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Kel's dark ears flicked back as he listened to the pained whimpers that spilled from his companions sister. Her nights were full of terrors and her days filled with pain. Despite being unable to see, he could easily picture how she must shy away from everyone and everything. Huffing softly he called out "Rebel? You here?"

There was a soft yawn before he felt tugging at his feathers,then into his mane along with a soft tinkling of bells, "M'here Kel. What's wrong?" The sleepy ferret nuzzling into his warm only half awake.

"We need to find help for Mickey's sister. She is unfit to travel."

"We could just travel without them you know." She was a bit grumpy having just been woke up but sighed when Kel huffed. "Ok ok, shesh don't get your feathers ruffled. I'll poke around the local wildlife, see what can be heard."

Kel made a soft little content sound at her smiling, "thank you Rebel. I am sure Mickey will thank you too."

"Long as the idiot doesn't try to eat me again."

Some distance away, something stalked through the undergrowth. It was watching a decently sized rodent, one that thankfully hadn't proven itself to be as sentient as most. Still, even for the rodent, it was hard to miss the movement of the star hanging from the cat's hat. As it ran, though, it found out the hard way... The cat wasn't alone, and the cat hadn't been trying quite so hard to be hidden as an owl dropped down and pinned it. The creature's sound of panic filled the air, then was cut short.

Nibbling a bit at her share, Valda contemplated as she stared at the shared meal. "Think we might find somebody today, Tid?"

Licking her paw, the cat paused, looking to the owl. "Maybe. Gotta be just right, though. Can't go stickin' to the side'a just anyone."

"What about Freddie? She's a witch, same as you..."

Tiddles shook her head, "No, Freddie's nice'n all, but it doesn't feel... Right? Maybe I need some'n less magical and all that..."

Valda hummed in thought before stretching her wings. "Well, gonna go fly around a bit, see what I can see 'round us." She shook out her tail feathers a bit, then took to the air, wings beating steady. Tiddles watched from the ground, then shook her head, amused at this owl that didn't follow typical owl behavior. Maybe it was influence from her father....

"Stupid Mickey, stupid Kel with his dumb face and need to protect everyone, stupid Mickey." Ok so she had already called him stupid once but in Rebel's mind it bared repeating. They could have been miles away by now, almost back to the swamps Kel said had been his home but nooooo they had to meet Mickey. She didn't begrudge Moina, gods no never that! But she wasn't so quick to forgive the male that wanted to eat her!

When a the sound of prey being caught then silenced caught her ears, the young ferret stopped dead ears coming up as she listened intently. Hearing voices, she slunk towards them careful to keep her bells from jingling to listen to their conversation. A witch! Maybe that was what they needed??

Deciding to try, she waited until the owl took off before making noise to alert the odd looking cat she was no longer alone. "I come in peace!"

"And I've a full stomach." Tiddles stretched, rolling onto her side. The wings on her tail twitched a bit, but didn't do much more, as she regarded the ferret. "Also don't eat those who talk. Neither'a us do." She checked her claws, then stretched out. "Now what can I do ya for, love? Not many smaller animals come up to a cat, 'specially a witch cat, without seekin' somethin' an' all that."

"Well seems we're all in luck tonight then for it's a witch I seek." Rebel sassed merrily. "We've a friend in need of aid. Her mind is...well it's as shattered as a egg pushed from the nest. Something hurt her quiet bad and while that big dummy of mine is good at keeping folks safe, he can't do much for those already that hurt."

A contemplative look passed over the cat's face, before she rolled back onto her stomach and stood. "There's all sorts'a help anybody can provide, some're better'n others at it, and not everybody's good at helpin' the same way. Not right sure how much help I might be in this regard, but I got me a friend who might be able to help in other ways." Tiddles was, at least, good for cuddling. She didn't mind none, it was something cats could be very good at, and she wasn't opposed to being a metaphorical shoulder to cry on. But it sounded like there was a different kind of help this poor soul needed.

"She needs someone that can help her mind near as I can figure." The teal ferret flicked her tail making the bell jingle as she considers. "Tell you what. Come with me, meet them, and you can see then if you're friend can help or not. Sound fair?"

