1X1 with arvanien

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Basil

Basil stayed close by Arion's side, comforted by his protectiveness. She kept a firm grip on his arm, not wanting to get to far from him. Though, the panicky, tight feeling in her chest didn't seem to completely disappear. She was still terrified of Howlers lurking in the dark; Basil had been afraid of them ever since her family had been killed that night, years ago. The incident still gave her terrible panic attacks and even worse nightmares. Stop it! Don't think about it. Basil thought, trying to calm herself down, You're fine., Arion's fine, and as soon as we find Celeste, I know she'll be okay. Then we can go home and forget about coming up here. Basil seemed to relax a bit, though her fingernails were still digging into Arion's arm.

Basil flinched as Gilly stepped out of the bushes. Even though he seemed friendly enough, she took a cautious step away from the deer Howler. Gilly, on the other hand, paid no mind to Basil. He was completely focused on Arion.

" Y-yeah, I let her into the village earlier. She was with Br'er Juniper." He said to Arion. He edged away from the red haired Quell, intimidated by his large build and fierce expression. Mentally, Gilly was freaking out. He didn't know what to do. Should I let them in? There's already a Quell in the village, so its okay.... i think. I can't really stop 'em anyway! Should I call fo help? That'd be embarrassing... By the time he had decided to let them pass, Arion had already side stepped him and was walking towards the village. " Well.... enjoy the village I suppose.... " Gilly said. He wasn't certainly wasn't going to get in the way of stopping Arion, not alone at least.

Juniper

Juniper very gently rubbed Celeste's hands in an effort to get some warmth back into them. His thoughts were so clouded that he couldn't think about anything other than Celeste's presence. Though, that really was all that mattered to him at the moment. Somehow, he recognized that they were dying, but he felt strangely peaceful. Perhaps it was the poison or his numbed thoughts, but Juniper knew he could die happily knowing that Celeste loved him. His only regret was that they had barely any time left together.

Juniper felt his eyelids getting heavier and his breathing getting softer. Numbness had taken over his entire body. Sleep sounded enticing, but part of him knew he shouldn't. Instead, Juniper kept his gaze on Celeste's face. Even so close to death, he thought she was still the most beautiful Quell he had ever laid eyes on. Juniper squeezed her hand gently, murmuring, " Forever...."

Lyra

Benjamin pinched th bridge of his nose as if he was getting a headache from talking with Endymion. " I suppose you're right." The healer agreed. He knew that the pack needed to be united in order for things to run smoothly. A strong leader kept the pack in order. Without someone to lead the pack, it could possibly fall to anarchy. War had left the Howlers nearly in ruins; families torn apart, parts of the village were still in shambles and many more less visible scars from war still haunted the Howler pack. The last thing they needed as they were just recovering from war, was to lose the person who kept the pack in order.

" I didn't say that she was foolish or egotistical," Benjamin raised an eyebrow, looking over at Endymion," What I meant was that Lyra doesn't acknowledge her own weakness and she won't accept help. Pride like that can be deadly. What is it they say, pride cometh before a fall?" The healer shrugged," I doubt anyone would purposefully try to make their injuries worse. But, warriors like Lyra try to get back into the field without properly healing first. They push themselves too hard. And that only causes them a mischief later on."

As Endymion talked about Gilly, the healers expression darkened a bit. " People can't just be replaced, you of all Howlers should know that." He said, struggling to keep his voice calm and somewhat friendly," Juniper was always a good friend to my son. Its a shame he was a traitor, but I believe he didn't deserve to die. He was a good kid." Benjamin sighed," Br'er Endymion, maybe it would be best to split up. We can cover more ground that way."

[arvanien]

Arion

"With who?" Arion almost yelled, his hard eyes gleaming murderously. He suddenly was overwhelmingly tempted to snap Gilly's neck right then and there, but his other thoughts quickly caught up to him. He couldn't let his anger get the better of him like it always had. Celeste going to the village with a Howler? What is wrong with her? A dry feeling of dread gnawed his stomach as he held Basil close, trying to calm himself down. As Arion quickly made his way deeper into the forest with Basil, his light began to flicker erratically as the heavy feeling of dread grew larger and larger. "Basil, please forgive me for anything I may do tonight." He muttered, too stricken to look down at her.

