Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:50 am

May:

Timothy's turquoise eyes gleamed out of the darkness at Kale, Kieoki, and Toby. He had not ever been unaware that Kieoki was behind him; they had been much too loud to go unnoticed.. But Timothy made no more attempts to escape, now he was waiting for Kieoki.

Kale appeared swiftly and suddenly from the surrounding woods, and arrived with authority which Timothy understood. He knew Kale, he knew her position and he was inclined to obey- had Kieoki not made a change in behavior to follow Kale's lead.

Timothy looked at this as a mockery, as if Kieoki were attempting to conceal her true intentions from the Beta.. For only a moment Timothy contemplated upon Kale's gentle voice as she had beckoned him back to his senses, and then he felt a need to explain.

Timothy sat down where he had stood and laid his short broken tail flat on the ground. Not a human word he said, yet he was speaking.. His eyes stared upon Kale firmly, his brows were wet and his shoulders dark with blood, but his head was held up as if he felt no pain. There was no wildness about him, no furious intention nor heartless thought, his expression was calm, gentle and smooth...

That was when he became clear, and his sad silent words were finally heard: This was Timothy, he was not out of control, he was neither animal nor man, and he had been this way before he was even discovered by the Founders..

In his eyes were all the same things which had ever been there; his fearful mind and violent instincts, yet in that moment there was also something else, a question perhaps that he was trying to ask... And a moment later all such emotions were gone as Timothy's eyes closed and his body fell to the ground!

The sky had been lit up in a soft blue glow and the white moon was no longer in sight; dawn had come just as surely as it had ever done before. The werewolves could feel the relieved pressure which had held them, and they were again granted the privilege of returning to their human forms, or to stay within their animal girth if experience would allow.

****

Kratos had pressed the two strangers through the forest during the remainder of the night, allowing them short pauses to regain their breath and rest their wounded bodies. He was firm but not violent, taking them along a steady mountain path which could not be escaped from either left or right. Kratos had memorized this mountain territory, and every advantage a werewolf could seek was in the Alpha's favor.

In the night air the smell of earth and plant was strong. Several feet down the steep slope a river could be heard and Kratos noticed that the howls of his pack members were no longer on the wind, yet they still echoed in his mind.

The thought caused his heart to mourn, believing that somewhere under those deep green leaves was the body of a dear family member. Memories of Gathen's den came suddenly and horribly to his mind and his soul shivered.

Being so high up on the mountain side, Kratos could see, however murky his vision seemed, the dawning glow of the sun beyond the trees. "There he comes at last. Though it would seem the darkness of this night never to end, there is the sun bringing along another day.. I wonder what this day means for those whom have not lived this night beside me.." The Alpha's tears slipped silently down his fur-covered cheeks and dripped off his red whiskers. He felt the forceful power holding him within his werewolf form finally relax and his own will replace it. He made the choice to retain his werewolf form, despite the energy it would take after such a dreadful night.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:50 am

Mariel:

Kieoki had been worried about the way Timothy would react to her movements, and she was more than relieved when he sat down. Kieoki pushed herself into a sitting position then, but kept the weight off her one paw because it pained her shoulder. She gave it a sniff and a swift lick before she turned her eyes back to Timothy, curious because she couldn't hear words, but more or less felt something. She was surprised to see Timothy. Not the angry, vicious and threatening Timothy she'd be up against, but a softer one (more or less) and though Timothy was looking at Kale, Kieoki understood most of what he was saying.

She'd been wrong.

Dead wrong.

In fact, she'd been so wrong that she actually flinched at the sight of Timothy. How could she have grouped him with her? He was nothing like her. He may be broken, like she was, but he wasn't the were she'd seen. He wasn't vicious like her, he was gentle, calm, the opposite of her. She didn't know what had happened to him, but whatever it was, he'd either moved past it, or ended up with a different outcome. He didn't seem to have sucked up the hate, the viciousness, the want to fight like she had. How had she been so blind? Kieoki turned her head away from Timothy then, a strange wave of emotions flushing through her before timothy collapsed.

Actually, she never saw him fall to the ground, but she heard a soft thud and turned to look back at him only to see him crumpled upon the ground. Her reaction was without thought. Kieoki was on her paws and standing, shifting really, as she stretched out a now human hand towards Timothy. She was reaching in worry, before she stopped, her hand jerking to a halt before it fell limp at her side, all emotion wiped from her face. Which was hard to do considering the wave of pain that spread through her bitten arm. She desperately wanted to see if Timothy was okay, and was starting to worry about getting him home, but she stopped herself because Kale was here. Kieoki had Timothy's blood on her just as Timothy had her blood on him. And that toby was here too, and she didn't want either of them to think she was trying to attack him or something. Still holding a blank face, Kieoki took a small step towards Timothy, looking at Kale with a small question that she formed with a sharp look at Timothy and some thoughts. "How can I help?"

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:50 am

Kaqurei:

Sabrina was quite relieved when the Sun started to show his pretty face on the edge of the horizon. Still, she could not see him through the canopy yet, but she could feel his presence drawing nearer. She felt her inner animal retreat and was further relieved. As a Half Blood trained all her life to control the Wolf, she could shift at will. The Full Moon was the only night in the month that she did not enjoy the feeling.

