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Post by Valentina on Feb 18, 2006 22:27:46 GMT -5
The scarlet wolf-dog listened intently to the other dogs, and as Reverie finished she spoke up. "Yes, a guard...but what about food? We're gonna need to leave sooner or later." she looked about her, at all the injured, and even those who weren't were quite fatigued.
"And only a few of us can be considered in good condition. We can't lt anyone stand watch or travel alone..that would be suicide."
Outside the winds were still blowing up the powdery snow in white sheets, but the breeze wasn't so powerful. "In the morning I'll go into the city. Who's coming with me?" she said. The look on her face was clearly determined, and dared anyone to try to make her back down from this.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Feb 20, 2006 11:56:11 GMT -5
Tyrant listened to Valentina, his brown eyes soft, then he glanced at the floor, frowning thoughtfully. Her last, determined words, however, drew his head back up again, penetrating his swirling thoughts. He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it as Aphro stepped forwards, her tail slowly swaying, and nodded. The rhodesian ridgeback loved to be doing something helpful. So far, she had done very little.
"I'm coming too!" She stated, glancing at Tyrant, who had his head streched forwards, his shoulders back, almost as if he wanted to jump forwards and stop the two physically. How could he possibley let his sister and his mate go in these conditions, in this situation. But how could he not? If they didn't go, the healing dogs would go hungry. Val was right; without food they would not last long. With any possible live prey driven away by harsh conditions, the city was the only possible food source. He would go too, but his place was where he was, watching over the gang. With a resigned sigh, Tyrant nodded.
"Get some food, me and Reverie will stay here and keep watch, and girls-" He fixed his gaze on Aphro's face, then turned to meet Valentina's gaze sternly. "Be careful. Keep out of this wolf's way... don't get hurt, okay?"
Aphro smiled, craning her neck to lick her twin's muzzle, then turning to nod at Val.
"C'mon, let's go." She said, then she turned smoothly away from the den, glancing once over her shoulder at her brother. "We'll be fine, Tyrant." Then, she was gone, leaping gracefully into the snow.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Feb 20, 2006 12:25:35 GMT -5
Espio awoke and watched the scene around him, dogs getting up, talking, laying around... He turned his head weakly to smile at the vixen healer, who had her head resting on his flank. "Trisscar, I think..." An even warmer expression passed over his features as he saw Triss was asleep, warn out and frightened.
He heard Valentina offering to go into the city and find food. His brush swayed on the ground and he smiled. 'Twas a good idea, and he had confidence that the Lieutinant would make it and be okay.
Then Aphrodites said she would come with her. He didn't know why, but he wanted her to stay. His expression became like that of Tyrant's, wanting to protest. Then it faded into an emotionless mask.
The renard struggled to his paws, pain lancing through his shoulder and up his neck. Trisscar had pulled away to curl up into a small charcoal ball. He growled in a rasp, "I-I'm coming too." He glanced at Aphro for a second and then let his odd gaze fall on Tyrant.
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Post by Valentina on Feb 21, 2006 14:30:45 GMT -5
"I think we can take care of ourselves," Valentina said to Tyrant with a reassuring smile, although her crystal pools remained heavy and serious. She watched Aphro take off through the snow, and instantly her ears pricked, the fur between her shoulders standing on end. She appeared rather careless, and the wolf dog felt she should be with the other femme.
She leaned forward and rested her head on her mate's shoulder in a quick embrace, and whispered, "Don't worry." although she knew full well that he would. Then Espio's deep voice came to her ears and she pulled away, looking incredulously at him, but then nodded. He clearly had his own reasons.
"Alright. But be careful, Espio. You're hurt...don't fall behind." And with this Valentina turned swiftly and dashed up the slope and into the blinding snow. She covered the distance between herself and Aphro quickly, running in the dog's footprints as wolves do, relishing the stretch and pull of her muscles. She cast her icy gaze over her shoulder to be sure the black fox-dog was following, then made sure that the wolf was not around. They passed lupine blood splattered across the snow, both the stranger and Laion's, and the husky forced her eyes to stay infront of her. She was sure that from a distance, her own body probably looked like nothing more than a drop of blood on the vast white field.
