Ghastly Woods Rest in Pieces

we are all decieving, lost, and bleeding.

Eyes rolled in the back of her head filled with temporary darkness. Was she breathing? Could she breath? Muffled inhales of air answered her. It had to be her lungs, fighting to keep alive. The copper colored lady tried to move, tried to see. Her controls were disabled. All she felt was pain, and all she could remember was darting down the mountain ledges, after Alexander, after the wild cat. She was much to late to save the noble leader, not catching up to where he went. But the cat, yes the mountain lioness had found her, trying to get up to the plateau again. It was a blur, when darkness entered and she wasn't sure if she'd jumped on the cat, or the cat jumped her or what.

The cold ground beneath her, she tried to force her eyelids open. Right then she could not. She stayed there like a trampled corspe trying to force her body to work. This was not a welcome sojourn. She needed to get up, needed to go up that mountain. Had Angier and Vlar saved the puppies? Where was the cougar now? Lurking nearby to finish the temporary paralyzed wolf? Or was she feeding off her leader's body?

A shiver coarsed through her body, most unpleasantly. She refused to picture the gruesome scene. Alexander could not be dead. He could not be gone she told herself; her soul, her body going numb to push facts away. For all she knew she could be dead tomorrow. Front toes flinched, she did not want to greet death - not today, not yet. It was still night, and she prayed by morning she would be able to move. If not, maybe then she would hope something came to take her life. Now she was frozen, blood mask, and jagged scars across her shoulders, and hips looking like much more dead than she knew.

Once more the medic of Grizzly Hollow was off again, having ventured out of her home lands in the Cedarwood Forest in order to hunt for herbs not found in the area which she lived. She was much behind on her routine, granted the birthing of her leader's newborn children, the first of their litters- the first of the packs. Protectively had Elettra become to her leadess by the respect, honor, and kindness she had offered her in both gesture and words. Elettra Archer had quickly managed to find herself looked upon highly in the pack and, by promise, had spent the last few weeks horribly close to the den which Jaysyek had birthed her children. Now as they grew and as Borden at the moment was around to do the guarding, after doing a small hunt for her leader (catching a rabbit) she set off for herbal needs. She had traveled straight across through the east, moving up the wildwood until finally did she reach these ghastly hollows- dark, muggy, foggy. The branches scratched at her sides, the thick foliage prevented her from seeing clearly before her and the vast amount of greenery clogged her nose from smelling correctly. None the less, despite this, the site was perfect. She knew well enough here she would add to her small supply of herbs. Already she found bits of burdock, catnip, and a wild amount of chamomile, which she took much of. Her jaws already were nearly full but she had been successful this day. She was ready to turn home when a sound startled her, causing her to freeze in her placement, hackles and tail rising. She sniffed, the smell of blood becoming more evident to her now and slowly did she approach, head low, body shifting through the green until she found the fallen woman. Slowly still did she come to her side, circling around to face her front, shoulders horribly wounded, body limb. Elettra had not expected to find this on her venture and did not (should the woman accept her) expect a long-term patient sharing her den just yet. Settling down the collection she had managed to find, her nose reached out, nudging the woman's side quickly before retreating should the female counter in attack by ether fear or aggression. "Can you move at all?"

we are all decieving, lost, and bleeding.

It was if time did not exist. She could not count seconds, or minutes. Could not think of morning coming, or the night ending. There was only an endless stretch of blackness with pain she wasn't sure would end. Slowly the light came back, morning was nearing, so she thought. In the edge of the Ghastly woods she wasn't sure if it really was the sun, or the light of death. How could she die? Heart pounded fiercly as if assuring her it was doing it's part, now all it needed was a reason, a reason to keep going. Whatever hopelessness she felt she pushed it aside. She had to move on, what was she just to surrender to death so soon? And for what? Death would not conquer today, surely she needed to get better, needed to stand.

Slowly, she tried once more to move her aching bones. She managed briefly to flip to her stomach, but the feeling was brief and she rolled deciding it wasn't worth the strain. She could rest, maybe than regain herself. The invisible clocked ticked on, and she counted her breaths to only know change. Suddely her ears alerted her of the soft steps of another. She held still, first deciding it might do her good to play dead. She certainly could look it with traces of blood, and mud adorning her copper pelt. Her butterscotch eyes sealed, she tried not to breath for a second. She could not hold her breath, and soon her nostrils twitched smelling a lady wolf near her face, moving along the rest of her.

