Erevu had been swift, but careful, with the trip from the shores to the Cove.

He was highly aware of Jewel, his pace light yet sturdy, careful to make sure she wasn't caused any added discomfort on his back. He could feel the strain in his muscles, but he didn't dare let it show. His friend was injured, wounded beyond belief, and Erevu was determined to see her home safely before thinking about anything else.

The borders came into sight soon enough, and with it did his pace fasten. As the scent of the pride washed over him, a certain relief played into his veins, limbs lowering underneath him to grant Jewel her one wish; to be able to cross over the borders herself. He studied her, long and hard for a good moment, assessing every little wound that had tainted her obsidian frame, before looking to the two that had helped them. He was beyond grateful for Oberon and the woman, even more so that they had found Jewel and sought to help her, and not harm her. Anyone could of taken advantage of her in that state.

"You're not going to like this, but I need Kyon." He warned Jewel, giving her a sympathetic look before his head angled upwards and he called for the boy with an urgency, a certain call he had once instructed to the learning mind that meant to bring their emergency stash of herbs. He was certain Kyon would recognize it. He was even more confident in the fact Kyon would be the most helpful in this situation - he was young and learning but the boy had the heart and mind of a true medic.

He was sure others would hear his call and come as well. Erevu placed himself beside Jewel, there for her to lean on him for support if needed, and awaited the aid of the pride to show. The more to help get her to the healing dens, the better, but first he needed to patch up her bleeding before she did anymore traveling.

"" @Kyon @Jewel @Inez @Oberon

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back to the Cove again.

he didn't think he'd be here unless for diplomatic reasons. it was nice to see the familiar place again. he breathes in the scent, closing his eyes briefly. aware of Erevu slipping Jewel from his back, he stops at the border. the Cove Queen's son was summoned to assist - maybe the medic's assistant?

"if you need anything" he addresses @Erevu "herbs, food, etc... we're a hop-skip away" this was going to be emotional and private, and he didn't want to linger. not out of respect for Jewel's proudness. "just send a runner to us" he adds with a nod "oh, by the by. I'm Oberon. never met properly before."

he looks to Inez, grinning. "I actually was part of this pride before I claimed the Lagoon." he tells one of his first members now.

FAIRY BLUE FOR YOU I'D SMASH THE STARS

i'm falling down into my shadow holding my breath the deadly night is waiting don't be scared

code by corvus, art by sally

Even their allies, even friends as trusted as @Erevu, had the Sovereign on edge on late. It was hard to fight the creeping darkness, the want to second glance over her own should as she walked on daily patrols. It was hard not to hover closer to her sons while @Jewel was absent. You begin to look out for danger so closely, feel it in your soul at each turn, even trusted faces looked just a bit less so under the right light. Saddened, worried, Vysemala felt it all in repeating waves as she followed along the summons for Kyon. Someone was hurt... She wasn't sure if she was pleased or upset that it turned out to be Jewel. From a far distance the striped monarch recognized the shadow cat at their sides and she let out a little wail before breaking into a run to get across to them. She came nearer and the wounds became more gruesome, more clear and diabolical. V wanted to crash into her mate, steal her away and make the world just them and the children. Nothing more, no hurt. Her entire frame was trembling as she had to force herself to slow the final approach, heading straight for Jewel above all others, her vision locked and saw no one else. Her heart bemoaned and her eyes quivered at the edges with tears, with an anger and rage. Jewel... Jewel... She repeated and tenderly reached out, angling her muzzle so she could put a kiss to her Queen's muzzle. Afraid to do anymore, afraid she might crumble and crush. There would be hell to pay for this. Please... be careful who knows she is injured. Vysemala requested of @Oberon and @Inez with a frown over her face. There was no controlling the news once it got out and began to spread. At best the other lions would know Caladan was weakened and they'd do nothing with it. At worse it would hit the ears of someone come to take advantage of them for that fact. It would not even be appealing to have others pity, this injured woman was not their High Sovereign and even spoken in kindness was a disservice. Jewel was strong, their couldn't be room for doubt. One attacker? Who? Many? Whom? Did they intend to come finish the job when they found out their work was not completed? Too many unknowns were still bountiful in Vysemala's angry, worried mother's mind. No could be trusted fully. Especially until Erevu had his time to work and bring back some of Jewel's health.

Table by Ice. Graphic by ???.

"@Erevu?"

not often did her husband call for help, let alone specific help. the days passing were grim with Jewel gone, but - no. she could smell Jewel. Jewel was here? was she okay? was she alive? or was it the body that he had brought back? Willoughby gets up from her den, the girls were out exploring and she hoped to gods that they would not see this sight.

racing toward her husband and the small crowd, she notices a former member of the pride. no longer Cove but Lagoon. but then she sees @Vysemala wrap around - "@Jewel!" she wails, tears in the bard's eyes. oh no. no, no no... she was a mess. what happened? who did this? the ebony's brunette mate was protective immediately and she did not blame Vysemala. Willoughby moves to Erevu.