"It does." Walking toward the ferret, the cat tilted her head. "Any others I should know about?" Her tail wings twitched again, fluttering some. Then she looked to the sky, considering. "Valda should be able to find me, at least, sees from the sky and all. Shouldn't waste much time, though, should we?"

"Nah, Kel won't let the damn fox eat ya." Rebel chittered at her own joke as she set off in that odd hopping run that all ferrets seemed to posses. "I'm Rebel by the way."

"Tiddles." Tail swaying, the cat followed the ferret, then let out an amused sound. "Oh, a fox'd have ta be tryin' mighty hard to be eatin' me, got me some claws. Can rip a tongue out." She was small, but she wasn't opposed to bringing great harm if she needed to.

"Eh, honestly he's kinda stupid. I keep telling Kel we should cut him lose, but that'd be leaving her behind too and that big hearted lug of mine won't do that. Tell truth even if she was in any fit shape, doubt he'd leave her behind anyway. He's got a habit of adopting folks." Rebel shook her head

The cat paused, trembling a bit, before giggling. "Oh, that sounds a challenge to deal with! On your way to a regular herd, there!" She then pranced along after the ferret, still giggling some to herself.

"Gods don't curse me like that! Two idiots is enough to deal with I tell you! Moina..well..you'll see." There wasn't much more she could say about that. The two familiars traveled on for a bit before Rebel stood on her haunches to sniff. "This way. Kel? Kel I'm back! Don't let the idiot try and grab me again!"

"Rebel, dear heart, will you ever let that go?" A bit of the darkness broke free from the shadows, a fond chuckle in the stallion's deep voice. His ears flicked before he turned his head towards the two of them, silvery eyes seeming to look through them.

When the stallion came into view, Tiddles tilted her head, nose twitching. "You smell a might familiar, lad." Then she regarded his movements, before turning to Rebel, eyebrow up. "He's blind." It wasn't a question, more a statement, but her attention returned to the stallion. "You're Kel, then I'm takin' it."

"Aye, that would be me," Kel ducked his head down to better catch their scents. "As for the blindness, aye that's also true. Born that way, hasn't stopped me yet."

"Yeah cause you got me to take care of you!" Rebel giggled as she scrambled up his thick curls to perch on him.

"Ah is that the reason?" A huff of amusement left him as he knelt and shifted his wing to offer Tiddles clear room onto his back as well. "It would be a bit faster mistress."

"Such a gentlestallion!" With a jump, she moved to his back, then settled down. "Wasn't seein' any injury to the face, but then sometimes disease can attack the eyes and destroy the sight in the process." She had to admit, she was often curious when somebody came up with one handicap or another as to if it was just that way their whole life, or if something happened. But it was rude to poke and prod, so Tiddles only ever wondered, and let them tell her on their own time if they felt like it. She was curious, yes, but it wasn't her business, strictly speaking.

Straightening back up, Kel adjusted his wings to carefully box the two familiars in so they won't fall before setting off at a trot. His dark ears flicked back and forth as he listened to Rebel call out an obsticals in his path, his trust in her absolute. When they got closer to where the tiny herd was bedding down, he slowed to a walk not wanting to startle Mickey or upset Moina.

"Nae minstress, I was born without my sight. Far as my mam could tell, just never developed. None else in the family has the problem. " He shrugged a bit unphased. "Hard to miss something you've never had."

"You raise a fair point, and I see you've found a work-around that's just fine for your needs." She smiled, watching the symbiotic bond going on. Her own ears flicked as she looked around, taking in the path they were traveling. It would be necessary, later, to go get Fred. If Valda found Tiddles first, though, the owl could lead the way first to Fred, then back to this Moina girl.

"Mickey?" Kel called out coming to a stop outside of the glade they had been bedding down in. True Moina didn't seem to fear him, but he didn't want to push her fragile stability if he could help it.

Tiddles tilted her head at that. "Mickey...?" Was this the fox Rebel had mentioned? She turned at a rustle, before humming as, indeed, a fox stepped out.

"Kel, there you are! Who's your new friend?" The fox eyed the cat, then gave Rebel just a hint of a look. Maybe if he ran into that snake again, he'd let it eat her... But then Kel would lose the only eyes he had. His large ears flicked, before tilting his head to look behind him at the little den of bushes he'd come out of, listening to the whimpers coming from within.

