Dare I Cease My Wandering?

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

Breathy pants came heavily against the whisperings of the wind.

Athoran closed his eyes, trying to rest without lying down. He knew that if he did, his starving body might lose all motivation to get up again. He took a deep breath as the wind caressed his fur, drifting over his body. Ever so slightly, his legs quaked.

"It's nice to have company," he whispered raspingly to the breeze. "Someone who understands."

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"Someone who wanders like I do."

A stronger gust swept the crest of the hill where he walked, as if in response to his musings. He smiled.

"Would that I had more friends like you."

Suddenly, something made him stop. He tensed, eyes wide, as his nostrils read the message the wind had brought him: the scent of one of his own.

"No..."

But then he relaxed. He did not recognize this scent. It was a new pack; one that did not know him. He considered calling to them, to alert them to his presence. It would be unwise to cross unknown borders unannounced. Quickly, though, he decided to just turn and leave--he had little interest in social contact. It did not seem to end well for him.

He turned away, but as his eyes caught the vast expanse of land on the other side of the hill, a particularly sharp pang of hunger nearly knocked him to the ground. He groaned. Like it or not, he would die without food--food that, for the first time, he could not manage to catch on his own.

Apprehensively, almost mournfully, he called to his kin.

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

Silently, except for a few groans of hunger, he waited. And waited. The moments seemed like days before the reply came.

"Stay where you are...we are in meeting. A wolf will be sent down to you soon."

Wait? Athoran let out a choking sob. He had to eat. The pangs were growing worse by the second, it seemed. Desperately, he spun in a circle, searching for anything to quell the burning emptiness in his belly. Nothing. His eyelids sunk lower and lower, and at last, his legs refused to hold him. He collapsed onto his side, and the night faded into the thick shadow of unconsciousness.

[Kefrah ~ Saighid ~ Alki ~ Tal]

When October arrived, her heart nearly stopped in shock. What lay before her looked less like a wolf and more like a carcass with every second she stood there, staring. She was so glad she had come...but was she too late? Was this poor wolf bound to die anyway?

She moved closer, pads carrying her swiftly to his side, where she then lowered her maw, and nosed the side of his face, hoping to rouse him...

"Wolf...waken."

It was all she knew to say...she did not know his dubbance, and therefore could only name him wolf. She could see his ribs, and knew immediately what had probably knocked this wolf on his ass...she had experienced times such as those, and winced thinking of it.

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

His eyelids slid partially open, revealing near-lifeless eyes. Someone had spoken. Painstakingly, he tried to turn his head. His eyes widened in fear when he saw another wolf through the haze of sleep.

Marbos!

He whined breathily in panic and weakly tried to push himself away. "Don't," came the weak plea, slurred by delusion and weariness. He was so tired; he could barely move. His eyelids flickered, straining to stay open.

Marbos, why couldn't you let me die in piece? he tried to say. But the words would not come. Breathing was hard enough without speaking.

[Kefrah ~ Saighid ~ Alki ~ Tal]

October's face turned to that of pain, and she put her nose to his, looking directly into his eyes.

"Shh...it's alright. I won't hurt you...I'm here to help."

She wagged her tail slightly, to let him know she meant him no harm, and then her ears flashed erect. This wolf was very weak...and the only wolf she knew of that might help him was Alzanka. But--she couldn't take a stranger to the cavern, could she? And they were in the middle of a ceremony...

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath, trying to figure out what to do.

"Can you stand?"

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

Something tugged at a ragged edge of Athoran's fading consciousness. It was a smell...a female smell. Female? Eyes...the eyes were dark. Dark brown, not orange, like Marbos had.

It took a long moment, but the realization finally made its way through the slurred workings of his mind. It wasn't him. She...was someone else. Someone to help. Hope and relief ignited in him like a fire, and in that fire, he found strength that wiped the haze from his mind.

"Can you stand?"

He clenched his teeth, straining against legs that had little left to give. He pulled himself to his feet, trying to find his balance as blood rushed to his head.

[Kefrah ~ Saighid ~ Alki ~ Tal]

She stood near him as support, thinking of the remains of the deer carcass from the hunt in the meadow. The meat was still fresh, and there should be enough left to hold this fellow until she could catch him a rabbit.

"Follow me...I can take you to the meadow. There's food there..."

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

FOOD!

The mere mention of the word brought the agony in his stomach to full force. His tongue lolled out of his mouth involuntarily, but he quickly pulled it back inside his muzzle, hoping to maintain a semblance of decency in front of the female. Still, the urge to charge ahead of her was enormous.

"Thank you," he said weakly.

[Athoran ~ Marbos ~ Dehatak]

OOC: Mwahaha! This could be most interesting. How close is the ayzra's den to the meadow? Could be most interesting if Alakyl finds a starving stranger in close proximity to her pups... ;D

[Alakyl~ Alz~ Tir -Aku- Sciana-]

((xD Probably fairly close, besides the fact that Tirossta at least wouldn't stay put for too long, and yes, that would be very..../interesting/ ^^; I like it...))

[Kefrah ~ Saighid ~ Alki ~ Tal]

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