Laion meanwhile had pulled himself up off the floor to watch his sister leave. He nodded respectfully to Espio at his anouncement that he would be going with them, and slunk over to the entrance, where he sat not far from Reverie and Tyrant, looking somber as he gezed out at the snow.
He sighed. "Ya know I knew him, too. Not real well, but I mean, he was in our pack..." Laion smiled humorlessly. "Funny how things happen. Guess it's easier to lose it then we like ta think, huh?"
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Feb 22, 2006 12:59:26 GMT -5
Tyrant breathed in Valentina's musky scent as she embraced him, and his chest constricted with fear as he wondered if this would be the last time he would see her as healthy and happy as she was now. He watched her follow Aphro feeling breathless and helpless, and couldn't even find the strength to protest when Espio announced that he would go.
Reverie watched the three dogs disapear, then turned to Tyrant, noticing his troubled expression. She shifted closer to him so that their sides touched, in a bracing gesture, then turned to Laion as she spoke, her features incredulous.
"He was in your pack?" She asked scornfully, wrinkling her nose. She gave Laion the up down, thinking how odd he was, how out of place. But then again he was useful, and he was Valentina's sister. However wary Reverie found that she was of him, she approved Tyrant's decision to make him a guardian. He had proved himself a good fighter and was an essential member when it came to protecting the gang.
"Yes. Funny." Reverie snapped shortly, then turned back to Tyrant. The rhodesian ridgeback was hanging his head, his brow furrowed, deep in troubled thought. Reverie nudged his chin.
"Don't worry, Tyrant. I'll protect us." She whispered, her eyes soft. She hated seeing her optimistic friend so worried. It made her feel as if something really was wrong. He never worried about trivial things... he never seemed to worry ever.
"Thanks, Rev." Tyrant sighed and lifted his head, staring somberly out into the flitting snow. What was to become of his gang?
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Feb 22, 2006 13:00:46 GMT -5
ooc: Crap post... XP And I know Valentina's not happy happy... but she coudl be worse... so yeah. lol.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Feb 24, 2006 18:55:55 GMT -5
[glow=white,5,300]The ebony brute tilted his dark skull to one side quicky in confusion. They actually let me go? he thought. He dipped his head toward Valentina and padded swiftly after them, rich navy-violet gaze continuously centered on Aphro.
He stumbled but once. He stretched his leg forward, ready to attempt a short run to catch up, when pain lanced up it into his shoulder, and from there into his wounded neck. Shaking clumps of snow from his sleek charcoal pelt he continued to follow them, sometimes his paw meeting the large prints of the dogs ahead of him, sometimes making his own inbewteen.
The fur along his spine bristled as he passed the crimson snow of the wolves' blood. Espio winced as pain coursed through him again, and he caught himself. Picking up his pace he found himself bounding beside the female Rhodesian Ridgeback, his coat brushing against hers occasionally. He pulled back in case she looked at him, and tried his best to move freely, to not show he was injured. But he was, and he couldn't deny it; nearly killed as he was protecting his friend. With such a wound, even if it was treated, he guessed he might not make it back to the little shaman's den. Pain would surely come if he did come back...
Trisscar's going to kill me...[/glow]
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Mar 4, 2006 7:12:34 GMT -5
Tyrant and Reverie had sat in nervous silence, their sides pressed together, their eyes staring at the blank landscape, searching for a sign of their returning friends. They were both wound tight, their muscles tense, their claws sinking through the snow and digging into the frozen soil beneath it.
A sudden, desperate howl had both of them on their feet, hackles bristling, ears perked. Tyrant recognised it first, and his heart leapt into his throat, his chest hollow and painful. Without a word, he bounded forwards, head down, racing away from the den.