They stopped in front of the foliage curtain, not being able to walk past it. Arion paused for a split second - it had been a long time since he'd been to the village and he was trying to remember. He reached forward and experimentally tugged at the vines, then seized the whole thing with both hands and forcefully ripped out a huge chunk of it. I'm coming for you.

Celeste

Celeste's small hands were cold and limp, slowly going blue as the poison began to take over her system. She registered dimly that she had most likely lost too much blood to survive. She could still sort of feel Juniper's strong, gentle hands, a great comfort to her. Knowing that he loved her back made her perfectly content, to the point that she wasn't afraid of death anymore. "See you...on...the other.....side," she breathed faintly, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face as she gazed up at him one last time. She couldn't say the words, but she was trying to remind him that they'd be together for eternity after this momentary suffering. Forever, she thought blissfully, the idea simply too wonderful to grasp.

Endymion

"It's kind of hard to turn away help when you're barely conscious." He pointed out. Endymion decided not to talk any more about Lyra; this was a form of gossip, wasn't it? He couldn't blame Benjamin for saying these things, though, as he was sincere. What he did not appreciate was his biting criticism of her. "Everyone has that reckless pride in them that either grows or is tamed." He said as an afterthought. His expression remained as blank as stone as he looked ahead, able to scan everything in his field of vision even though it was pitch-dark. Should have stayed with Lyra instead of being here trying not to snap at Brother Benjamin. I'm going back to her once that silly boy is found.

"Not if they're dross." Endymion said flatly, "Anyway, if I happen to find your son, I won't spoil anything for him. See you soon, Brother Benjamin." He nodded curtly and turned at a sharp angle, his figure blurring with the surrounding trees as he walked farther away.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil tugged on her bangs anxiously, a bit more startled by Arion's ferocity than Gilly, who looked terrified instead of threatening. Of course, she assumed that Arion's change of personality was because he was so worried about Celeste. Basil didn't blame him for being so distraught. Still, it was a bit unnerving to see him like this. Basil kept quiet as they walked deeper into the forest; somehow her fear had been replaced by worry for Arion. She desperately wanted to comfort him somehow. Very gently, she squeezed Arion's arm in an attempt to reassure him, " Of course I'll forgive you, no matter what" She said sincerely, looking up at him. Basil was sure that that there wasn't anything Arion could do that she couldn't forgive.

Gilly was frozen stiff momentarily as he saw the murderous look in Arion's eyes. Great Scott… He cursed mentally, realizing that his pack and best friend were probably in more danger than he had thought before. I’ve gotta warn the pack! He transformed back into his stag form, giving a loud distressed call in hopes that someone in the village would hear. It was an odd noise, almost like a dog’s bark. The stag gracefully leapt past Arion and Basil, disappearing into the thick foliage. With his nimble speed, he easily made it to the village before they could.

Juniper

Juniper smiled faintly at her, though it was only a ghost of his familiar, crooked grin. Death didn’t scare him anymore because he knew that he’d be with Celeste no matter what lifetime they were in. The thought of spending eternity hand in hand with her comforted him. Gently, Juniper reached over with his free hand and affectionately brushed his fingers against her cheek, “You’ll… wait… for me?” He breathed, cracking a tiny smile, “I love…you…. so much… darling…” He murmured inaudibly. Talking was taking too much effort, but there was so much he wanted to tell her. But, Juniper felt himself slowly losing consciousness with the memory of Celeste’s striking blue eyes and blissful smile still burned into his mind

