strider, whom she'd met earlier, and Cody, who seemed to be stifling back tears. Not knowing what he was crying over, Valentina offered him an encouraging smile from where she stood. "She'll be okay," she said matter-of-factly, then turned to Strider. She'd heard him growling at her and telling her not to tell him what to do before she had been out of ear shot, and her smile faded.

She was glad that Espio was not here, and that Reverie had not been alone in her absence, but she couldn't exactly trust someone who snarled behind her back. She padded slowly to Reverie's side, giving her a concerned look, but remaining collected and casual. She betrayed her thoughts and looked at Strider, who appeared to be ready to jump at Reverie's mere command, and nodded her head to him. "Thanks for being here," she said somewhat airily. "Has she woken up since you've been here?"

She winced briefly and then looked back to her upper arm. The only give-away that she was bleeding was the smell of her blood; otherwise the scarlet fur that stretched down over her shoulders seemed to mingle into the lighter fur naturally. She relaxed the tiniest bit and took to trying to lick the blood away. Wow...that's deeper than I thought...I'll ask Triss for more dandelion leaves when she gets here.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Reverie's eyelids suddenly fluttered, and her nares flared as she exhaled with a soft sighing sound. Her lids fluttered again, then cracked open to reveal a glimpse of mahogany occuli.

The Esterela Mountain dog's jaws parted, and she inhaled as hard as she could, expecting the air to squeeze down her swollen throat and barely satisfy her thrist for oxygen. But, much to her surpise, gas flew into her mouth, flying down her throat and tickling the still sensitive inner walls of her neck, causing her to break into a fit of scratchy, entirely unhealthy sounding coughs.

The coughs subsided after a while, and Reverie attempted to lift her head, groaning as all the blood rushed suddenly to her brain, and dropping it back into the dirt with a dull thud. She lay completely still for a while, waiting for the dizzying feeling to fade, before trying again, more slowly. This time, she managed to lift her large, shaggy crania completely and her eyes opened fully, pupils sliding from face to face slowly, her bushy tail, which had a large section of fur missing, where the skin was inflamed and an angry red color, twitching in slight annoyance as the femme began to feel slightly crowded.

Reverie's gaze finally rested on Cody, and she gave a soft growl, slowly, unsteadily gaining her feet, the growl growing in volume until it was interupted by another bout of hacking coughs.

Reverie bent double until they subsided, and lifted her head, breathing loudly.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my Lords lands?" She demanded hoarsley of the smaller grey brute, eyes narrowing, chest heaving as she got used to breathing almost normally, her plume ithcing madly, but hurting at the same time.

ooc: -claps- Yay! Reverie's awake!

[Valentina]

A grin split the husky-mixed femme's creamy features as her friend awoke, but she quickly wiped it away to a casual look. She knew Reverie wouldn't want someone fussing all over her, and she wasn't the type fuss. Instead she lifted her head from licking her bleeding arm which wasn't helping a thing, and leaned against a wall.

"She lives!" Valentina announced sarcastically, a smile flashing across her features then fading. She cocked her head at Cody, whom Reverie had turned her fangs against. "He's cool," she said to Reverie. "He's part of the gang." Although honestly she didn't know if he was or not, the wolf-dog didn't want to see Reverie shredding him in the same minute she'd woken up.

Her icy eyes trailed from Reverie to Cody to Strider, and then to the entrance of the Hollow, no particular expression on her face, although she wondered impatiently what was taking Tyrant and Triss. She also noticed with a start that the old dog who had been sleeping in the back of the Hollow(Bayarn) was no longer present, and wondered suspiciously where he was.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Reverie's head whipped around as Valentina spoke, snarl still plastered across her maw. She hadn't really registered the femme's presence, and her sense of smell was temporarily handi-capped thanks to the smoke poisening. Her dark eyes softened slightly as they met Valentina's, and her snarl was replaced by a smile.

"Hello, Valentina." She croacked, sinking to her haunches. "Some fun we had the other day, eh?"

Reverie said it lightly, trying to mask the fear that gripped her every time she thought about the recent fire, and the fire that had ripped her father and brother from her. She forced a smile, flames burning behind her eyes, her mother's screams and her father's desperate cries of warning echoing in her ears, detectable by no one else.