"This is mistress Tiddles, she's here to help." Kel knelt down once more shifting his great wings out of the way to let the feline off his back. "Tiddles, this is Mickey our...companion." Rebel however, bared her teeth at Mickey before scampering off Kel's back to disappear into the den with Moina.

As she jumped down, Tiddles took note of the reactions between Mickey and Rebel. She also didn't miss how Kel had said companion, like he wasn't sure, or... Something else? "I've been told ya got a friend who's hurt and needs some help. Don't know which kind but I might know someone who can help better."

Mickey regarded the cat, then nodded to the thicket. "My sister. She was attacked by a... Less than savory individual... He's left a couple kinds of wounds on her and she's not fit to travel with some of them." He turned to the shrubs, tails twitching, then poked his head in. "Moina... Someone here to see you..."

Rebel gently licked Moina's cheek chittering at her reassuringly, "She's nice. She said she might be able to help you feel better, or know someone who does. Won't you come out and meet her?"

A new whimper came from the bushes, before slowly, a pair of blue eyes peeked out. When Kel was spotted, a second fox slowly crawled out. She didn't stand, though, a wound on one of her limbs evident of why. Her ears were back as she glanced at the cat, then Kel, then Mickey and finally Rebel. "Who is...?"

The cat approached slowly. She might have been a lot smaller, but she didn't want to scare the injured fox. "M'name's Tiddles. I'm a witch cat, travelin' with the witch Freddie. Can ya stand...?" It was a redundant question, she was sure, but it would help assess things.

Rebel padded along side Moina making encouraging sounds, "She's friendly."

Kel stays well back giving Moina plenty of space. She wasn't truly scared of him, but he knew he was large and when she had an episode she thought he was someone else. "Her name is Moina."

Moina blinked a bit, staring at Tiddles, then leaned closer to sniff. "So small..." Not as small as Rebel, but... Still small. Instead of answering, she reached a paw out and pulled Tiddles close, cuddling her. "And soft..." For the first time since before the attack, she smiled, just a bit, ears twitching.

Settling next to his sister, Mickey watched, then said, "She can't stand, no. She spends most of her time stuck replaying what happened over and over. I've..." He paused, taking a breathe. "WE'VE..." He glanced at Rebel, who had been helping, at least. "Been trying to keep the wounds clean so they don't get infected, but healing is... Slow..." He suspected it as more the emotional injuries that stopped her, than the physical ones.

She allowed herself to be held, rubbing just a bit against Moina's cheek. "My friend might be able to help, then. Though if she doesn't let me go..." The cat gave the foxes an amused look. "Perhaps if Valda finds us, she can go get Fred for me."

Rebel chittered softly as she groomed Moina the best she could. "If you tell me where your friend is, I'll go find her." She was so worried about the shy mare, more than she was willing to let anyone know.

"Which friend, the witch or the owl?" Tiddles rolled a bit, letting Moina nuzzle more into her. "Who knows where Valda is, but me witchy friend should be that way, near a creek that's got some good forage for potions and the like." Lifting a paw, the cat pointed.

Mickey tilted his head, then nuzzled Moina. "I can go with her... Higher vantage point and all." He then looked at Rebel, ears canting back a bit. "And no, I won't try to eat you."

Rebel chittered at him warningly, "Yeah you better not! I'll take a chunk outta your nose!"

Kel sighed, a sound of long suffering, "Mickey is not going to eat you Reb. Please try and get along."

Rebel scowled but finally nodded, "For Moina."

Mickey nodded, "For Moina." He nibbled gently at his sister's hair, then got up. "You stay right here, Kel will keep you safe." He then nudged at Rebel with his nose, huffing. "Up on my back, then..."

Shaking her tail she scowled at him a long moment before muttering dire threats under her breath, still she scrambled up his leg grabbing hold of the beads to aid her climb and settled on his shoulders.

The fox snorted a bit, glaring just a hint at Rebel, "Be careful with those beads." Then he nuzzled his sister again and headed off, tails swishing and one curling and uncurling as he went.

Watching them go, Tiddles inclined her head just a bit, then looked over to Kel. "I'm takin' it desperation got the best of him and he tried t' eat the wee ferret?"

