[Rook]

She really made a mess of things this time. 

Perhaps she was too cocky. Perhaps it was the sin of pride beating through her veins her mother had so graciously given her by way of DNA. 

Whatever it was, the puncture holes in her right hind muscle would make sure that whatever foolery she was doing would be the last thing she would do … well … anything. 

She never saw the sandy-furred beast come barreling towards her on silent paws, inches-long fangs protruding from black lips as they popped right into her haunch, shaking her back and forth. It was only luck that the cat was more interested in the hog Rook had dragged down moments ago, rumbling at the wolf she had used as a ragged doll seconds prior to leave or else.

Rook limped through the yellow brush of the lowlands, a trail of scarlet drops left behind in her wake. Collapsing at the gnarled roots of a tree etched with carvings and antlers, she had no time to administer any aid to herself before static punctured through her skull and all she could see was the world around her shrinking. 

Her head resting on one of the ancient roots, the endless golden weeds of the plains laying before her, she languidly thought, not a bad view to die to. 

ooc - I haven’t written anything in decades please be gentle with me trying to reacquaint myself with the English language

Also because I don’t trust myself with how I worded things, here’s the gist of what happened: 

- Rook got attacked by a saber
- There’s two puncture holes in her hind leg
- Bleeding out, she drags herself over to the tree known as the Hellion’s Library (this all happens in the Lowlands, including hunting the boar and getting attacked)

If I need to edit anything please let me know!

[Francisca]

franky

i have seen what the darkness does

actions - “speech” - thoughts

As far as Franky was concerned, the scent of blood was far too common of an occurrence this close to the border. She'd just been doing her usual rounds by the lowland border and the territory near it when she'd stumbled upon the trail of blood, so strong and so fresh as to have stopped her like a stone wall. The faint scent of boar might have told her it was a hunt, or even a hunting accident (still worthy of concern), but it was very clearly wolf's blood. Here her mind went into high alert, and she dimly considered how a younger version of her might have missed the smell of cat too.

But there were more pressing matters. It didn't take her long to follow the scent of blood to the end of its trail, some poor wretch of a wolf sprawled at the base of a tree. Franky recognized this place, if only because it was creepy and unsettling enough that she didn't like to go near it. Some things mattered more than her petty superstition. While her paws were still moving, Franky threw back her head to howl. It was a simple howl, one she'd done before, one she hoped anyone would recognize: an attempt to summon a healer. Now.  

She picked up her pace until she was standing before the injured stranger. They didn't smell like Gemini, or at least from what she could tell under the blood. "Look at me," she said, trying to keep her voice commanding enough to focus the stranger. "Focus on me. There's somebody coming to tend to your wounds." Fresh wounds, from the looks of it. Could anything be done to save her? Maybe, Franky thought, she should spend some time with the healers to learn some more first aide. Later, later. "Did that cat do this to you?" She'd scented it, but... well, if it was willing to attack a stranger, then it was a threat to everyone. Someone should inform the rest of the pack.

Franky kept her eye on the stranger, but she took an awkward seat in front of her. Hopefully that would be... more reassuring? Comforting? Whatever. "Who are you?" First off Franky wanted to know (it wasn't a huge trespass, and one she easily forgave given the circumstances, but the small territorial part of her still grumbled), and second of all maybe it'd keep the stranger from slipping away. But maybe she'd come off too harsh...

"I'm not leaving until you're treated," Franky promised.

ooc

forest graphic © m-adking / coding © vixxie's codes

[Rook]

Words warbled in her ears and she started, weakly parting her lips to warn off whoever wanted to come finish the job with a row of flashing teeth. The silhouette before her warped and shifted and Rook could no longer tell what was part of the sky and what of the newcomer. 

“My … my catch … she’s eating it right now …” She managed to huff out, before her head limped back over the cool bark.

Suddenly the form before her shifted and settled before her, who are yous and I’m not leavings meant to both shake her awake and comfort her most likely, but Rook did not trust like that, did not think her own death would be so loud.