[Valentina]

Listening to Reverie's parched voice made the rosy femme want to cough, but she stifled it for the most part, offering her a bright smile at her words, which faded as she finished speaking. The husky mix laughed and looked off humorlessly before bringing her icy eyes back to her friend's. "Yeah, good times, huh? We really have to do that again sometime!" she said sarcastically, but when she took to thinking about it, if it weren't for that fire, they may not have ended up friends. So in some strange way, she was thankful for the stupid kids and their fire that caused them to risk their lives for eachother. The corners of her mouth twitched for an instant, but otherwise she kept this thought to herself.

She sank down against the wall, crossing one creamy paw over the other. She gave her slowly darkening fur a distasteful glance, which hadn't let up much, and then laid her muzzle lightly down on her arm. She didn't' know much about medicine or injuries, but was hoping, although she only believed it half-heartedly, that this was normal and would stop if she just let it bleed. She wasn't tired but was sick of sitting and a little light headed, and it felt good to be off her arm.

Her deep rosy ears slackened and twitched now and again, and her gaze darted about. She thought about going back for Tyrant and Triss, but figured they must have had something important to talk about. She sighed and wrapped her thick plume about her hindquarters obliviously.

[Valentina]

Not moments after the injured Valentina had laid her head down, a wildly familiar scent began to come to her, and her head shot up to gaze at the entrance with round blue eyes, wolfish ears pricked forward. She could hear the faintest sound of approach outside, and then it was dead silent. She tensed.

A long, eerie howl pierced the air, booming through the Hollow.

An ivory smile split her creamy maw and she leaped to her feet, throwing her head back and joining in the eerie song, her's a much more high-pitched cry. The sound was intensely loud, and it even gave her shivers. Her howl finished first and she bounded out the tunnel, still grinning wildly.

She hadn't seen him in almost three years, but she still knew just who it was. She came flying out of the underbrush to barrel into Laion, both a wolf and her long-lost brother, successfully winding him and cutting off his howl completely with a yelp.

They rolled unceremoniously a couple feet, then while still tangled up in each other, both managed to gain their footing in a heartbeat and began running in a circle tight enough to bite each other’s tails, grinning crazily. Finally Valentina just stopped and pounced on him, and the wolf allowed himself to be thrown to the ground by his sister.

Laion lay sprawled on his back, perhaps the most vulnerable position the wolf would ever be, and Valentina stood with her paws on his chest, staring at him triumphantly and feeling like she was looking into her own eyes. Even though they weren't full-blooded siblings, this was part of what made them so close back in the beginning; she was a half-breed, and though he was a full wolf, his eyes never changed.

Valentina was lost for words for a minute, just kept grinning crazily at him, but finally she managed, "Laion! Wha-what are you doing here? How'd you find me?" she paused, an idea swelling within her. "Are there any others?" she asked wide-eyed, referring to pack members. She had been abandoned in the city by her mother, and though she had vowed not to care about anyone who never cared about her, she couldn't help but wonder, and cling to the idea that there had been a logical reason for her being abandoned. Valentina and Laion both had known Valentina's mother well however.

She was a beautiful red husky, who glowed like the sunset; and she knew it. She used her looks to get what she wanted, including the alpha of a wolf pack. She was never a mean dog, but it was clear she cared about herself and her own needs above anyone else's. She was a tramp and Laion, a year old when Valentina was born, had never liked her since her arrival into the pack, however his father never would listen to his protests. Being somewhat of an outcast himself however, he took quickly to his baby half-sister, whose father they shared.

Laion made to roll over onto his feet and Valentina stepped off him, watching him excitedly, tail waving happily and oblivious that her arm was now soaked to the elbow with her own blood.

The wolf's smile faded and his demeanor became somber as she mentioned the others. "There...there are no others, Valentina," he said, and she could read his passionate eyes fully. Her breath caught in her throat, and she uttered a small gasp as her body froze.

"H-how?" she whispered, velvety auds falling back. She wavered on her feet but Valentina ignored it and Laion didn’t notice.

