Neira walked to the edge of the water, drinking deeply and relaxing at the sound of the water flowing past and the cool liquid flowed down her parched throat. The smells of the forest were becoming all the more familiar to her as she made by without her eyes. She'd felt only fear at first, but after being this way for a few weeks, she'd become quite used to seeing with her feet and other senses. Her ears cocked back and she lifted her head. She thought she could hear voices and the faint scent of burning tinder carried on the breeze. Her tail raised in alarm as she crossed more scents that was somehow familiar. She recognized the one scent as Meena, the other as two wolves she'd never met, but there was another wolf there who she knew, but didn't.
A male voice rose in panic as she trotted up the riverbank, seeking the source of the noise frantically. Her sharper senses told her to keep close to the banks, the smoke drifted from someplace downstream. Neira suddenly stopped in her tracks, crystal blue eyes widening in realization.
Eiwen held Meena close to him, carful not to press against her. It seemed that her ribs were more than bruised, there must be something broken. Trying not to further distress her he stroaked her cheek and whispered to her. 'It'll be okay, I'll find a way to help you, I promise....' A lone tear escape and rolled don his cheek, landing with a soft splash on her fur.
The brute's emerald eyes darted upwards as he saw a movement off to his right. At first he thought it might be Hero com,ing back, but his gaze froze upon the white wolf as she stood on the riverbank. The female's coloring was as if someone had taken his own pelt and inverted the colors. It was his sister, Neira.
Neira's sightless eyes quavered as she felt his attentionm shift her way. It had been years since their last, fearful meeting. She could remember being torn away from her mother's side and looked back only to see her brother flung away in another direction by their father. Her mother stood firmly, bristling at the circle of angry packmates. Neira's memories were interrupted as she heard her brother sob.
She walked softly up to him. He was in his Changed form, and she could tell the wolf he was clutching to him was Meena. The other female was breathing shallowly and shivering. Neira Changed in front of them, ignoring the presence of the strangers. She bent over the wolf and felt her side with gentle fingers. The female whined pitifully. Both her brother and Meena were extremely wet and smelled of river mud, so it was not difficult to discern what had befallen them.
Neira looked up, her blank eyes searching space to see her brother's face, but she couldn't remember it. Tears welled up in her eyes as the loneliness pressed in on her again. She reached out a trembling hand and placed it on his shoulder. He had a sling on and she could feel him wince under her touch. She closed her eyes as she felt his feelings ebbing into her conscious thought. Their link had been so feeble in their youth, but now she could share in his same feelings even.
Eiwen winced as his sister's hand came to rest on his injured arm. He stared into those fathomless blue eyes he remembered so well, but cringed as he felt their emptiness. She was blind, the reality of it felt like a cold stab to the heart. He couldn't believe that at one point he'd actually wanted to harm her simply for sharing the same pain he'd carried since birth. Eiwen tore his gaze away from her searching face.
Meena's shuddering breaths were so feeble in his arms he wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to hold on. There was little he could do to help her, but his sister should know what could be done. 'Neira... Neira, will you help her?'
The femme laid her hand against Meena's fur and took note of her pulse. She had only a few minutes. 'Lay her on her uninjured side and keep her warm, keep her awake. I will go find the proper herbs and makeshift dressings. She has....' she laid her fingers along the female's side and counted the fractures as she ran her fingers along her side. 'Three broken ribs which are pressing against her lungs, that is why she is having trouble breathing. Keep her comfortable, I will return with haste.'
Neira shifted back into her wolf form and leapt into the undergowth.
Eiwen stared after her then flipped Meena over gently so that she rested on her left side, then draped the jacket over her again. His eyes were aprehensive and filled with worry, but behind it was a slowly blossoming sense of hope, relief, and something more that was unexplainable but felt just as uplifting.
A male voice rose in panic as she trotted up the riverbank, seeking the source of the noise frantically. Her sharper senses told her to keep close to the banks, the smoke drifted from someplace downstream. Neira suddenly stopped in her tracks, crystal blue eyes widening in realization.
Eiwen held Meena close to him, carful not to press against her. It seemed that her ribs were more than bruised, there must be something broken. Trying not to further distress her he stroaked her cheek and whispered to her. 'It'll be okay, I'll find a way to help you, I promise....' A lone tear escape and rolled don his cheek, landing with a soft splash on her fur.
The brute's emerald eyes darted upwards as he saw a movement off to his right. At first he thought it might be Hero com,ing back, but his gaze froze upon the white wolf as she stood on the riverbank. The female's coloring was as if someone had taken his own pelt and inverted the colors. It was his sister, Neira.
Neira's sightless eyes quavered as she felt his attentionm shift her way. It had been years since their last, fearful meeting. She could remember being torn away from her mother's side and looked back only to see her brother flung away in another direction by their father. Her mother stood firmly, bristling at the circle of angry packmates. Neira's memories were interrupted as she heard her brother sob.
She walked softly up to him. He was in his Changed form, and she could tell the wolf he was clutching to him was Meena. The other female was breathing shallowly and shivering. Neira Changed in front of them, ignoring the presence of the strangers. She bent over the wolf and felt her side with gentle fingers. The female whined pitifully. Both her brother and Meena were extremely wet and smelled of river mud, so it was not difficult to discern what had befallen them.
Neira looked up, her blank eyes searching space to see her brother's face, but she couldn't remember it. Tears welled up in her eyes as the loneliness pressed in on her again. She reached out a trembling hand and placed it on his shoulder. He had a sling on and she could feel him wince under her touch. She closed her eyes as she felt his feelings ebbing into her conscious thought. Their link had been so feeble in their youth, but now she could share in his same feelings even.
Eiwen winced as his sister's hand came to rest on his injured arm. He stared into those fathomless blue eyes he remembered so well, but cringed as he felt their emptiness. She was blind, the reality of it felt like a cold stab to the heart. He couldn't believe that at one point he'd actually wanted to harm her simply for sharing the same pain he'd carried since birth. Eiwen tore his gaze away from her searching face.
Meena's shuddering breaths were so feeble in his arms he wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to hold on. There was little he could do to help her, but his sister should know what could be done. 'Neira... Neira, will you help her?'
The femme laid her hand against Meena's fur and took note of her pulse. She had only a few minutes. 'Lay her on her uninjured side and keep her warm, keep her awake. I will go find the proper herbs and makeshift dressings. She has....' she laid her fingers along the female's side and counted the fractures as she ran her fingers along her side. 'Three broken ribs which are pressing against her lungs, that is why she is having trouble breathing. Keep her comfortable, I will return with haste.'
Neira shifted back into her wolf form and leapt into the undergowth.
Eiwen stared after her then flipped Meena over gently so that she rested on her left side, then draped the jacket over her again. His eyes were aprehensive and filled with worry, but behind it was a slowly blossoming sense of hope, relief, and something more that was unexplainable but felt just as uplifting.