Peppered mask lifted an inch from earth, and her face crinkled slightly upon the touch of the other, followed by a low groan. "Hmm, a little, but I haven't really tried," she replied, voice rough and dry. Butterscotch liquids turned to the pale gray, wondering what it was to the stranger.

(This post was last modified: Jun 01, 2011, 03:59 AM by Skylah.)

"Well...." The word whispered, her pale gaze once more accessing the woman and her injuries. The thick slices at her shoulders would infect far easy then the internal injuries of her hips, yet still, the woman's ability to walk was the most of concern. Elettra's nose wrinkled to the smell of the blood, taking another step back. It wasn't safe out here, far from her pack-lands, thick into such lush forest area near the mountains with the smell of blood in the air. Her head lifted high, ears perked. She looked weary, listening, sniffing, looking for any predator that may be near. Having not come across one at the moment, her head fell, nose sifting away some stalks of chamomile into the woman's direction. "The leaves and flowers may sooth you. Enough of them, and they may help with your physical strength too. I can help you, if you'd like, in return that the same gesture will be used towards me if I ever need it." She pauses, wondering if the woman would trust her enough to take the plants for her aid. After all, she was a stranger, and Elettra, had she been in the woman's situation would have not taken them less she near of the plant. After all, as a herbalist, Elettra was aware of what was well to consume and what was not. She had come across poisonous plants before- had even used them before, actually. "If it hurts to walk- walk away. Your in open land and laying there although may rest you, it will not cure your wounds nor heighten your strength. If a predator does not seek you by your blood first, you'll die of starvation." She was sure the woman knew this anyhow, granted she looked around the same age. However, perhaps the bitter truth would be enough to force the woman to rise and push through the pain she was feeling in order to by her enough time to get to safer grounds. Already, Elettra's mind was swirling in thought- they could settle at the Beaver Dam along the creek in order for the woman to wash up, drink, and perhaps here Elettra could make a quick hunt and tend to cleaning some of the woman's wounds. It would take Elettra much time before she returned home, with the new hindering of the woman but it would be well worth the trip if the favor did her some good in the long run.

we are all decieving, lost, and bleeding.

Further assesment was being taken. Was she weighing the time, and effort it'd take to save her life? What she would gain?

The common rise and falling of her lungs was all she seemed to hear for those seconds while the lady debated in quiet; possibly holding her fate in her paws. Skylah did not much like that idea, though it could be the truth. She was not in a very fit state, she tried not to think what if Alexander had survived, what state he would be, how she couldn't find him, would not know. In her head she forced the picture of his bravery for his children, and nothing more. She'd blank her memory of the rest. And now she tried to think how she needed to survive, reach down grab that feeling, the will to live. As for the mountain lion, well one thing was for certain the creature could not be in to better condition than herself. Skylah had tried to give as good as she got, not to mention the damn thing had fallen off the mountain too. It was by some eerie feeling she felt it was still out there, some madness keeping it alive to finish it's first deed. (though in reality it was dying faster than she somewhere on the mountain)

The fauna's aroma caught her attention for it smelt a familiar mix of home, and healing. The cinamon girl uninvolintarily flinched, reminded of her father, and the knowledge this lady really knew what she was doing. Best she could she lifed her head locking eyes once more. She heard the propisition, and answered,"Sounds you know of medicine," voice was somewhat strained, but more normal. Thougthfully her eyes lingered to the plants, before she looked up and continued,"I do promise you help me through this and I will be in your debt." Tone was serious, as well as a hint of something to her eyes. The butterstoch hues were the only thing proving there was life within the damaged body. "What do you suggest now,medic? I think I can walk, it'll just be getting up." She took in a deep breath, and than grabbed at the chamomile, chomping it away. She needed all the help she could get if she was going to do this live thing.

It was true enough that Elettra had been weighing the idea, deciding if it was a good one or not to take. Any overly good wolf would have taken her as a burden without consideration of the consequences, though Elettra was a realist, if nothing at all. She would be risking her pack's worry of her, being gone much longer then she would have hoped for. Much of Elettra's energy and time would be to treating the woman, feeding her, hydrating her, and protecting her, mainly now, whilst so much blood was in the air. If Elettra took her on, she would be her patient from then on out, forcing Elettra to protect her with her life- a hard bargain to make against a stranger and thus, of course, expected something in return for her kindness. The female was brutally honest and brash, but anyone who got to know her would easily enough be aware she as nothing of a brutal, bitter woman.

