nearly almost dead but not quite! Poltergeist had no idea where she was going. One of the two nice(?) girls who had helped her had pointed her in this direction. Told her they could help. The pessimistic minded woman sincerely doubted, but figured it was worth a shot anyway. At this point, what was the worst that could happen, she ended up in one of Saboro's enemies and was killed on the spot? Boo fucking hoo. Sounded great to her. Well, it could be the reanimated corpses of Thresher and Knife. That would be pretty horrific. The chances of that though were slim. Zombies didn't exist. A doctor like herself knew well and fucking good that when something was dead, it usually stayed dead, especially when it's ripped apart. Good fucking riddance too, honestly. Not that she couldn't shoot a few sour glares at Shadon occassionally when he had begun befriending the flame-wolf. What an idiot. Oh well! At least she didn't have to worry about it now! So the three-legged, tired, wishing-she-were-dead ghostly gal hobbled her way along. The terrain had grown rocky and colder, but she was thickly furred so it struck her odd that her fur stood on end. She took the temperature drops to just be the change in altitude from a jungle to a plain, or whatever this was. Nevermind that it kept fluctuating. What she didn't expect to wander into was... a wall. A tall, very high wall. It struck her in the face like an arrow point blank. Whoever lived here wanted no one getting out, why hadn't Saboro built a wall? She gritted her teeth at the thought, and immediately tensed upon sensing someone patrolling. "Hey." she called. There was no turning back now, for better or for worse. "Do you know Saboro?" #BA3232

Amen Wrote:They were at the wall. All this banter and scurrying, it was short lived once they made it to the wall. The structure that made her cower with uncertainty, and look towards Gemini with curiosity. Was it necessary?

Yes.

She knew that.

Amen frowned as she recalled Tauro, but let the look linger only for a few extra moments before putting on a smile. She had to let go, but it was so fucking hard. It clung to her like a hoard of ticks, sucking away her life's joy, the essence of what made her.. her.

'Hey' came a voice, something soft from the other side. 'Do you know Saboro?' it replied to itself, and she felt her blood run cold. "Zeke!" came her own voice, terror striking her face. "Zeke!!" but no other word could come forth, and all she could do was run.

Right along the wall until she could reach the outside, only to run some more on the other side until she came across.. "It's.. it's you," she gasps, her heavy ears perking as much as they could, her gangly smile coming through. "We.. my brother and I.. we were.. coming to look for you," her tail begins to wag something furious.

"Grandpa hasn't found you yet," she breathes a sigh of relief, but remains on guard and moves herself behind Poltergeist, as if to stand guard from the open wilderness she'd been carried through. "We know about Saboro, our papas are from there. I know about you, miss.. grandma," she glances back, nervous at the name. It didn't occur to her.. at all.. that this demure, smol wolf wasn't.. in fact.. her grandma.. but..

"You're really pretty. He never said that, he never said how pretty you were," she babbles, bashfully.. her ears now pinned back and her tail low, tucking almost between her legs. "We'll escort you in, we'll.. keep you safe, okay? You don't want to go back, right? I won't let them take you back, I promise," but sometimes, you can't keep those promises.

It would hurt someday, but she would learn.