He had not taken three steps before he realised that Reverie was on his heels. Spinning round to face her, Tyrant's face was a rare mask of anger. He growled.
"Reverie, you idiot! Stay where you are!" He snarled savagely, then turned about again and continued on his way, his paws sending a spray of snow up into his friend's face.
Rev watched him go with wide eyes. She had never seen Tyrant so upset. Her heart was thumping, her hackles still standing on end, adrenaline pumping through her veins. But the Top Dog's tone had scared her, and she turned around and leapt back to the den, where she half sat, her throat tight with anxiety.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Mar 7, 2006 15:24:19 GMT -5
[glow=white,5,300]Trisscar blinked open her weary brown eyes and looked around the den. She heard a howl and she flinched, recognizing it as Valentina's. But where was she?
The shaman's gaze jerked to Tyrant and Reverie as they both bounded up and chased toward the call. However, the Top Dog told Rev to stay... His tone terrified the small fox-dog. Creeping into a corner, she watched helplessly as Reverie padded back into her den.
What happened...? she asked herself silently, looking around with wide bark-hued eyes. She saw Valentina had left -- obviously -- and there was also no trace of Aphro. She turned to Espio to ask before she realized he wasn't there.
Leaping to her paws, the healing vixen looked around madly. "Espio? Espio!" she yowled, afraid for him. He was injured... He had a cut in his throat, for God's sake! She began cursing herself. I should've stayed up... I have so many dogs to take care of...
Triss busied herself by weaving among the resting dogs scattered around the healing den. She looked at Rade, wondering if a few poppy seeds would help him sleep. She motioned for Jake to sit down, her gaze sweeping over his injuries. They seemed to be healing okay, but she had plenty of herbs in case there was a problem. Looking at Laion, she shook her head. She didn't know what to do...
Cody!
Running to the still-unconcious white dog, she held a bundle of herbs danging in her maw. She sat down and placed them near him, and pawed out the goldenrod-marigold again; she almost never ran out of it, and it would be some time before her store began to dwindle. She coated it on his wound and placed a white flower -- feverfew -- by his muzzle. Once he woke up she'd give it to him. A clump of green leaves was kudzu, which would also help with his fever. She picked up the strong-smelling mint and set it by him. She had doubts that he would eat it all, but she hoped he'd manage to devour a few. Safflower! She grinned as she picked up two, one reddish and one more of a scarlet-orange. She chose one at random and chewed it up, placing it on his wound with a gentle paw, for safflower helped wounds. Safflower -- also -- assisted in healing a fever. Tentatively she held up a thorny yellow flower -- Star Thistle -- and bit off the protruding thorns so it was fit to eat.[/glow]
[glow=maroon,5,300]Cody blinked open a mahogany optic to gaze up into the narrow face of Triss. "Mornin'..." he muttered, wrinkling up his nose at the pungent herbs. "Do I hafta eat that?" Trisscar barely understood his mumbling but she nodded. "All of it?" he asked worriedly through a mouthful of safflower. After eating most of it he decided the feverfew looked nice so he chewed it slowly, swallowing. "Thank you, Triss," he said with a weak smile.[/glow]
[glow=white,5,300]"What happened?" Her brown eyes sparkled inquisitively. "Did you get hurt, Cody? I mean... Why were you gone so long?"
Silence. Cody didn't answer as he chewed the herbs, and then, nodding gratefully he rolled over onto the other side and slept. Trisscar gathered what was left of the herbs and scooped out some earth from the softer areas of the den. She stored the fever and cold-curing medications in the very back, letting the external treatment ones -- like the ever-important, very common mush of the two golden flowers -- closer to the outside.
She then looked up at the other canids in the den sleepily before curling up next to the Blue Heeler mix... However, she didn't fall asleep. Keeping an eye on the others, she made sure no one was lost.[/glow]
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Post by Valentina on Mar 13, 2006 10:48:04 GMT -5
All the while Laion had sat with his back against the far wall, his head hung low and watching all the commotion his sister's howl had caused. The wolf knew by her tone she wasn't in immediate danger, but more of a howl of urgency...and he knew who it would be against.