She was, however, also disappointed. They had only just picked up the trail of an ideal prey animal when the beast inside retreated. The new weres would, of course, lose their wolf forms. So the hunt was over before it could even begin. She supposed this was just as well--perhaps now she could work with their human sides and prepare them for a more ideal hunt than they could ever possibly achieve tonight. They would be more ready... and this coming month, she would not abandon them for any reason. The Alpha should have done this prior. That he did not was infuriating--but perhaps he too was just a learner, in spite of the power and wisdom expressed in his voice?

"This hunt is over," she announced, without looking back at those that followed her. "We will resume next full moon. As for now, we should get back to the cabins before you all begin to change again."

It was funny that she should have spent at least three months with this pack, this month not included of course, and yet she still knew so little about them. This was mostly her own fault... up to now, she had sized them up and made guesses as to who they were and how they would react. This may have been enough on the battlefield, but a pack relationship required that she actually get to know them--each one--for who they were rather than how they acted.

She had much work to do... especially when she got back to the cabins. She was the pack's Healer. She did not know exactly how much damage had been done last night, but she was sure that she would have her hands full at any rate.

****

Levi marched on like a creature of stone, betraying neither emotion nor any expression of the pain he was in. When they rested, he would not lay down for fear that he might not get up again. Rather he would stand stolid with his head held low--his only movements then would be his breathing and his eyes as he examined his two travelling companions and the area where they had stopped.

When they began again, his focus was in his every step, that his feet did not give way under him, and his surroundings that no sudden blow would take him by surprise. Purposely now and again he would agitate a gash on his side with his elbow in an attempt to keep his mind sharp and alert... he would not lose conciousness until they had arrived at the alpha's destination.

As they rounded a bend in the mountain path, he beheld the Sun in all his splendor peaking golden above the forested area below. His light caused Levi to pause and squint for the brightness. It was there that the wolf within him stirred and a question came to his mind: Do I stay or go? The form of the wolf he could readily take on at any time, due to his lineage and vigorous training... but it was not this that the question had been about.

Then he noticed the alpha's tears. At first, Levi might have mistaken them for perhaps rain or sweat, for outside of his tears the alpha displayed no sign of distress; he seemed to forever exude outwardly an aura of control and majesty. But as there were not clouds in the sky for the former, and the alpha had not exterted enough energy this night for the latter, Levi realized for certain that the alpha was mourning.

The first impulsive impression Levi determined from this was weakness. His wolfish insticts were still clinging on the edges of his mind, in spite of the Sun's approach. Yet, this alpha was not weak. He was large and he was cunning. And he had won, both of those whom had prior been intruders on his land were now his captives with him barely ever having had to face them in combat. What then pained him so, that tears came to his eyes despite being in the presence of foes?

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:50 am

Dez:

For Logan, every step felt the same as the last, as if they weren't moving at all or even getting further from their destination; the feeling only amplified by the pain that was present on nearly every portion of her body. Her eyes hadn't shifted from the ground since they began, and like the other captive werewolf, her focus was centered on simply staying awake. Though her body protested, her will and pride held their own.

Almost as soon as the pull of the full moon was no longer upon them, the wolf in Logan resided and she reverted at last to a human. Her mind was no longer a haze, or engulfed by a desire for blood. Though she had retained a vague outline of what had taken place, the rest was diminished for now, lost in the abyss of thoughts and memories.

For a few more steps still, she fought the sleep that threatened to take her with the stubbornness of a mule. She could count on a hand how many times she'd transformed, making every time as hard as the last, and as a consequence, the exhaustion was inevitable. However even when her body wanted to collaspe under her, she refused to let it do so and instead she slowly sat herself on the ground. Her figure teetered briefly, and at last, she slumped to the side. With that, she was out.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:50 am

Kale:

Kale looked into Timothy's serene eyes. eyes that seemed sad. but eyes that were so very focused. He sat and held his head up high and in that moment, Kale truly recognized him.

That was Timothy, a resilient, powerful soul that had been put through hell and came out broken, but strong. He had been scared. he had been lost. Perhaps the seeming come-and-go of his rationality had not been the battle and chaos of the animal verses the human. Perhaps they had just been a survival instinct, a need. a necessity. a question or an unmade choice..

Kale looked back at him and truly saw him. that was Timothy.

Together they had one moment of clarity before he crumpled. Kale huffed in alarm and glanced at Kieoki, who was looking back at her and asking, how can i help?

Kale looked back at his fallen form and felt ahsamed. It had taken a deeper strength on his part to finally make clear to her what should always have been clear than she could see within herself. she had to be ashamed.

Kale padded up to his blood-drenched limp form and pressed her muzzle into his fur, a soft whine escaping her throat.

Timothy. How blind they had been. She held herself there for a moment, her face in the crook of his neck before he lifted her head and gazed over him. how brave he had been. How strong. How gentle a soul.

How lost. but perhaps not of his own right.

Turning back to Kieoki and Toby Kale leveled her bright gaze at them.

"Help me bring him Home."