nearly almost dead but not quite! What she certainly didn't expect was an excited welcoming party. A young wolf, grey, purple and white came running up to her. She looked exhausted. Her eyes would squint at the scraggly teeth, but not too much. Suspicion crawled across her skin like fleas at a blood feast. "It's.. it's you, we.. my brother and I.. we were.. coming to look for you," Her eyes narrowed again, her body tensing with a sudden flight or fight urge- and yet, this girl's disposition was not... threatening. She seemed excited. Why would a search party be excited to find her? Wouldn't they be ready to drag her back to hell and rip her to shreds for her betrayal? Those were the stories she'd always heard, witnessed. Saboro was not excited to see you back once you were out. "Grandpa hasn't found you yet. We know about Saboro, our papas are from there. I know about you, miss.. grandma," Grandpa? Papas? ...Grandma? Her head was spinning. Maybe Amen could tell from the way her expression blanked that she was clearly trying to connect everything in her mind right at that moment. She wasn't a grandma yet, was she? She couldn't recall any of her children taking mates, also... why would they be here? Who could it be? Loa? Pyx? Red? No... they had clearly said Papas. Were any of her sons missing? She couldn't recall. What a horrible mother. Her mind whirled a million miles a minute and after a moment of dumbstruck silence she spoke quickly, "Who are your fathers? How- how do you know who I am?" She, of course, had no idea Shadon had left in search of her. She would skin him alive if she knew. He should know DAMN WELL BETTER then to leave his family and come search for her might-as-well-be-dead ass. "You're really pretty. He never said that, he never said how pretty you were, we'll escort you in, we'll.. keep you safe, okay? You don't want to go back, right? I won't let them take you back, I promise," The little girl babbles almost absently, and as tense, wary, and strung out as the little woman was she couldn't help but feel a pang of something heartwarming- something seeing her own children gave her. This little girl was so brave to face a stranger, to come running up and spilling everything. It was cute. It was endearing. The words she spoke though, God, she couldn't be farther from the truth. Polt closed her eyes for a moment, and let out a deep sigh. She opened them with a glowing warmth in the normally cold, empty eyes she held. "I have to go back." she said softly, a tinge of sadness in her voice, "My children, my family, I can't just--" She was interrupted by the arrival of another, one who looked eerily similar to the girl before her. This one, though, she saw those nubbish horns, that long wispy tail, and it took her breath almost completely away. Those grays, those traits, grandmother? Grandmother, grandmother, grandmother, she had no wandering sons, did she? Grandmother, grandmother, grandmother, had he been unfaithful? Grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, grandfather, no. Her brain swelled with confusion that manifested in a quickly forming headache, as the tip of her tongue seemed to almost solve it for her. "Akki," she whispered under her breath. "Not so fast, sis." This one seemed more cautious. She also recognized that gaze of his- a familiar gaze she earned from members of Saboro. Doubt. False expectations. What a pitiful Crane. What a pitiful mother. Failure, failure, failure, FAILURE it yelled in her ear. Shut up, she snapped back, I know. "What'cha running from Saboro for? Is anyone following you?" "I'm not running," she replied, "I'm lost." a simple answer for a simple question. "I was almost killed, and unconscious. I met two wolves in the forest. One told me to come here for help. I need to get home, to my children, they aren't safe." Was anyone following her? Not to her knowledge, she thought, but it was possible, "I don't know. I don't know if anyone cares enough." Her family, maybe, but God how she hoped they wouldn't be that stupid. Please don't disappoint mommy. #BA3232

Amen Wrote:'Who are your fathers? How- how do you know who I am?' the words of the smol gal brought Amen back down from a very worrisome headspace, and once again she offers a smile. This time, it was less toothy. 'I have to go back.' the woman says, and Amen feels her heart drop. 'My children, my family, I can't just--'

BUT. YOU. CAN!! You are HERE NOW!

She hears a name, but can't place it- did grandma just say Akki? Was he here? Frantically, she looks around and turns to see.. Zeke.. and his looks given to Polt were regarded with a huff. 'Not so fast, sis,' only made her fur stand on end. Did he not hear her earlier? Did he not recognize that they found what they were looking for? This was a joyous, if not cautious, occassion, but he looked downright.. annoyed. 'What'cha running from Saboro for? Is anyone following you?'

"Zeke!!" Amen snorts, stomping a foot and bristling more. "You can't just ask people why they ran, and I don't smell anyone else out there right now, use your damn head," but if he was sincere about wanting to know if someone was following.. he could've.. No.

This was part of her shennanigans, he was only being dragged along, and it was her responsibility to secure the area. He didn't ask for any duties. With a sigh, she takes a few more steps away and begins looking out over the area, raising her ears once more to listen for any steps closer, but what was the use?

Someone like Akki could slip in undetected, and for the most part, so could Zeke and herself.. she almost expected Shadon to be just as light on his feet as the rest of her family. Her blessing was such a damn curse, too!!

'I'm not running, I'm lost.'

Something about that statement struck her. Hard. Amen recalls her crazy desire to get as far from Gemini as possible, to avoid seeing her sister, her family, the pack itself after loss.. and how she didn't want to admit she was running, how she wouldn't admit her plan to go sniff out Grandma wasn't a plan to run, too. "I guess we're all a little lost," her voice softens to a whisper and her ears droop.

Poltergeist continues with a story, one that stirs more then just sadness within her heart. 'I don't know if anyone cares enough.'

"I care," Amen had taken a deep breath before speaking, exhaling with confidence and her head raised. "I care. You're family. You're our family, and if.. if you're saying we got a lot more family still needing help.." could she do this? Could she face Saboro itself?

"I'll help you get them back, but please.. please stay at least.. a day.. you need to rest, miss, you can't keep wandering. We know where Saboro is-" or the general direction, at least- "I don't know about Zeke here, but.. I'll go with you to get 'em. As long as you promise.. you.. have to promise you're not.. a bad one, like.. him, or.. the others.." and another curse, how she could trust the word of strangers despite all that had been taken by them.