“I’m nobody you need to know, sister … and I don’t think … I don’t know, I mean – I lost a lot of blood, and you shouldn’t be around here, for this. For me. It’s alright, I ain’t afraid, and if you’ve got friends around … get them outta here. That cat’s bite was worse than its bark, as you can … see …”

She groans for the umpteenth time before closing her eyes to stop the world kaleodoscoping. One would have to forgive her for the dramatics – Rook had never been ambushed so stupidly like that, nor lost so much blood. She had never felt so faint, so weak, so fragile, and surely these must be the precursors to Death paying a visit any moment now. She hardened her resolve, however, and was determined to go out with grace, if nothing else.

“Come on, sister, if you were able to track me down, then others will too, others less kind … don’t worry about me … I ain’t afraid, I ain’t afraid …”

If she said it enough times, maybe it’ll come true.

[Iaera]

ooc| I'm trying to recall super old "wolf healing" knowledge from my imperium days because I couldn't find a good healing guide in the new forum.... Somehow it seemed that Iaera and the blue haired woman were always crossing paths. Maybe not in the "lives inner-twinned" sorta way, but it was becoming more and more apparent. Clearer to see, perhaps simply because they held the same job? Though Iaera noted that there was supposed to be other Rangers as well. Recently she'd smelt maybe two other than her and Francisca? She clicked her teeth, biting back a 'tsk, tsk' as she continued her lowland patrol. That was until she heard the call of her fellow Ranger, in need of a healer. The little wolfdog stopped, her tiny brow furrowed as she looked back towards Gemini and then towards the call. She wasn't a healer by profession but it was likely she was the closest one that had some sort of knowledge. Hopefully it was something she could handle at least temporarily. Iaera began to turn the direction of the call and gallop until the smell of irony blood smacked her. Cuts. Under her fur she felt a chill run over spine, dancing beneath the plethora of scars hiding behind her gray and tan pelt. The little Ranger definitely had experience in this area of healing and wasted no time to attempt to find some basics herbs. There was no indication of how severe the wound was other than the amount of blood she was smelling and now seeing. The maiden guessed, winding her tail tip down with all the cobweb she could acquire, packing the hood of her cloak-- that Shroxx had left for all the Rangers before departing-- with yarrow and calendula. Herbs she was very familiar with and would work as at least a temporary patch until something more could be done. She would find a skull and dip it in the stream before trying to hurry in the direction of Rook and Francisca, desperately hoping that her herb gathering hadn't taken up valuable time. Finally her violet eyes saw the blue Ranger and the stranger laying, clearly harmed by a cat. Iaera cringed, she'd missed it.... internally she scolded herself as she moved up to them, sitting down the water as Rook was melodramatically accepting her demise. "So you're gonna give up?" the woman asked in a faint voice before looking at Franky. "I'm no acolyte by profession but in quite familiar with cuts and wounds. Figured I was the closest that could help..." She'd begin to dump the herbs out of her hood and look at Rook's wound before turning to the other Ranger, "If you could help me, chew these until they're mushy while I clean this up a bit? One will slow the bleeding and the other will keep it from infection until she can be seen by a doctor." Typically she was shyer, but right now she was on a mission to help so she didn't actually wait for Franky to agree before she moved forward with the water to start cleaning the blood away to get a good look. "I'm Iaera," mumbling past the stuff in her mouth, "you aren't going to die." her tone was slightly bland as if she was completely unimpressed with Rook. Hoping it might elicit some sort of reaction or confidence. If Francisca helped with the herbs, the woman would then turn to look at her motioning where the herbs went before asking, "has anyone been called about the cat yet? In case it comes for seconds? I'm not exactly a warrior," grinning at Franky as she looked up at her, motioning to her tiny stature. You're probably not in the best hands Rook, but beggars can't be choosy.

✬ IAERA ✬ |✬| gemini |✬| the nymph whisper & ranger "Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair." -Mumford and Sons Profile lines © lilyote on dA

[Francisca]

franky

i have seen what the darkness does

actions - “speech” - thoughts

The poor wounded stranger warbled on faint warnings and tried to placate Franky and get her to leave. For a moment Franky wondered, if she was still in Saboro, whether she would have left this stranger to die. She didn't think so, but... she wasn't sure. "This is Gemini," She said gently, hoping the information would penetrate the fog of pain that Rook was surely in. "And I won't let anyone else bleed out at our borders."