"A bit, yes." She answered simply, not bothering to consider herself the best in the lands, though she was well aware of how well she was in her pack- the only healer, to be exact. The pressure to be there for her pack was something she enjoyed, pushing herself further to extend her knowledge. Last week, she had a fit of vomiting whilst testing out a new herb- a dangerous act indeed, mainly without anyone else around to care for her, should she be the one to fall ill. At the woman's agreement and question, Elettra once more began, her body now easing to where she would be aligned with the ginger timbered woman. "Towards home, along the river, we can stop at the Beaver Dam. We must clean those shoulder wounds quickly, both to reduce the smell of blood and to keep infection off of you. You can drink, and if I can, get you something to eat." She spoke her plans quickly, her pale gray gaze never wavering from the woman as she waited still. The travel would be long and she was eager to begin.

we are all decieving, lost, and bleeding.

Whatever the circumstances, she was grateful someone wanted to help her. That in itself changed her survival rate, in her own mind, and in this cruel world. The plants fell quickly into her stomach, and it rejoiced having something to maul. Silver tips of her triangle ears flicked at the promise of water. She would have wanted to clean up, wounds or not, and get a fresh drink. Now she would have help getting there, and quietly she cleared her throat trying to rid of the stickiness."You know more than some I've met. I'm Skylah by the way, are you always this helpful to hurt strangers?" A faint grin placed on her obsidian lips. Than rather slowly she stretched out her legs, one by one pushing them up beneath her. She wobbled weakly, but leaned to Elettra for support, and better managed to stand. The world spun black, and color for a moment with the blood rush. It passed, and she softly laughed at the dizzy feeling, trying to grab hold of her better moods. She was alive after all, and she already felt much better off the hard ground, up breathing fresher air.

Turning to her companion she wasn't sure if Elettra was a lone wolf or not. She was sure she had picked up a crisp cedar scent of the forest, as well as other wolves. That information couldn't mean much if she was always helping the weak. Skylah was't sure how she felt about being a burden, she would be least for a few days till she gained back some strength. If this lady was a pack wolf she wondered how friendly her pack would be, dragging home a useless stranger. Taking breaths one by one, and ignoring the stings on her thick muscle, her expression became thoughtful. It was hard for her to really accept the lady's help, but she wouldn't let pride get in the way of her life. A serious tone she said, "You know if you need to return home, I would still be grateful if you just get me to the river at least." if you want to get them headed to the river works for me.

"No. It depends, I guess." She had always been rather neutral by this- depending on her mood for the day and the mood of the injured wolf, of course. The woman before her had not acted ill towards Elettra's wish to help and thus, Elettra stayed. Had the woman displayed a spiteful act, or the attitude of 'I don't need any help; I can do it myself', then the healer would have most likely went on, leaving Mother Nature to decide the woman's fate. "Elettra Archer." She spoke the name boldly, one corner of her milky white lip turning upwards, hardening only when the woman began to lift, leaning upon her for support. El's legs widened then, claws digging into the ground below her, managing to help support the weight of the woman as she tried to gain her balance. "If you'd rather." Pale gaze shifted to the side, a single silky black ear folding against her skull. "I've an infirmary for the wounded in Grizzly Hollow." The comment was small, suggesting that she could try and bring the woman there for a few days in order for her wounds to begin to close and tended to more properly, granted the heavy amount of her injuries. It would be her first patient, but she was sure she would need permission from her leader's first- or at least one of them. Soon as the woman was able to regain her balance and stand still, Elettra's head bent down, retrieving the bits of burdock and catnip (seeing as the woman took in most of the chamomile) and began to slowly make her way, woman in tow.

Would you mind starting the thread in the Beaver Dam?

<i> sure, i'll work on it :)</i>

we are all decieving, lost, and bleeding.

"Awe," she muttered in simple understanding. She would be the same way. Why waste effort, and time on the ungrateful or rude? Well she felt privelaged, in a small sense the lady was helping her when she might have chosen else wise. Sky was a little she trouble what her favor would be eventually, but Skylah did want to do something in return, and would keep her promise. Wasn't every day someone saved her, and she was sure she would be on the cold ground if Elettra had not been out gathering herbs. Gray speckled ears softly turned, putting name to memory, and noting the tone in which she chose to tell it. She detected a small hint of pride, perhaps, but it was a good strong name. She only wondered if that meant she was proud of her family who'd given it to her. Careful she accepted the lady's help, and tried to hold herself best she could. "Well let's make it to the Beaver Dam first hmm, " she replied. She wasn't dumb not to accept help, but she wasn't sure how she felt about being taken care of for days. Thus, she'd wait see how bad this was going to hurt before declining or accepting. She might need some days rest, and meds. Slowly the two started the coarse to the creek.
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