"I'm Amen, this is.. Zeke, our fathers are Akki and Kol Nidre, and you're safe here. We have a lot of siblings, though admittedly.. I haven't seen them in a bit.. I'm a pretty bad sister, but I love them, okay?" she feels herself wanting to break down. "I love them, and they're all good. All of 'em, they're all good in their own way and they'll be so happy to see you, I promise." her gaze fardes to the wall, a stare so full of sadness it trailed into her voice, shaky and solemn. "My word is good, miss.. you're family, and that's all that matters. I won't let 'em take anything else from you."

nearly almost dead but not quite! "You can't just ask people why they ran, and I don't smell anyone else out there right now, use your damn head," "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to get murdered by a random stranger?" "Just because she looks harmless doesn't mean anything." They began to bicker. She is hit with a moment of tenderness- her mind flickering to visions of her own children while young, arguing among each other for their own reasons. A small smile cracks the edge of her lips, but it doesn't last too long. She interrupts, "He's doing a good job," she starts, her eyes scanning over the two of them before landing back on Amen, "You shouldn't trust anyone you've just met, blood or not. Keep your own safe before you worry for others. You don't know what monsters lurk nearby." A bit cryptic maybe, but her vision hazed towards blood she remembered from borders of Saboro. She had seen a lot. Maybe they had seen a lot, she wasn't sure. She knew nothing of them. She hoped Akki had been keeping them safe. The girl's attitude was hopeful, at least. She listens to Amen, who seems a bit somber by her reply, but also seems to not fully grasp it. Maybe Polt was lost in more ways then one, maybe she had been for a long time. However, right now, her heart ached and screamed for her children who were left alone in the maws of Saboro. She couldn't leave them, she-- she couldn't bear to the thought they might think she forgot them. Her mind falters, but snaps back when Amen exclaims that she cares. That they're family. She's almost too sad to break it to her that they were not blood related at all-- Poltergeist was a total stranger. She shared no blood with these children. She couldn't do it  though, couldn't bring herself to speak it. "I'll help you get them back, but please.. please stay at least.. a day.. you need to rest, miss, you can't keep wandering. We know where Saboro is- I don't know about Zeke here, but.. I'll go with you to get 'em. As long as you promise.. you.. have to promise you're not.. a bad one, like.. him, or.. the others.." "Cause if ya are, we'd have to kill ya." "No." she says quickly, her tone suddenly harsh and reprimanding, "You will not. I will not throw you to the crocodiles, I will not let the thorns strangle you. You will not go near Saboro." Her voice sounds dead and harsh, her eyes reflect her tone as she stares them both down. The air chills. "I can't promise you that. You can do with me what you will. We're all bad, you have to be," she says, but cuts herself off. To protect what you love she continues in her mind. It wasn't important. There was no excuse for these two. She was not a good person, and she most likely never would be. She steels herself for some sort of attack from the boy. "I'm Amen, this is.. Zeke, our fathers are Akki and Kol Nidre, and you're safe here. We have a lot of siblings, though admittedly.. I haven't seen them in a bit.. I'm a pretty bad sister, but I love them, okay? I love them, and they're all good. All of 'em, they're all good in their own way and they'll be so happy to see you, I promise. My word is good, miss.. you're family, and that's all that matters. I won't let 'em take anything else from you." "Amen.. We don't even know her name. The only thing we know about her is that she's from Saboro. She could be anybody. She could be a spy come to find out our secrets and weaknesses to report back to Saboro. And even if she's not a spy, what's to stop her from spilling the beans if she goes back to that place and someone threatens her? You can't just let people walk in." He was a smart boy, as to be expected from Akki. Akki knew the dangers of the jungle, and he would be nothing but wary with his own children. "Akki is a good boy," she begins, and she wants to continue, to tell Amen how sweet she is, and to tell Zeke how smart he is, but then-- "Her name is Poltergeist," She hadn't noticed the ghost approach. Appropriate, maybe, quiet as ever. The wind blowing over the rolling hills. Her eyes locked onto his wispy frame and she smiled warmly, but she made no movement towards him. "Don't touch her." She chuckles. Her laugh is rough and rarely used, but he gets a reaction. "I'm safe." Maybe not mentally, but her fur was free and washed. "If I wasn't, I would have died already." Her wound would have suffered greatly, and she wouldn't have survived long. Not that he had to trust her, of course. "...Where is Shadon?" It was such an odd question to her, in fact, it caught her off guard so much her head tilted completely to the side. Her brows furrowed, "What do you mean?" she asks, "Home." Of course he was home. How would he know where she was? He had better be home. He had better not left his children unattended. He would know there would be hell to pay. He knew Satan himself would descend the throne to meet him at the gates. #BA3232