What would Serrate think of her, if she did?

It was hardly surprising that Iaera showed up next. Franky didn't really know her, and she barely even knew her name, and yet somehow they always managed to cross paths. She saw so few other rangers, maybe it was just that this had become their land. Just the two of them. Regardless, Franky quickly nodded to her in greeting. Better yet, the wolfdog knew some healing. "Anything will help," She replied. Her own knowledge of herbs was pitiful.

She didn't hesitate to chew up the herbs as instructed, though she couldn't help but curl her lip up a little at the strange taste. Eugh. It was a good thing with was a matter of life or death, because she never wanted to do this again. Anyway, she waited until she'd finish that to respond to Iaera's next question.

"Not yet," She said, and then rose to her feet. "I'll alert the Vanguards now. Maybe they..." She trailed off and let her gaze rest on Rook again. "Do you think she's safe to move? We should get her further inland if we can." She didn't wait for the answer, instead leaving Iaera to treat and asses the stranger in lieu of a healer. Franky took a few steps away and then howled again, this time a warning for the rest of the pack. Beware of cat. It couldn't be allowed to cross the wall.

coding © vixxie's codes

[Rook]

The world spun, spun, spun, and only when a second stranger came to splash her leg in coolness and cover wounds with cobwebs and herbs did Rook snap back to reality and scrambled upright on wobbly legs, like a baby fawn learning to walk again.

She didn’t want Gemini. She didn’t want to be helpless on its turf, and she certainly didn’t want to be indebted to these packsisters, who would now probably bind rope around her legs and carry her back on a stick to be placed at a sacrificial pyre.

“What was that you put on my leg.” She would ask pointedly to the little grey-tan girl, before stumbling back from the carved tree, a nervous lick of her lips as she glanced between the two.

“Who did you just call.” Eyes darted to Francisca's face.

...

“Sorry, I, I mean – thanks, I guess.

“I …

“Look, I don’t wanna sound ungrateful, but – whatever Gemini is, whoever you guys are – I want no part of it. I was headed for – uh, somewhere, and I was hunting down this pig, you see, for its head – lots of good nutrients in there – to bring as a sort of trophy, I guess, and this big, long-toothed guy just snuck up on me – sandy cats and tall yellow grass are pretty formidable, together like that, you know – and now I’m, well, here.”

She breathed.

“I don’t know how you … packs? … function. I’ve only ever heard of one, and the stories I’ve heard haven’t been pleasant. You gals seem nice enough, and I’m assuming if you were anything like the characters of Alteron you would’ve found me an easy snack, probably, but, again – I can’t stay. I’m sorry.”

Fumbling over her own paws as the blood loss and dizziness overtook her, she toppled to the ground once more, managing only a few feet of distance between her and the two strangers.

“I don’t usually ramble like this. Or be as clumsy as this. Or pretty much be hopeless like this. Sorry. Again.”

Sighing, she laid one front paw over the other, and rested her heavy head on top.

The form of the saber sinking its fangs into her haunch flittered behind her eyelids, its rumbling snarl still ringing in her ears.

She perked up.

“Actually, scratch that. Can I stay here for a few days? Just by this tree. I, uh, promise I won’t steal anything? Or eat your prey? I’ll be good and gone before you know it.”

[Iaera]

|✬| gemini |✬|
the nymph; whisper & ranger

Francisca was quick to help, Iaera was grateful in a silent way as she worked to clean Rook's wounds. It was bitter, she knew that, but it didn't change the fact that her first aid was necessary. She was just about finished when Rook seemed to lunge up, adrenaline pumping wildly in her veins. "Easy! Easy! If you get worked up, it'll pump the blood out of your wounds faster. Sit down!" The Ranger's tone was unusally harsh, Rook would kill herself with bloodloss if she didn't settle her booty back down. The pain seemed to bring her back down, and so she listened to her fellow Ranger answering the question. Calling the Vanguards now, Rook however seemed upset about it. The Ranger's head was spinning; there was a woman bleeding on their border, a threat lurking, she was trying to be a paramedic and Francisca was trying to be her nurse. Iaera breathed out a soft breath, trying to calm her nerves as the situation became stressful."Eeeaaassssyyyyyy,"a soothing tone, slow and gentle, similar to what is used to calm spooked horses or scared puppies.