Gilly burst into the village in his human form, shouting for help. Though it was late, there were several Howlers still up and quickly readied themselves as he explained what had happened. Gilly was ready to fight to protect his village, but first he had to warn Juniper and Celeste about Arion. Quickly, he surveyed the village in hopes in finding them. His eyes widened in shock as he spotted the two of them laying on the ground, unmoving. “W-what…? No!” The distraught Howler gasped, dashing over to see if they were still alive. Kneeling beside them, he very gently checked their pulses. He could just barely feel a slight heartbeat, though it was better than nothing at all. Thank heavens He thought, relieved. Though he frowned deeply, looking over his shoulder at the healer's hut, Where's dad? Why didn't he help them...? . Gilly was only a healer's apprentice, but he did know a good deal about medicine and first aid. Still, he wasn't sure if there was anything he could do for Celeste and Juniper at the moment.

Lyra

Benjamin was already tired of arguing with Endymion. Like his son, he was a laid-back sort of guy and he avoided most conflict. Though, with the healer’s sharp tounge he often walked right into arguments like these. Usually he could hold his own in a battle of wits, but Benjamin had a lot on his shoulders. Lyra was injured badly, Juniper was dying, and his son had been gone for hours. Though truthfully, he wasn’t that worried about Gilly. It had been more of an excuse to get away from Lyra and Endmion, but still the healer was a little nervous that something had happened. Gilly did have a tendancy to run into mischief.

Benjamin gave a distracted nod, barely paying attention to Endymion anymore as he looked around the dark forest. “You’re probably right,” He said, suddenly realizing he had no idea what he was agreeing to. Looking back at Endymion, the healer focused back on their slightly strained conversation. " Alright, thank you, Br'er Endymion" Benjamin said, keeping his tone polite. He definetly didn't want Endymion telling his son what had happened. Endy certainly was far from compassionate and understanding, or so it seemed. Maybe it was petty, but Benjamin felt a sense of relief as he watched the young man dissappear into the forest.

[arvanien]

Arion

He nodded mutely, swallowing uncertaintly. Arion glanced dismissively after Gilly as the stag bounded away. "Hope I didn't scare him." He rubbed Basil's shoulder gently, picking up on her worry and trying to cheer her up despite the situation. "I'm glad you're with me, Basil." He smiled faintly, taking comfort in holding her small, warm body close to his. He didn't want this to be the last time he could be with her like this.

Arion stepped over the torn down foliage, offering his arm to Basil so she could follow. As soon as they were both through, his eyes instantly locked on two small bloody figures on the ground next to the deer Howler he'd seen earlier. Looking back on it, Arion couldn't remember any other time raw despair, rage, and grief had crushed him so badly. His chest turned to lead and his hearing suddenly went fuzzy. It was like having every single one of his worst night terrors liquefied into a scene. "Celeste," he screamed, running as fast as he could towards the unmoving form of his sister. Distraught with anguish, he dropped to the ground and gathered up Celeste's little body in his arms, seemingly blind to the equally wounded Howler who had been holding her earlier and his deer friend. "Celeste, wake up," he pleaded, his voice choked with grief, shaking her gently. "Don't go where I can't come with you!" Sparks started to throw themselves off from his neck and shoulders as grief bit a chunk out of his chest. Her too-pale skin, her ice-blue lips, and her cold, bloody torso made him want to cry. This is all my fault. I should have noticed her absence earlier. I'm the worst brother ever. Forgetting about everything, Arion clutched Celeste to his chest, grief etched in every line of his face.

Celeste

Celeste nodded once, overcome with exhaustion. She couldn't even get herself to utter a simple "yes". The small trace of a smile still remained on her face as her eyelids began to droop. Of course I will wait for you. But I'm sure we'll cross over together. In her mind, she brought up the memory of Juniper's exited, happy face when he was talking about his favorite books in the library. Celeste held on to the image, knowing she would see it again for real in just a matter of moments as everything started to turn black.

She lay unresponsive as Arion snatched her from Juniper's arms and begged her to open her eyes, calling name. Only when he picked her up and walked away from Juniper and Gilly did she stir and gasp Juniper's name. Arion hadn't even looked at the two other Howlers in his zoned-out state. He just didn't register that Juniper was also hurt. The red haired Quell turned and glared at Juniper as he cradled his sister protectively, debating whether or not to take him as well or leave him. He turned back to Basil, knowing she would make a good decision. Hatred and fear smoldered together in his eyes.

