Aurinka; Bear

Aurinka walked to the mountains, collapsing on the ground and whimpering. Her family was being torn apart. Her half-sister Tainted had stolen her children from her, and it appeared that Tainted would be tortured now. Black Plaque had killed Tahti, Kalaber had killed Ivan, and Asylum had killed Vulpin. Who would be next?

Bear stalked after his ally. He had no idea that Aurinka was his maternal half-sister, for he had been adopted by Lyckos as a pup. "Poor Aurinka. That's what you get for treading on land that isn't yours." He said wickedly. Aurinka lifted her head. "Just leave me alone...please..." She sobbed. Bear grinned and circled around the older female. "I'd actually rather not." He grabbed the tiny coywolf by the back of the neck, temporarily paralyzing her, and thrashed her around. She fell to the ground, completely limp.

Bear, thinking Aurinka was dead, walked back to the Alleys.

avara

The young she-wolf was shaking as she came to the mountains. Avara needed to get away from everyone, everything and the whole world. But this mountain held the Ancient Guardians. Was this valley wrecked in paril, and bleeding hatred from every pore? Avara didn't know, but she felt that way. Nothing was getting better, and if everyone continued to "fight for what was right" peace would not settle. It never would, this whole world was corrupt.

Avara was weak as she slouched down by a boulder, her fur matted with burs and smeared with mud. The coywolf began to drowse off, but she heard screaming. Looking up, Avara saw her mother. Too weak to call out, or even fight, Avara watched in horror. Please let him leave! Please let him leave! Avara prayed, pushing herself to her paws to try and rush to her mother's aid. But then Bear left, sauntering away like some arrogant monster. Avara felt strength ebb at her muscles, and she sprinted to her mother's side.

Avara was panting, her muscles screaming with protest as she skidded to a full stop. Looking at the gruesome sight, Avara let a sob emit from her throat. "No! You can't die! I won't let you!" Avara sternly howled, thinking quickly.

Aurinka

Aurinka opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. "Avara... It's over. It's my time to go...to go and see my mother once again." She mumbled. She wouldn't live much longer unless she found help. "Just tell Desmon that I love him." Tears dripped from her bright yellow eyes as she spoke. She could feel the life leaving her.

Rival, a son of Aurinka and Desmon, ran to the mountains as soon as Bear came back with the blood of Auri on his coat. "Mom! No! You can't give up! We're gonna find help for you, alright? The Shadow Lurkers are coming. You can wait that long, can't you?" He tried desperately to keep his mother calm, although he himself was falling apart.

avara

Avara shook her head. "No! It's not, Mom!" Avara barked, her legs shook as Aurinka mentioned Desmon. If only Avara knew her mother's lover and mate. But, no, she had been forced out of her own home by the Shadow Lurkers. That didn't matter, all that mattered was that Avara had to be with her mother!

"You! Y-you're my half-brother, right?" Avara pleaded, her eyes were wide. But then she sharply snapped, "Tell her she can't die!"

Aurinka; Rival

Aurinka looked at Avara with tears in her eyes. "I...I'm sorry..." She mumbled. "Avara, they want to torture Tainted. She needs to get to safety. Please, send a messenger to her. She needs to go to the human lands and never come back." She didn't want Tainted to endure that fate. Not even the most cold-blooded creature should be tortured, in her eyes.

Rival looked at Avara. "Yeah." He replied simply. "I'm the son of Aurinka and Desmon." He then turned to his mother. "Mom, it's not your time, okay? Desmon needs you. Your children need you. We all love you and we won't let you go, alright? Can you stay with us? Help will be arriving soon." His voice was calm, all fear seemingly dissipating. He looked up at Lune, an owl. "I need you to ask the Shadow Lurkers for help, Lune. Make it quick."

"Roger that." Lune said, flying toward the Alleys.

Avara

Avara nodded, looking at her mother, lifting her muzzle to the sky and letting a howl ring out. Lako would help her, the Bald Eagle had always been good to her. Avara felt desperation tug at her, and she was breathing heavily. But, in no time, the white-headed creature soared down loftily. "Lako! Lako! You must tell Aunt Tainted this," Avara barked, rushing up to the eagle. "Tell her to go to the humans! She needs to stay there, and never come back! Lyckos and Risen want her dead! Tell her this!"