"She called our Vanguards, they protect Gemini. We called them out to find and remove the cat before it comes back for you or hurts our people." Francisca was asking if Rook could be moved, and Iaera was about to say 'probably' given how quickly she jumped up but Rook started rambling. Absolute rambling. Her sentences weren't making sense and she was talking about another pack, called Alteron."Alteron? Hmmm. Sounds unpleasant," the woman said tersely, ignoring her say she didn't want any part of Gemini. Rook wasn't exactly in a place where she could travel, and Iaera would have worked hard to stop her from leaving. Iaera was tiny as it was, but Rook was wounded so she might actually have an edge. Especially after the stranger collapsed on the ground again. Violet eyes shot to Francisca, a half-smirk to the woman, "well she'll move, just not sure how well." studying the woman as she lay.

As Rook finally changed her mind about staying for a bit, the little Ranger chuckled and looked back at Francisca again."We aren't stingy with our food, and you'd be much safer on the other side of the Wall," a tiny paw motioned towards the formidable structure. "If you can stand, we can move slowly. But you don't need to overwork yourself or you'll cause extra bloodloss. There are more doctors within our territory, they can help you more than my field dressing can."

ooc; short but it's here.

[Francisca]

franky

i have seen what the darkness does

actions - “speech”

When she returned from howling for the rest of the pack, the stranger had scrambled to her feet while poor Iaera tried to ease her down. Franky sighed to herself and made a mental note to thank Iaera later when they weren't trying to stop someone from bleeding to death. She was grateful for Iaera's help, really - knowing someone was there to keep this fool alive meant she could split her attention to keeping an ear out for a big cat.

She paused in thoughtful silence while Rook described the stories of packs she'd heard of. Er, singular, but still. Maybe it was a bit much to jump to the assumption of which pack she was talking about, but she imagined there had to be some similarities. Though the thought of another pack like Saboro chilled her to the bone. "We aren't like those packs," Franky replied, her voice a mixture between gentle and fiercely determined. She would die before Gemini became like Saboro.

...Alteron? She'd never heard of Alteron.

"You can stay until you're healed up - actually, I insist you do. Once you're healed up, you'll be free to leave if you wish." Truth be told, Franky thought that this stranger might be better off if she didn't leave. After all, the stranger seemed nice, quietly selfless even. Misguided, perhaps. Or perhaps drawn by something that could never really be worth it. Part of Franky ached in pity.

For now, she looked to Iaera. "My den is just inside the Wall." (It was convenient, and meant she didn't have to travel far to start her usual patrol). "We can take her there, at least for today, and go fetch a healer once we get there." She moved closed to both of them, prepared to help support the stranger walk if needed. She hadn't shared her den with anyone since - well, in a long time, but the situation demanded it. Right?

ooc
as far as im concerned rook is accepted, enjoy rping and all that bullshit

coding © vixxie's codes

[Rook]

She wanted to push against all that she was bred and raised to learn, that you didn’t need help, you didn’t need friends, and you most certainly did not need a pack to call home. Well, the latter turned out to be bullshit once her mother ran off and joined one, so, if her mother disregarded their own familial rules, then—

“Right. Right, yeah, okay. Take me to your docs and, uh, thanks. Again. To the both of you. I’ll only be a short while, I promise.”

Rook’s gaze followed the direction Iaera motioned at, past the carved tree, and noticed a line of rocks neatly piled on top of each other. Her mouth twitched. Was this wall needed to contain those within, or to keep others out?

She wondered if Alteron had similar structures. She supposed she would find out… once she healed up…!

Pushing up on her legs once again, she leaned into Francisca for support, ever so hesitantly, and bid the other to lead. She would follow the two, heart tentatively resting on sleeve.

“Name’s Rook, by the way.”

Gemini, huh. Well, if she was guaranteed safety to leave any time, it wouldn’t hurt to take up a tourist outlook and go sightseeing.

ooc - as far as I'm concerned as well this thread can be considered done! You guys don't have to write follow-up posts or anything. AAAAHHHH welkum to gaymini, I tell myself