Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Picking his way over the slick stones of the riverbank, Ahote made his way over to Attican's side. He was so very tired and painful, that all he wanted to do was sink down next to him and curl into a little ball like the Keeper, but he was afraid. Afraid that it was going to hurt, and then that he wouldn't be able to get up again. The cold had seeped into his joints, and every time his body moved or shivered, he could feel them creak and complain. So, while resin rested by the water, he stood over Attican with his head hanging, staring at the ground longingly. Eventually, the need to rest became too great and his weakened legs gave out from under him, and the fighter lay down roughly and all at once, having to grit his teeth to keep from whining again.
Ahote must have blacked out again immediately after hitting the ground, because the next thing he knew, Resin was prodding them to get moving again. Already the blessed cold from the river had worn off, and his side burned again. With a sleepy groan he lifted his head, looking up at her with an expression looking something akin to:
Are you kidding? Please tell me you are kidding. Alas, Resin was not kidding and when Attican got up he forced himself to follow. Just finding his paws was a monumental task, as they were still numb from the cold, and everything that wasn't numb hurt, so he tried to move as little as possible. Finally though, Ahote tucked his feet up under him as far as they would go, following the others with an arched back and short steps.
They could have walked for a few feet or a few miles at that point, Ahote had no recollection of the trip and was actually a little surprised when the rest of the pack came into view. Blinking to make certain that it was not just some trick of his tired mind, a smile spread across his face and his tail began to wag. Even if it hurt, he simply couldn't help himself. Walking directly into the center of the pack, he touched noses with everyone who came near, wanting to be close to everyone possible. This took him a little away from the other two, and he made his way back to Xani just as Azria piped up about Hrafn and Mirage. Glancing down to the pup, then back to Xani when she replied, he simply shook his head. It wasn't his place to answer her, and for the moment, he was much more interested in reuniting with her.
Tail wagging slowly behind him, he pressed his head under her chin until his face rested in her chest.
"Thank you Xani, for keeping them safe," he said softly, standing there a moment before pulling back. He smiled to her again, then turned back to Resin, licking her cheek.
"I... I think I'm going to lay down now," he said, and still with that same smile on his face, collapsed to the ground right in the middle of them. Two seconds later, he was sound asleep and his soft snores flowing around their feet.
Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Lani nodded to Pilot, getting ready to head out. Everything before them and now behind them as well was nothing more than a charred mess, and she had absolutely no idea how they were going to find anything at all. Tracking wasn't an option, as the hungry light had eaten up all the scents just like everything else it touched, leaving behind nothing but this fine black dust that would quickly leap up her nose every time she brought it to the ground. Sight might work, but hunting by sight was painstaking and time consuming, especially when you had no idea where to look. Along that line of thought, the skinny little wolf following Xani around mentioned something about helping them search, and she snorted out a laugh. While he was sort of cute in a scruffy way, the pup was clearly dumb as a rock.
Pilot looked as though she was just about to say something when a commotion started across from them, and Lani turned to look. It was as if the skies had parted and let heaven shine down on them both, and her heart leapt into her throat. Attican had returned! Looking at him, her ears went back on her head in a wistful expression, and her tail began to wag, slowly at first, but it soon picked up speed. She pranced on her front feet in place as though warming up and then she let out a mighty bark.
"Attican!" she called, and in an instant she ran across the slick bank to come skidding to a halt in front of him.
Tail now wagging so hard that it literally shook her whole body, Lani licked his chin and his chest, nipping at his neck like a pup.
"What were you thinking, you idiot! You could have been killed!" she scolded, her words harsh and her voice ragged from the smoke, but still her tail wagged behind her. LIfting up onto her back paws to look him in the face, she licked his nose and eyes,
"You aren't hurt, are you?" she said then, her voice softening a bit with worry. Dropping back down onto all fours, she finally stilled herself enough not to sound like a worried hen, and pressed her face into his thick, damp fur.
"I was so worried, Attican..." Lani mumbled into Attican's fur, nuzzling him as though she never intended to let him go. Suddenly though, and idea strikes her and she pulled back roughly. Looking up at him, a broad smile spread across her face,
"You poor thing... You must be exhausted! Well, you wait right here, I'm going to go find you something to eat. Don't you worry about a thing, I'll take care of everything!" she barked excitedly, then leaned up against him until he fell on his side. Bending over him, she licked him over again thoroughly, then turned to look for Pilot.
Spotting the little blond fea, Lani bounded over to her like a joyous pup.
"Are you ready? Come on, we've got to go find food!" she yipped, making poor Vali flinch from the shrill excitement in her voice.
"Well then, let's go!" she said again, very nearly spinning in circles before leaping off into the burnt trees. At this rate, she would likely scare off anything nearby that wasn't already dead, but at the very least she was on her way and bound and determined to do... Something.
Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Wolf listened to the exchange between Xani and the other two feas, head tilting this way and that as he followed the conversation. Though they seemed to speak awfully fast for him to completely grasp everything that was said, it seemed as though this group, or pack rather, expected to find food by finding some sort of hoofed animal. Not really sure how that would work, as it seemed as though all his normal sources of food had been turned into black dust, he just kept his mouth shut and listened. After all, he would find out soon enough anyway. Xani turned her attention back to him, and he could only stare back at her from the question she asked. Help... Grooming? What? Just how did she expect to do that? Suddenly embaressed, his mouth hung open in disblief, and the only thing that came out was a very reserved sounding
"Ummm..." luckily though, he was saved from answering by the arrival of three more wolves.
From Wolf's perspective, nothing short of complete and utter chaos breaks out among the assembled creatures. Many of them leap to their feet, yipping and cooing in welcome, there are happy nudges and licks exchanged and more than a few warm embraces. All of it most puzzling. Suddenly, the white fea that had offered to help on this so called 'hunt' erupts in a fountain of happiness, throwing herself onto some poor brute who looks like he had walked across the face of the sun itself.
Eyes wide, Wolf shrunk back from the scene, hiding behind the only sane creature left, which happened to be Xani. Tail tucked, he cowered behind her, not sure what to make of this whole situation. Were they always so frighteningly fickle? Really, one moment they were all moping and ready to give up, and the next they were swarming around like black flies over a carcass. It made no sense, absolutely none at all. At least the reindeer who had been his companions were predictable, they did the same thing every morning and night, ate the same things and stuck together like glue. It was comfortable and reasonable. This was insanity.
Seconds later, the white wolf had collected a few of the others, and bounded off into the blackened trees. Immediately, the whole world seemed a bit quieter, and Wolf let out a sigh of relief. He had been so concerned with what was going on with her, that he hadn't even noticed the others approach, and was thusly a bit surprised to see one of the wolves who had just returned laying at his feet. And for goodness sake he was large. Even laying down, he appeared to be nearly twice his size, and even larger than Xani.
Eyes still wide as he looked down on the brute, he didn't realize at first that the other newcomer was talking to him for a moment, until his ears caught the ghost of her question. Blinking, he looked under Xani to the new female, trying to figure out just what it was that she had said.
"Uh, hello..." he said, knowing how to respond at least to that much. Extracting himself from Xani's backside, he peered around his furry shield and crept out away from her, to sit in front of the dark-coated female. What followed next sounded like a rush of unintelligible words to him, and it took him a moment to wrestle out any sort of meaning from it.
"Resinalpha? Who am I? Oh, ummm... My name is Wolf," he finally managed to answer, tail thumping twice behind him in triumph. Maybe he could do this after all, if only he could figure out why everyone kept asking him who he was as if he didn't know. Did they expect the answer to change at some point?