Lako blinked, but noticed the panic in Avara's eyes. "Y-yes, ma'am."

Avara turned to Aurinka, returning to her mother's side. "He's right. Life has more for you then this! I know you can fight! Just a little longer momma!"

Desmon & Others

Overhead, another raptor was circling the skies, giving call to the next wave of Lurkers that were responding the the disaster. Here! Here! Using rehearsed body language, the falcon's sharp, angled circling singled to her followers that she'd found Aurinka, and that the wounded coyowolf was directly below her.

"Auri!" Powering through the brush and gold-tinged foliage of fall, Desmon raced against time to scale the steep terrain and keep up with Moonshadow soaring high above him. Behind the father were Katabana and Orchila, two identical sisters with coats of steel gray and faces and paws of pitch black.

"Auri!" The hybrid's desperate bark shattered the crisp air, sending a swirling cloud of steam rushing from his mouth as it met the cold atmosphere of the mountain. "Auri, oh..." Finally reaching his mate, Desmon came up beside her, leaning his muzzle in to touch her face and neck in a comforting gesture, "Keep still, we will get you help."

Katabana crept up beside her dam, beginning to lick at her wounds to clean them and staunch the blood flow. Orchila paced anxiously to and fro, whining plaintively, "Dad, what are we going to do...?"

Aurinka

Aurinka looked up at her mate and whimpered. "It was Bear...He followed me. I think the war got to him." She moaned, trying not to look at the pool of blood that surrounded her. "There's too much tension, Des. It's tearing everybody apart." She had orders to stay at the mountains. She couldn't go down to the alleys anymore. It was all Tainted's fault. Even more than that, it was Risen's fault.

Basil ran alongside her identical sisters, her black paws stained with mud. She had tears in her eyes. "Mama..."

Rival stayed by his mother. Havik and Alpine stood on either side of their father. "Do you think we should get her to the humans?" Alpine suggested.

Desmon & Others

Thoughts and ideas were whirling through the hybrid's head, and though he was very tempted to take Aurinka back down to the Alleys, there were two things stopping him. For one, he did not want to break Lyckos's order and disrespect his leader. Secondly... he knew that they had Pheral in the temple, and that her skills in healing were just as good as the rumored mini-deer of the Haunter's. That, and the temple was much closer than trying to hike down the mountains and across the floodplains to reach the two-leggers. "Shhh, I know, I know." Desmon hushed softly, trying to keep his mate from speaking too much, "We're going to get you help. Just hold on for me, ok?" Dark chocolate eyes shifted to Alpine now, "No, that is too risky for now... it will be a last resort option. I need you to run to the temple and alert them of Aurinka. Have them send their healers, quickly!"

Alpine

Alpine nodded to his father. Without another word, he ran to the temple as fast as his legs would allow.

Aurinka whimpered and moaned. "Des..." She mumbled. "Bear...he raped me. He tried to kill me - I-I think he thinks I'm dead." She held still, while every cell in her mangled body screamed in pain.

Alpine

Alpine led the squad of healers to his mother. "Hang on, Mama. The healers are comin'!" He urged, seeing his own mother fade in front of him. It tortured him to see her like this.

Avara

Avara looked up at Desmon, her muzzle lowering as she looked at Aurinka. Avara wasn't going to let herself be torn away from her mother again, a wanted pup or not. Avara shuddered, looking back up at Desmon with glazed-over eyes. "Pl-please don't let them take me away from her," Avara whispered, refferring to those who hated her former pack, the Rebels. If the Lurkers knew of her former pack, they'd kill her. Was it possible Desmon knew about her former home. Avara lowered her muzzle, nuzzling Aurinka's face. "I don't want you to leave me again..."

Desmon & Others

Desmon was almost too overcome with emotions and information right now to properly respond to everyone. He bit back a snarl that wanted to form at what Bear had done to his mate, and focused instead on keeping her still and quiet, "I know, I know..." The hybrid murmured, trying to keep her calm, "Bullet is going to sort it out, we'll figure it all out. I just need you to hang on for us, ok?"