"That's why I'm here," Laion said, his voice taking on the tone of one years older; not the exuberant young wolf that had stood before her moments before. He looked thoroughly hurt, and his eyes begged condolence, though there was none, and hadn't been since they'd died. Slaughtering their murderers had been a slight relief, but Laion still watched them die in his dreams. "There are no others..." Valentina got what he meant, but he continued. "They're all gone...so I came into the city, hoping to find you." He offered a small grin here, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "As for your mother," he shook his head, meaning he had no idea. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No...it's not your fault," Valentina muttered, but it was weak. He stepped forward to nuzzle her consolingly, but as he put his face against her neck, the smell of her blood hit him hard. His eyes widened as he realized what he had taken for scarlet fur was damp and glistening. She staggered, but Laion braced her to keep her from falling.

"Valentina!" Her eyes fluttered but all the response he got was her leaning heavily on him. His flexed his shoulder to nudge her, but she didn't respond. Slowly he laid her down onto the cold grass, to find her unconscious. Blood loss, he deduced, eyes roaming over the matted, shining fur on her arm. Leave it Val to not say a word, he thought briefly, then began to look wildly about. He didn't know what else to do so he wormed his way under her and hoisted her onto his back, then plunged into the underbrush of the Hollow and skidded into the cavernous opening.

He deposited the fallen fae on the floor softly, then stood next to her, unsure what to do. He gazed at her for a while; she appeared to be sleeping, laying on her side. The wolf nudged her lightly with his maw, then looked around at the other dogs, and with dawning horror realized how bad this must look; a wolf busting into their den, uninvited and carrying the bloody mess of their pack mate. He shook his head quickly then frantically shouted, "Help!" He turned back to her, and as he looked away again his gaze hardened. He then demanded, "Who did this to her?!" hackles rising defensively.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Reverie was tugged from her reverie (LOL) suddenly as a pungent scent hit her like a battering ram, followed by an ear splitting howl. A growl was emitted, and the femme's auds flicked back to block out the sound battering her sensitive auds, then suddenly flicked forwards in alarm as Valentina threw back her head, emmiting a similair howl.

She watched Valentina dash out of the Hollow with confusion spread across her features, and thought about following her to... greet the newcomer. But she was tired, and her throa, tail and head hurt. Valentina'll deal with it. She thought, and relaxed slightly. Other than Tyrant, Valentina was the only other dog in the gang she could wholly trust.

But only moments after she had relaxed, she stiffened again at the sound of raised, seemingly excited voices. She could not make out the words, for she was still groggy and slightly overwhelmed.

Reverie had risen and was padding to the edge of the Hollow, her curiosity and indignancy finally defeating her small amounts of common sense and the pain that held her back, when Laion burst in with Valentina draped across his back, unconsious. The stench of blood hit Reverie's nares, and her snout wrinkled as she took a step back. It had been lingering in the air before, but she hadn't noticed it, being too caught up in other things.

A snarl was released as Laion layed Valentina down, and Reverie's eyes narrowed, her hackles suddenly bristling, claws sliding out of their sheaths. She leapt protectively before her friend and fell into a crouch, the tip of her tail twitching, a low, dangerous growl rumbling constantly in her throat.

Help! She ignored the brute's plea - he could simply be trying to cover up for his actions. Then, the wolf - who was larger than Reverie - suddenly came over agressive, and Reverie's growl grew louder and more high pitched.

"Get out of here," She barked savagely, taking a step towards Laion. "If I find out this was done by you, I'll kill you, now leave or I'll do it anyway! And take pleasure!"

Reverie would've attacked him there and then - she wasn't one to think before taking action - but her wounds held her back.

[Valentina]

Laion lowered his head and jumped startled as Reverie put herself between him and his sister. His hackles raised and a quiet but menacing growl escaped his black lips, which slowly lifted to reveal his enormous wolven fangs. His growl faded as she spoke, but when she finished he let out a loud snarl, then demanded, "How do I know it wasn't you who did this to her!?" His low growl persisted.