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:51 am

Mariel:

Kieoki didn't need to be told more than once.

As soon as Kale asked her to help get Timothy home she was moving forwards, reaching down towards Timothy to pick him up. She hesitated though, thinking for a moment. Yes, he wasn't a large wolf, but with a non-injured arm, she would've had trouble carrying him by herself. She knew that. And with the injured arm she was certain that she wouldn't be able to pick him up and carry him the entire way home by herself. Knowing that toby probably wasn't as strong as Kale was, Kieoki turned to Kale, speaking. "I'll need your help." She said before she knelt down and gently tucked her arms under Timothy's head and back, waiting for Kale to help. It was all Kieoki could do to not flinch at the touch of fur upon her skin. She'd never touched fur before unless she'd been a wolf herself. In fact, the only time she had was the night the pack attacked her long ago. She made sure her face was blank, trying to look only worried for Timothy as she glanced at Kale, waiting.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:51 am

Indy:

Jackie didn't know if Ulric said anything after that. It seemed an vestigial protection the earlier dose of medication that had remained had now vanished. Everything hurt, burned, and writhed like she was on fire. More than anything she wanted to hold on and stay awake, but darkness seem to loom forward despite her attempts to bait it back.

In less than a second, her head lolled back and her mind drifted away from the conscious world. Vivid colors and nebulous sounds submerged her unconsciousness, none of which she could process as more than a fleeting sensation. Yet even while asleep, she could still feel the fight warring inside of herself; the fight to live. Every breath was a blow against death and a testament to her will.

She didn't even realize as the sun passed above the horizon and she transformed back into her human form.

****

Theo might have sung when he saw the sun beginning to peak above the horizon. Fortunately, he had the constraint not to. The entire night he had been very cautious to keep a fleeting emotion of rage or sorrow under lock, as those very emotions could tear down the mental barrier he had put back to keep his inner-wolf controlled. But now the sun was coming up and he didn't need to worry about it any longer.

Following Sabrina's advice, he made a beeline back to his cabin and in a matter of a few minutes, had transformed back to a human. After slipping on something more comfortable, he walked out of the cabin and took a curious look around to see if any of the rest of the pack was finished dressing.

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:51 am

May:

The sun steadily rose over Mount Phantom and scattered the darkness of dawn about the valley. Far away the town of Reknab Bend became a noticeable shape out of the shadows and no doubt the farmers and ranchers of the low fields would be awake to tend their livestock.

The Calagathorm pack was scattered: Down at the ranch Uric administered to Jackie's care, meanwhile very near to the oak trees a short ways into the forest, Timothy, without the will or strength to maintain his werewolf form or consciousness lays at the feet of Beta Kale, Kieoki, and Toby. Further up the mountain Gamma Sabrina leads the younger members of the pack back to the security of the dens, and further up still, Alpha Kratos ushers the two strangers to the foot of Dead-Man-trail.

Kratos' heavy paws slowed their pace to a halt as the female stranger faltered and set herself upon the ground. He watched as her stature gave way to her human form under her relenting strength and finally leaving her to collapse from exaustion. He then turned his eyes upon the second stranger and heaved a sigh from his large chest.

"Lay down and rest. We go no futher for now." The Alpha's deep voice commanded.

As the stranger gave no sign of returning to his human form despite his obvious weakening, Kratos made a guess that he was a member of a 'nondomesticated' pack which only lightly regarded their human forms.. This would mean that the spy was trained to the werewolf form; likely raised from a young age to embrace it, and would thus be able to retain the form even in a light sleep.

However, Kratos did not see need to consider this skill as a danger, for he himself possessed it and the spy was weak.

Looking from the spy to the woman laying on the ground, the Alpha stepped forward. His bright yellow eyes stared down upon the stranger and closely examined her features. He was not within three feet distance of her, but he noted the color of her hair and the shape of her face, the scars on her face and arm, and also her general stature.

She was of a strong and sturdy build, athletic perhaps but undoubtedly hard-working. She was not a resident of Reknab Bend nor was her scent combined with the scent of a pack, and the fact that she was first generation had already been guessed..

Much of the stranger's human appearance could have rightly been imagined when beholding her in werewolf form, but Kratos was seeking neither ethnic trait nor assumable background. No indeed, his gaze sought only one simple thing; to acknowledge that she was human.

Kratos' anger at the loss of his pack mate had awakened within him the the desire of the werewolf to kill. He did not know her reasons for attacking Jacqueline nor whether they would justify her actions, but the instincts of the werewolf cared naught for these things. Kratos had not lost his control to it, but the pain in his heart was still there and he needed to remind himself that this stranger was a human being...

Quote from Indy on August 22, 2018, 2:51 am

Cathannah:

Ah, the sun! Toby could've breathed it into his very being. The sunlight, no matter how faint and distant, really filled his heart with the fresh happiness of a new day. Just like the flowers, it felt as though last night had never happened and today was a brand new slate without a single mistake in it... Then Kieoki spoke and Toby returned to the moment.

He didn't quite know what to do right now, other than do as Kale had demanded and go home. Kieoki asked for Kale's help moving Timothy, nevermind Toby was nearby and could also help.