Endymion

The dark-haired Howler melted into a huge black wolf and kept walking silently. He was tired of walking in the forest in his black trench coat. Following the patrol pattern he was sure Gilly was on, he moved swiftly until he came upon the spot where the deer Howler had encountered Arion and Basil. The Howler sniffed the air, catching Gilly's fresh, definite scent. Wait, what's this? Two other foreign traces reached his nose, one delicately feminine and the other distinctly masculine. Both obviously Quell. For a split second, Endymion was sure Gilly was in trouble - then he noticed the broken branches and shrubs through where the deer Howler had made his escape back to the village. More accursed Quell in our home? The large black wolf growled in indignation and raced after the trace of Gilly's scent.

(Oh my goodness "Endy" made me laugh so hard!!! 😂)

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil followed alongside Arion, glad that they were here together. She offered a small smile back up at him, “Me too” She agreed. There was no way that she was just going to let Arion come to the Howler village alone. Though Basil wasn’t exactly a fan of Howlers, she did want to be with Arion in case he wanted her help. Though, deep down, she knew that he could handle himself and probably didn’t necessarily need her assistance.

Basil stepped through the thick curtain of foliage, murmuring a quiet ‘thanks’. As she looked up, she spotted Celeste and Juniper lying unconscious on the ground. Gasping, she covered her mouth in shock, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Of course, she had never met Juniper, but she did know Celeste. It was painful seeing the two of them bloodied and lifeless. I just talked to her this morning and now she’s…. no! It can’t be…. She’s not… gone, is she? Basil looked over at Arion, her eyes filled with sorrow. Seeing his grief nearly shattered her heart. “Arion… I’m so, so sorry” She murmured quietly, putting her hand gently on his shoulder. Basil could only imagine what he was going through, but she did know that comforting words weren’t going to help Celeste at the moment. Celeste needed a healer Quell or at least some form of healing potion and quickly. Neither of those things were going to be found in the middle of the Howler camp.

Juniper

Juniper didn’t stir, even as Celeste was lifted from his arms. A small smiled played on his lips as if he were dreaming about something really pleasant. If it weren’t for the dark circles around his eyes and his blue lips, it would have most likely looked as if he had simply fallen asleep. Juniper didn’t even wake as Gilly gently shook his good shoulder, “Come on mate, hang in there” The deer Howler murmured. He cracked a halfhearted smile, “I leave you alone for one evening and this happens?” All jokes aside, Gilly was actually terrified of losing his packmate. There wasn’t much he could do for him in the Howler camp and he had no idea where his father was. Hope flickered in his eyes as he looked over at Basil and Arion- well… mostly Basil. Arion looked ready to burn down the entire village. “Greenie!” He pleaded hopefully, “ I mean, miss. Please… take Juniper with you. Your purple Quell’s magic is the only thing that can keep him on this side of the dirt, if you know what I mean”

Basil chewed her lip nervously, glancing between Arion and the two Howler boys. “W-well…” She said unsurely. Juniper was a Howler, but he didn’t deserve to die. And besides, it was apparent that Celeste cared about him. Basil had noticed the way they had been hand-in-hand. She glanced up at Arion, decisively, “I think we should bring him…” She said quietly. Gilly looked so relieved he probably would have hugged them both. “Thank you, sister” He said, respectfully.

Lyra

*Lyra's still asleep in the healer's hut and Benjamin is looking for Gilly, but he'll head back soon*

( XD Yep! lol I hope that was alright )

[arvanien]

Arion

Arion gave Gilly an icy stare, cradling Celeste as if she were made out of cut glass. Not even grief had managed to dilute the angry hatred in his eyes. He looked like he might just go berserk. The thought of Celeste being close to a Howler made him absolutely furious - but it helped just a bit that Juniper was a really cute guy. However, he seemed to agree as Basil gave her opinion; it was evident that Celeste cared for the brown-haired Howler to some degree. Hopefully she snaps out of it when she wakes up...if she ever wakes up.