Laion thought about attacking this femme before him; surely it flashed in his eyes that he had killed so many like her before. But she was a female, and so he was hesitant, and she was injured, so it hardly seemed fair. The wolf thought about this even as he continued to snarl and glare at the shaggy fae.He began to pad quickly around her so that he could be closer to Valentina on the other side, when he caught a glimpse of Reverie's tail. He stopped, ivories still bared, and looked from her tail to her. He recognized it as a burn, after thinking how funny it looked.

Suddenly the smell of smoke and fire that had resided on both the femmes dawned on him; "You've been in a fire." he stated among random thoughts.

This didn't deter him from the idea that Reverie was somehow guilty however, and he suddenly took a step forward, head low, ears back, tail high and crazed blue eyes blazing. His muscles tensed; whatever had happened, Laion would not let it happen to his baby sister again---she was all he had left.

Laion would be fair; she was not only a female, but injured as well. He would give her a chance and let her have the first move; it was only fair. He had no intentions of leaving, so one of them had to. He was a wolf, she was a dog, and he didn't fight; he killed.

"Get away from her." he commanded coldly, gold and black fur rippling and bristling like quills.

As this all played out, Valentina was fighting for consciousness. She kept drifting in and out of a heavy blackness. She could see Laion's crazy blue eyes, then Reverie's burned tail, then it was black. Then her icy eyes would flutter open again and she caught a glimpse of a snarling wolf face that in her state looked like a werewolf mask from a store she'd once snack into.

She blinked and closed her eyes tight, then opened them widely, and managed to mostly piece it together; the wolf and the dog aren't playing nice. Subconsciously she got a bad feeling, and closed her eyes again, furious she didn't have it in her to even twitch. She wondered longingly where Tyrant was, and managed the lowest whimper to escape through her nose. Among the chaos between her brother and her friend however, it went unnoticed, and she looked on helplessly.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Reverie gave a low, dangerous bark as Laion moved around closer to Valentina, and her eyes blazed as she spun around to face him, once more putting herself between him and her husky friend. Her blistering mahogany gaze met his, and his words registered.

"How dare you!" She snarled, her plume lifting in dominance, her talons flexing. She ignored his statement, gritting her teeth as she fought back the memories that rose within her at the word 'fire'.

"How dare you!" She repeated in a low, rumbling growl, taking a step towards the larger wolf. He could kill her easily in her vulnerable state if he wished, but Reverie didn't care. Her pride was injured and her friend was in potential danger, and that was enough drive for her to risk her life.

"You are trespassing, wolf," Reverie snarled, "And -"

She trailed off as a loud, commanding bark shook the very air about her, and her head turned sharply. Standing atop the hill was a large auburn hued brute, his tail lifted high, his eyes burning. Tyrant thundered down the hill and placed himself firmly between Laion and Reverie, turning first to the injured fae.

"Reverie," he said softly, leaning forwards to lick her maw. "Rest," His voice was gentle, but firm, but Reverie opened her maw to object none-the-less.

"Please, Reverie, I won't let anything happen," Tyrant said, widening his eyes at her. Reverie sighed, shooting daggers over the brute's shoulder at Laion before dipping her head.

"Only for you, Tyrant," She rumbled, turning towards Valentina and lying down beside her, then proceeding to lick her wound, her hackles still bristling, her auds perked alertly.

Tyrant turned to Laion, staring him in the eye for a moment before speaking in a low tone, with no trace of accusation, but a hint of a warning - he would not let this wolf hurt Reverie.

"What happened here? Why are you squaring up to my most vulnerable gang member?" He asked, settling upon his haunches. 'Twas only then that he properly registered the fact that Valentina was unconsious. He had been too caught up in breaking up the imminent fight. Attention was suddenly torn from Laion, and Tyrant spun to face Valentina, worry gripping his chest as it had with Reverie.

"Valentina!" He barked, rushing to her side, Laion all but forgotten about. "Valentina!" He bent his head and licked her maw, desperate not to go through what he had gone through during Reverie's plight once more.

"Wake up, Val," He murmered, calming himself. Panicking would help no one. He smiled at Reverie, still licking the blood from Valentina's shoulder, and she nudged his maw reasurringly before truning her head to glare accusingly at Laion.

ooc: Crap post. Sorreh!