"what happened?" she sucks in a ragged breath, terrified of the answer but wanting to know regardless. Kyon, oh poor dear... he had to see his mother in this state.

willoughby lovelace

code by corvus, edited by daisy, art by PSYCHOACIID of deviantart

The wheat woman followed the group carefully. She kept her eyes on @Jewel to make sure she didn’t fall off of @Erevu while being carried. All the while she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her chest heavy as she felt fear even with so many others around. What if the monster that did this returned? Once at the borders to the Cove they stopped. She stopped. Once the Cove Queen was on her own pridelands Inez let out a soft sigh as she moved to stand next to and slightly behind @Oberon. As @Vysemala spoke requesting not to tell anyone she nodded, but said nothing. The wheat lioness didn’t plan to spread cove business as it was none of her business. If they wished to tell others what happened that would be their choose not something the Scilla woman would find herself gossiping about. Standing there in silence as more and more came she stepped closer to Oberon in an attempt to touch her shoulder to his hip. She didn’t like the building crowd and wanted to return to the lagoon.

She was able to stand, and grudgingly admitted that it was helpful to be carried up the cliffside. It had given her a chance to gather her strength despite the illness raging in her veins and stand when @Erevu placed her down. It was for a moment she worried she would be collapsing back to the earth, but Jewel firmed her limbs through sheer force of will alone. His thundering call for @Kyon had her sighing - the sound turning into a wracking, wheezing cough.. but she understood. Didn't mean that she liked it.. The lioness shifted her head when @Oberon and @Inez were there and offered them a smile, wan - weak.. but a smile nonetheless. "Thank you. For your help." She inhaled - to offer them a place to rest and recover before they headed back to Scilla when @Vysemala's voice rang across the sands. Jewel would do her best to lean into her mates side, a shifting of her weight enough that she could lightly graze her nose across the females nape. "I'm allright." Ish. She was alive - and that's what really mattered, right? @Willoughby arrived second and she gathered her thoughts to speak. "Magnus...and Nymeria.. Should know." Her gaze shifted - the single remaining cerulean optic searching for the blue eyes of her mate. She hoped Vysemala would understand. They had allies for a reason - and she knew how she felt knowing that Avreya had kept Kimagure's death from the public eye. Keeping such news from their allies. "They... should know of attacks... And this." She shifted, dropping slowly to her haunches and taking some of the weight off of trembling limbs. They were allies for a reason - and she wasn't about to break the trust between them. If these prides called for the Cove to help and they didn't arrive - it would break whatever agreements lay between them. They needed to know that the Cove might be slow to respond to requests of their allies. She did her best to push the fatigue, the pain and the fog away for Vysemala.. for her mate. To Willoughby, she spoke, trying to reveal what had happened to the best of her knowledge. "A fight - swamps...He attacked me. I don't know why.." The Cove Queen coughed, trying to clear her lungs of the built up fluid and leaned a little more firmly against the shoulder of her mate. "Fell into the ocean..." And that - as they say.. is that. She made it home. She wasn't going to let some stupid storm keep her from her family.

Table by Ice. Graphic by ???.

The summons for him already made him weary, Erevu's call sounded urgent. Things had been calm in his world aside from his mother's worrisome absence. But he wasn't too worried, not initially- his mother had her purposes, and perhaps Vysemala was just fretting herself. That's what he had hoped, at least.

What a slap in the face. Or rather, a punch in the gut of epic proportions- to see his mother among the small crowd that had gathered. He knew it was her just by a glimpse of her pelt, he could recognize it so easily. So quickly. Like he was still a child with his face buried within it. His limbs felt numb even as he willed himself to keep running.

But it became clearer the closer he got. The smell of blood, a lot of it. And the sight, the look on everyone's faces. His mother's... Half of it, missing. A flash of white- flesh? Or bone? He couldn't even look at it as he approached, sucking in a breath and steeling himself against the sickness that welled within him, and the emotion that stirred his insides into a boiling pool of fear and uncertainty. And anger.

At what? He didn't know, not yet. But he could feel it in his chest, burning.

"What happened?" His voice shuddered darkly, looking at all of them, searching their eyes. His mother was speaking, he could hear her, barely through the rushing blood in his ears. Finally... He looked at her up close, face twisting in sadness, cringing in on himself. No- he couldn't hinder himself. He had to shove all of it away, he knew why Erevu had called him now.

Not just as her son, but as a medic. A medic whose help he needed. Luckily he'd come with herbs, ready for something but not as emotionally ready as he wanted to be. Had it been anyone else...

He avoided his mother's eyes as he overlooked her wounds, inwardly shaking to his core, eyes looking frantically across the gore. There was so much. Where would they even begin? Somewhere, they had to begin somewhere. The wound on her face was the most egregious. He looked to Erevu.

"We need to stop the bleeding. I dropped my batch over there, there's a salve- but this also needs cleaned. Badly."

There are times when I'd rather be a tree

Oh not worried, not worried bout a thing... Holding tight to the dirt underneath... Spending my life exploring every shade of green

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