Rebel just hissed at him but clung on for the ride.

"Aye mistress that would be the long and short of it. He apologized but Rebel is not the forgiving sort." Kel shook his big head.

Tiddles waved a paw, smiling a bit. "T' be fair, not many'd be happy to be around the ones what tried to eat them." She then gave Moina's nose a pat as the mare nuzzled the cat, chuckling. "Aye, I'm right soft, lass..."

Kel smiled sadly listening to the two of them. He wished he could comfort Moina but the few times he had tried sent the poor mare into a catatonic state. "Aye, I get that but he was starving and trying to tend and feed her as well."

Tiddles could only sigh at that. "The poor lad..." The poor whole LOT of them. She really hoped her friend could be of help to the lass, though Tiddles knew that there were probably injuries that were unseen that couldn't easily be healed with magic. They were deep down, in the poor girl's mind and very soul, there until they could heal on their own if they ever did.

Meanwhile, several miles away Rebel tugged at Mickey's mane, "I smell water. It must be the creek Tiddles mentioned! That way!" She nudged the left side of his neck to direct him, tail swishing and the bells jingling merrily.

Huffing, Mickey flicked his ears back. "Like a rat on my back..." He shook his head a bit, turning and heading the direction Rebel indicated. He pondered, briefly, if Moina was okay. Okay, more than briefly... She wasn't freaking out without him there, was she? Or had she figured out Kel was safe and hid under him? No, couldn't already be doing that... It was too soon.

"I will bite you, don't think I won't!!" Rebel huffed in return chittering in annoyance. Why Kel liked this big dummy she would never understand, but she loved Kel and she was growing to love Moina, so if the price of their love was putting up with this one, well she would.

Across the creek, a pair of ears perked hearing voices as the jingle of bells coming towards her. Winifred tilted her head curiously as she left off charging the crystal before her to go and greet her guest. "Hello?"

Mickey let out a growl at Rebel, glowering at her some, then lifted his ears and turned as he heard a call of greeting. "Hello!" He turned, adjusting course to pad toward the voice. He hoped, greatly, that they'd found who they were looking for, or at least somebody who knew where to go. He really didn't want to have to search all over the forest looking for this mare who did magic.

When he broke through the woods into the creek's area there was little doubt they had found the witch, well A witch. Along her back, legs, and tail grew rainbow colored crystals that glowed faintly with the same light as her curved horn. "Welcome, I am Winifred. What brings you to my glade?"

Rebel popped her head out from around Mickey's neck, "Oh! You're the witch!!"

Only now did Mickey hesitate. There was a chance she could say no, and that scared him. "Uh, well... There was this cat with wings on her tail and a hat, and an owl, and they said to... Find a witch to help my sister? She was attacked recently, you see..."

"Oh! Oh the poor dear! Of course I will come at once!" Fred ducked her head under a branch and came up wearing a hat that rather looked like the one Tiddles had been wearing as well as snatching up a lantern that glowed with the same light as the crystals along her body. "Lead on!"

Well, that was easy enough... Mickey nodded, then turned and started leading her back. "So... You wouldn't happen to know that cat, would you...?" He wanted to make sure he'd found the RIGHT witch, after all. "Calico pattern... Wears a witch hat..."

"That would be my friend Tiddles. She is a powerful witch in her own right, but her gifts do not lend themselves well towards the healing arts." Came the reply as the unicorn followed him easily.

"But your's do?? You'll help her?" Rebel couldn't help but ask looking to the peach colored mare. "I will do my best little one. "

Huh, that was curious... Mickey hummed, padding his way back toward their temporary home. "Well, right now Rebel's friend is watching over her..." Well... Watching... He at least still had a good nose and good ears to smell and hear danger, probably better than the fox could with his larger ears.

"That's good, I am glad you had someone to guard her while you came to find me." Winifred gave them a warm look as they hurried back to the glade the small group had taken over. When they got close enough, Rebel scrambled down Mickey's back as fast as she could racing back to the safety of Kel.

"Kel! Kel! We found her! The witch!! She said she'll help!" The young ferret hurried over to the massive stallion. "She said her name is.." She never got to finish as Kel's head snapped up, nostrils flaring before he made a broken, croaking sound, "Freddie?!"