"Fine." He snarled, turning around and kneeling next to the wounded Howler. Arion slung his sword off his back and buckled it to his belt. He grabbed Juniper's good arm and roughly hauled him onto his back, as if he couldn't care less. He stood again and strode towards Basil, carrying both of them. "Let's get out of here."

Endymion

The large black wolf bounded into the village, leaping gracefully through the foliage. He transformed human and laughed as he stood up and took in the scene. Arion holding Celeste to his chest with Juniper slung across his back, a small green-haired Quell who looked strangely familiar, and Gilly. "Congratulations, Arion! You finally showed up." Endymion smirked, crossing his arms. "I hope you enjoy watching her die. You should be able to see that it's too late for her." He smiled sympathetically, his eyes glinting merrily. Arion shifted Celeste to one arm and put the other around Basil, his expression absolutely livid. "She'll live to cut out your tongue before I can, you cur!"
Endymion just laughed again, triumph sparkling in his deep blue eyes. "Have a nice evening! One dead sister and one dead traitor." He walked into the healer's hut and closed the door. He wasn't even going to stop Arion or try to hurt him. Celeste's death would do that. He knelt next to Lyra and with a quiet sigh.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

The pure hatred in Arion’s eyes scared Basil just a bit. It was unnerving to see him acting like this; she had never seen him look so furious. Basil definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of Arion’s wrath. Part of her felt a bit bad for Gilly as Arion gave the distraught Howler a death glare. Basil chewed her lip nervously, wishing she could comfort them both somehow or at least calm Arion down a bit, but once again she couldn’t find the right words to say. Instead, she held her tounge and reservedly waited to see if Arion would agree to take Juniper with them.

“Thank you, Arion” She smiled faintly as Arion hauled Juniper onto his back. For a moment, she had doubted that he would willingly help the wounded Howler. Basil nodded in agreement, “Yeah”. She was more than happy to get back to Solodin and out of the Howler village. Just being here made her chest feel painfully tight just from anxiety, which was made worse by her worrying about Celeste and Juniper.

Basil looked up as she noticed Endymion bound into the village and shift in front of them. Instinctively, she shrank back closer to Arion. How can he talk like that about Celeste and Juniper?! It almost seems like he’s enjoying the fact that they’re dying She thought, her eyes burning with anger as she watched him head to the healer’s hut. But, now probably wasn’t the time to lament over an insolent Howler. Basil looked up at Arion, putting her hand gently on his arm, “Come on, let’s head back to Solodin and find them some help.” She said quietly. Before it’s too late

Lyra

The alpha was fitfully sleeping in the dimly lit healer’s hut, curled up on a small cot. Surprisingly, she seemed a bit better than she did after the fight. Some of the color had returned to Lyra’s face and her breathing seemed to come a bit easier. Still, she was far from looking like the strong, powerful warrior she once was. Her long blonde hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat from fever and the bandages around her leg were soaked through with blood.

Lyra’s eyes fluttered open as she heard the hut’s door close. “Brother Endymion?” She said drowsily, “What are you doing here?”. Her coffee brown eyes were glazed from fever and sleep. Wincing, Lyra sat up carefully and glanced around the hut. She was surprised to find that the healer wasn't with Endymion, though she didn't mind at all. Lyra was glad to have Endymion's company. “Did you and Brother Benjamin find Gilly already?” She asked, thinking that was the only reason he had come back to the healer's hut.

[arvanien]

Arion

Arion trudged out of the village with Basil, quiet. Despite having Celeste cradled in one arm and securing Juniper on his back with the other, he walked without any trouble. The burning hatred in his eyes still hadn't dissipated, though it was laced with sorrow. "We have to be fast if she's going to live." He glanced into Celeste's face, fear welling up inside of him. Arion would gladly switch places with her in an instant; anything was better than the heavy leaden feeling in his chest. He began to make his strides longer, but made sure that he wasn't leaving Basil behind. Her small hand on his arm was just about the only thing that was making him feel better.