Following after alpine was a slew of different creatures, with the largest being the healer Pheral. "Zantail! Please have Jemson and Bretaquin bring out my supplies - the cluster with the puffballs." As the eagle turned back to gather the needed herbs, the large swine was looking briefly after Aurinka's wounds, calculating this and that in her head, "She is not fit enough to be moved; she will have to remain here for at least two days before it is safe to transport her to the Temple. Whip, have your brother and Vent set up a guard post around here, and send for the cats. She will need to be kept warm."

Aurinka

Aurinka's breathing was rather labored. She did her best not to move, but the occasional tremble ran through her body. "Okay...I will..." She said to her mate, a bit weakly. Her gaze fell on Pheral and the rest of the healers. "It's nice of you for helping me. Most wouldn't take the time to help a daughter of Tahti and Vicious. It warms my heart that you're that kind." With the healers here, she was calming down a bit.

Desmon & Others

With Pheral taking charge of things now, Desmon curled up beside his mate, sharing his warmth with her to protect her from the growing chill in the air. By nightfall, the autumn temperatures would plummet them into 40 degree temperatures, meaning Aurinka would definitely need to be protected from the elements in her weakened state.

While Pheral was waiting for the supplies to arrive, she stood near the coyodog, listening to her words, "You are a member of our group; it matters not who's blood you share. You are not like them."

Aurinka

Aurinka still whimpered slightly, but her whimpering was slowly abating. "Do you mean that?" She asked. "Because...most I've met judge me by who my parents are." She remembered when she first met the Lurkers. Desmon and Hatch were teaching Scaria how to hunt. Hatch wasn't as welcoming at first, but Desmon protected her, and soon enough, the pack warmed up to her. That was the way she remembered it. It was so different back then. Nothing was ever the same for long.

Desmon & Others

The sow smiled lightly, nodding her head, "Of course, sweety. I know your heart lies with Desmon, and that you are a good soul; you would not take the path of the Haunters, and other should not judge you because you came from their blood." Pheral herself had once been part of the Opake pack, when it was led under Ghost and Nike's rule, with Risen as little more than a pup in the pack. Even Cavan had been there, with his sickly son Tupit who'd eventually perished. Cortinarri, Namir... Pheral herself had never been treated warmly by most of the pack, for the simple sake that she was a pig, and they had looked down on her for that.

Aurinka

Aurinka's breathing slowed slightly. "Many don't see that a good pup can come from a bad father." She muttered quietly. "They never see the real me. They only see my parents." She lowered her head. "And now my mother is gone...and it's my fault..."

Desmon & Others

As the others were making their way back with the supplies, Pheral remained calm in voice, replying vaguely, "Assumptions can often times be bad, especially when they are made of one's character and persona. Aurinka, I need you to be still for me." The conversation switched quickly, now the sow had her herbs being laid out in front of her. Nosing through this and that, she nudged a few towards the coyowolf's mouth, "Chew on these plants, but do not swallow. They will help take some of the pain away."

Aurinka

The coywolf looked at the herbs nervously, but she had to trust Pheral. She hesitantly grabbed the plants in her mouth and began chewing. She nodded to the sow, signaling that she was ready.

Pheral & Others

When the herbs had had a chance to work through the canine's system and dull her senses a little, Pheral set to work. Grinding up this leaf and that under her sturdy hooves, she smeared the improvised poultices over Aurinka's wounds as gently as possible, "You will need to remain here and rest for a few days. There will be guards posted to ensure that you are kept safe and not bothered." The sow looked from Auri to Desmon, before nodding to the male and walking a short distance away to have a few words with him.

Aurinka

Aurinka didn't feel a lot, thanks to the herbs, but she still cringed slightly. A sigh of relief was released when Pheral finished. She let her head rest on the ground. "Des and the pups can stay, right? I mean, if they want." She asked.

Pheral & Others

She did not speak long with Desmon, and once a side matter had been taken care of, both returned to Aurinka. The canine settled down at his mate's side, once again sharing his warmth and protection. It was Pheral who spoke, "Yes, I would prefer it actually. I will have one of the cats find your family something to eat for the next few days, to build your strength up."