A gasp broke from the newly arrived witch followed by a sob as she dropped her lantern and bag of herbs to bolt for Kellan making soft, broken sounds, "Kel! Oh goddess bless, you're alive!!"

Mickey frowned as he followed, ears shifting back and forth, curious. They knew each other? "Did our group just grow more?"

Where she was tucked up, Moina looked up, ears back and hugging Tiddles a bit closer. Her eyes were wide, side pressing into Kel as much as she could. There was a new voice, and loud. She didn't like it! Tucked between her front legs, Tiddles reached up and pawed at her. "Shhh, it's okay, it's a friend."

Kel rumbled nosing Moina softly to let her know he was moving before he lunged to his hooves, "Aye, she's my baby sister. I thought..." He shuddered a soft noise of pain slipping from him as the petite mare tucked in close once she reached his side. He spread his wing over her, his head lowering to lip and nose at her mane and neck. "I thought her lost to me forever. Freddie pet, how did you survive? You were just a wee foal!"

Freddie for her part was pressed in close, nuzzling into her older brother as best she could carefully not to stab him with her horn or crystals, "Tiddles and Valda found me and took care of me. Taught me how to use my magic to heal. Oh Kel I've missed you so much. I never thought I would see you again."

Rebel's little jaw hung open in shock even as she moved to snuggle Moina. THIS was the sister Kellan had always talked about and missed so much? From the way he had spoke she had expected a young filly with knobby knees still, not a well grown mare with her own magics.

Moina watched, then turned and nuzzled Mickey when he tucked down next to her. For his part, the other fox watched the siblings, a soft expression on his face. This was something he definitely understood, being separated from his family, from his brother and sister, and then finding one of them again. The circumstances had been different, granted, but he knew the relief of reunion.

"Can you help her?" Rebel finally spoke up from the other side of Moina having kept the mare between herself and Mickey. She would deal with all these emotions later, right now Moina was what mattered.

Glancing over, Fred gave them a gentle smile nosing Kel once more before moving from the shelter of his wings. The crystals along her back, tail and legs began to glow a very soft rainbow hue as did her horn. Coming closer she smiled gently to Moina, "Hello, Moina right? I am Winifred but you may call me Fred or Freddie. Would it be alright if I looked at your injuries sweetling?"

"It's alright, love..." Tiddles looked up at her, then rubbed against Moina some. "She can help you."

Looking at the cat, then the mare, the fox slowly nodded. The glow was strange, but it was... Comforting? Yeah, it was comforting. She didn't mind it. It was light, it was warmth. It was... Safety.

"Thank you dearheart," Fred's voice was soft and almost motherly as she began to examine the vixen. When she came across an injury she would gently press the tip of her horn to the skin next to it. A warm feeling would emerge from that small point of contact and before their eyes the wound began to close. Working slowly, but steadily Fred spoke up, "I will leave the larger wounds for last as they will take the most out of me. Kel do you.."

"Aye love, I remember from mam's healings what is needed. Mickey, can you help me? Rebel will stay here and watch over them." He needed the fox to be his eyes and gather things while Kel would carry them back.

Hesitating, Mickey looked at his sister, but slowly stood up. When she whined at his movement, he leaned down and nuzzled her. "I'll be back, don't worry." Lifting his head, he went over to the winged stallion, tails flicking. "Okay, what do we do...?"

"We need to find several types of herbs that will help Fred replenish her strength after healing Moina. Come I will describe them to you, " The two stallions headed from the clearing with Kel describing the scent and shape of the herbs, the text of them when touched, how they tasted.

Fred hummed softly to Moina, her aura calm and controlled as she worked on the visible injuries. "You are so strong dearheart, to have survived and made it so far. I have only just met you and I am proud of you."

It was tiny, but Moina managed a smile. Her gaze soon went up as she noticed an owl landing on a branch, watching them. From between her paws, Tiddles said, "It's alright, that's Valda. She's also a friend."

The owl lifted a wing, waving as much as any bird could. "Hello."

"I found him Valda," Fred glanced up at the owl tears in her eyes but her voice was full of joy. "Kellan, he's here."

"Well not right here, here, but the big lug will be back. Hi I'm Rebel, Kel's friend. " The young ferret piped up looking up at Valda.