Endymion

He reached over and plucked his runestone out of the bowl of water. The faint yellow glow had long since faded; it was just a small, wet stone. Relief replaced the malicious triumph on Endymion's face as Lyra woke up. She looked much better; no doubt she'd be back to normal in maybe a few weeks at least. "Gilly made it back before either of us did. I just wanted to be with you see how you were doing. How are you feeling, my alpha?" He picked up a simple earthenware cup and filled it with water before offering it to her.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil followed Arion quickly, staying close by his side. She kept her hand on his arm in hopes that her presence would comfort him a bit. It wasn’t much, but Basil wanted him to know that she wasn’t going to abandon him and that she wanted to help in any way she could. Nodding, she glanced up at Arion,” Solodin isn’t too far, but we still have to hurry.” She said, biting her lip. Who knew how long Celeste and Juniper had been injured like this? Basil quickened her pace a bit more to keep up with Arion’s long strides.

“Arion,” She started, peering up at him, “Your sister be okay, I just know it.” Basil knew how hard it was to see a sibling suffer, or even worse, lose them. She understood, at least partially, the pain Arion was going through. When she lost her sister as a child, she had been racked with guilt and sorrow. Basil was sure that Arion was feeling the same way; she could see the grief in his eyes despite his hostile expression. Basil very gently squeezed his arm, “Whatever happens… it wasn’t your fault.” She said quietly, looking back at the path. She desperately wished that she could comfort him, but she understood that all the sympathy in the world wasn't going to help ease the way he was feeling. The only way that Arion would feel better was to see his sister safe and healed.

Lyra

Lyra smiled tiredly at Endymion, her eyes holding a faint sparkle. She was touched that he cared enough about her to see how she was doing. And she had a feeling that it wasn’t just because the was the pack’s alpha. “You didn’t have to check on me,” Lyra said sincerely, “But… thank you. I appreciate it.” Though she probably wouldn’t admit it, she quite enjoyed Endymion’s company.

“Thank you, brother Endymion.” She murmured, gratefully accepting the cup of water and taking a few sips. Lyra gave a small chuckle, “I feel alright, considering. “Truthfully, she felt miserable though she never would have admitted truly how she felt because of her stubborn pride. Her leg ached badly, and her head pounded, but Lyra considered herself lucky despite her wounds. The alpha knew she easily could have been killed in the fight.

[arvanien]

Arion

They swiftly made their way towards Solodin, Arion keeping his pace as fast as he could without leaving Basil behind. Celeste was still cold and limp, not responding to Arion's anxious mutters that were half to himself, half addressed to her. Anguish was eating away at him, but Basil's comforting presence and reassuring words calmed him somewhat. "Yeah. You're right," he cracked a small, sorrowful smile, feeling too emotionally drained to say anything more. He was trying to make himself catch onto Basil's optimism. Arion was eternally grateful to have her by his side; it was something priceless that was unmerited.

As Solodin's entrance came into view, Arion sighed with impatient, uneasy relief. He wished so badly that he could instantly teleport the wounded couple to the hospital. He checked Celeste's pulse and freaked out. It was just nearly nonexistent. The Howler boy's was probably just as bad - although Arion didn't care to check his, the last thing he wanted was a dead Howler on his hands. "Basil, I'm going to have to run to the hospital," He said, trying to keep his voice calm. Arion was definitely panicking, though.

Endymion

Endymion managed to smile back at Lyra. It wasn't the sardonic, spiteful grin he always sported; it was an actual, sincere smile. But then, he caught himself and glanced away before speaking. "Well, I wanted to. It's good to see you doing better." He really didn't know what else to say. "Maybe you'd like an update on our friends outside?" The old wicked grin returned to his face. He knew than in the unlikely event that Celeste did survive, Arion would probably come for him. And that would give him just another chance to finish off that Quell.