He closed his eyes wearily as Tyrant rushed out of the den, flicking his eyes up sadly as he snarled at Reverie and she returned to stand at the entrance. He had no answer for what she had to him...it was true. And what's to say the same wouldn't happen to another of them? At the slaughter of the rest of their pack, Laion had been borderline insane, but in turn slaughtering the humans who had done it had given him a sense of purpose and saved him from insanity.
His ears suddenly pricked alertly, his eyes widening in realization. Was that what had driven Jaegar to insanity? He had been a strong wolf with a good heart, but it was true he had been weak of mind. Laion remembered him being a coward despite his size, and all the times he'd had to rescue Val while Jaegar simply froze.
And to suffer with such a pain; watching every one closest to you killed and not being able to stop it, or do a thing about it...Jaegar had wandered around with nothing but his thoughts to eat him alive.
This was the realization that had brought the ink and gold wolf to his feet. He undoubtedly would go to his sister's rescue again. But to know you were headed to kill some one who had been one of your closest friends...he smiled and walked out, looking curiously at Reverie as he passed. Dogs had a right to hate wolves from the scent of their blood; to kill your own friend and call it good for him..Laion thought only a wolf could do it.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Mar 13, 2006 12:07:57 GMT -5
The Esterela Mountain dog's had finally relaxed, and her head was low, her eyes half closed. She was worried. More worried than she'd been in a very long time. How she hated sitting and waiting. This not knowing is killing me! The female thought with a whine of anxiety, an involentary shudder suddenly rippling through her body. She shifted her weight slightly, ears perked and straining, despite her docile posture.
She heard Laion's footsteps as he passed him, caught a glimpse of ink and gold fur, but Reverie did not lift her head. If Laion wanted to run off and get himself killed, that was his business. She was going to stay where it was, despite discomfort, and protect the injured.
Coward, Reverie thought, suddenly bitter, as she lifted her head to watched the wounded wolf disapear into the snow. If she could, she would follow him. She would find out, and would lighten her heart. If she wasn't bound to protect Triss and her charges, she would go and do something. In her eyes, Laion was giving up. Disobeying his gang, his Lord, his sister, to keep his pride intact. Disgust showed plainly on Reverie's features, and she snorted.
ooc: Crap post. -.-
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Post by Valentina on Mar 13, 2006 23:56:54 GMT -5
The wolf stopped, Reverie's snort wrenching him out of his train of thought. The howling wind whipped through his fur as he stopped, looking back over his shoulder at her. His blue eyes studied her blazing ones sadly, and he thought he understood her.
He half-turned his body to face the den, only moving one limber fore leg to the side to look at her more squarely, and his demeanor hardened. Why must she always do this? "What is there to protect them from?" he demanded, cocking his head in the direction of Triss and the others. "We know where he is. What good is there to be done here? Don't give me that look when you know I'm doin the right thing!" he pinned his ears back angrily.
"If it's causin' you so much pain, just come with me!" He stared at her hard, wondering if she'd lash out at him some more, then shook his head and bounded quickly off through the already tainted snow.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Mar 14, 2006 11:49:53 GMT -5
Reverie stared squarely back at Laion, her hard brown eyes boring into his. She looked at him down her nose, which was wrinkled as if his smell displeased her. Her emotions were strong at the moment, so distraught was she, and she exaggerated them without completely meaning to.
His words stung her pride, seeping through her flesh to puncture her heart and soul. A hollow feeling filled her gut, and her features hardened further, the lines deepening. For once, Reverie doubted herself. Was it right to stay where she was? Laion did make sense...
But what if Jaeger turned back to the dens. What if, while they were all caught up in their rescue mission, he set his eyes on a different, weaker target. A few minutes head start would be all the wolf would need to do some serious damage. Laion was now gone. If she left, there would be no one to ensure that that did not happen.
Glancing behind her, Reverie quickly passed her gaze over the assorted dogs sprawled in the shadows. They were all terribley injured... none of them could do a thing to protect themselves if the need should arise.
Sighing, the female turned back to her original position. She would stay... For now.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 15, 2006 8:06:37 GMT -5
The wolven scuffle was taking place in a clearing not far from the healing dens, and the harsh cries of wounded canine's reached Reverie's sensitive ears easily. She tensed, her muscles aching as she listened hard for a moment. Then, glancing behind her, she decided she had to leave.
Turning sharply, her burning eyes peirced the darkness of the den, seeking Trissacar.
"Triss, keep an eye out. If anything happens, call. I own't be far away." She commanded roughly, her voice hurried and abrupt. Then, turning with surprising agility considering her size - which was, in fact, exagerated by her thick coat - she leapt into the undergrowth, the sound of her paws splashing in the melting snow mingling with the disturbing noise of the battle, growing louder with every bound.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on May 1, 2006 19:15:38 GMT -5
| ooc | Eeep...sorry it took so long to reply! | ooc |
The small vixen was curled up, worried thoughts racing through her mind. Her keen ears could detect howls of pain...snarls of battle... She knew that Jaegar was fighting somewhere in the woods. The large brown fae turned to give her an urgent command: "Triss, keep an eye out. If anything happens, call. I won't be far away." She pushed herself up into a sitting position and nodded enthusiastically, but she was loosing a lot of her spark that brought her the playful and timid behaviors. The brown eyes that were pools of worry were very dull, and she quickly ate a chamomile pedal.
What if something happens to them...? To all of my friends...to my brother...? She shook her head, trying to reasure herself. "They'll be okay...they'll be okay...," she murmured aloud in her flutish tones, even if her voice at the moment was very low.
Suddenly Trisscar heard pawsteps approaching the cavern. Plumy tail puffed out, her lips lifted in a feeble growl at a tall ebony shape that was creeping toward the den. "Who --" she began to snarl, but recognition passed over her face and she threw herself at her half brother.
"Espio!" she whimpered, giving him a lick on the cheek. She pulled back and eyed the long slash on his neck. It seemed to be healing, but he was bruised otherwise. Suddenly she remembered the scavenging mission he was sent on, along with Aphrodites and Valentina.
"You saw the wolf... You guys were attacked..." she whispered, backing away with wide mocha eyes. "Espio...?"
The fox-dog's expression was clouded as she questioned him, and his words were hesitant on his tongue. He closed his navy eyes for a few seconds before finally speaking. "Yes, we saw him, but Valentina led him away. I...tried to follow... Aphro wasn't going to let me get hurt," he rasped. He added even more softly, "Both of them...are...fighting the wolf, I believe. I haven't seen them since after they ran off from the lake. Laion was chasing after the other wolf, Tyrant and Valentina came after them, and Aphro followed next. She told me to come back here."
His bewildered heart began to quicken as he said Aphro's name. Every time he thought of her it was like a soothing warmth began to melt the ice encasing his soul. With a frustrated twitch of his ears he lay down and tried to forget. Fidgeting with his paws, he stared up at his shaman sister, a questioning look easily read on his face.
Trisscar's mouth went agape. "That's terrible!" she cried. "They could get killed!" She looked away for a few moments before glancing back at the renard.
"Oh, and Cody's okay. He had a chill, but I fixed him up so he's..." She gasped. "No! I can't lose him, too!" Terrified, she began to weep softly as she curled up next to her ebonite half sibling. "I'm sorry, Espio," she whispered finally. "It just feels like all of my friends...my loved ones...they're all in danger..."
Espio stared out of the cave entrance, watching the rising sun turn the sky a delicate pink. The tendrils of light grew stronger and stronger, chasing away the indigo black of the sky.
"I know the feeling," was all he said.
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