The world was slowly being consumed by darkness, the sun began setting along the horizon and Alexander found himself staring quietly at the marvel that it was. The Great Mother was a wonder to him, beyond comprehension and it felt like a blessing to witness this miracle of nature. A deep breath was inhaled, the crisp, cold air reminding him that the temperatures were dropping even before the sun was hidden fully.

The deep purples, pinks and oranges reminded him of home, offering Alexander some semblance of comfort. It had been hard leaving such a beautiful place, but the plague had pushed them out, forcing his paw. One day, perhaps, he hoped to see the view from his homeland once more. It was not a hope he held dear, however. The beast lets out a low rumble from deep within the mass of his broad chest. The titan stood and shook the snow from his colossal form, deciding that it was time to find shelter before the temperatures dropped further.

Summer ebbed and flowed, then vanished, like it never happened at all. The thick, lush green of the forest was now bereft of its leaves, and, outside, the stir of winter welcomes her. Days are shorter now, but it's okay, because to Fernweh, there's nothing more blissful than the chill of night. She is doing better, the malignant sickness in her only falling short of a normal cold. Though her cheeks are warm and her eyes cloudy by the sleep she woke from, she's nonetheless conscious of the world around her now.

And, by now, Fernweh can do better than sit around. Her body has lost some of its vibrancy and weight, and her face looks gaunter, the shine in her eyes just as dormant. A walk then, ought to remedy some of that. There's enough in her to pull herself from the den, her first step into the world, and she begins to move. Bones ache and muscles shift like jagged knives against each other. And it doesn't take long before Fernweh pauses, breathe coming out short and raspy. It's only through her stop that she sees a lumbering lion ahead, his form imposing as it is striking. She has no desire to get in his way nor the will to stand up to herself should he attack. But, alas, Fernweh's body weakens at the worst possible moment, causing her to collapse on the snowy ground. @Alexander ♔_{BG — ART — CODE}

Each step in the snow made a satisfying crunch, settling his soul and easing the uneasiness in his stomach. His kind were nomadic, but the worries of finding a suitable place to call home for he and his family were becoming a larger concern than he had anticipated.

The Oasis was, for now, a good place to setup temporarily - but the Savage were made of the earth and a home surrounded primarily by water did not suit them. With time he would need to study each pride and the lands surrounding them. While the jungle was ideal, he knew Nazonal and her group had locked eyes on it, and he had no intention of invading.

Abruptly the beast was drawn from his inner musings when the sound of something or someone falling. Pale blue eyes cast in the direction of the sound, brows furrowing as the Savage realizes the situation. Picking up his pace, he quickly plows through the snow - using the sheer force of his weight now rather than being delicate as he was before. Head lowers, nostrils flaring slightly to pick up her scent, brushing his nose along one ear to test her consciousness. "Are you all right, csitri?" He murmurs, voice a deep baritone.

There was a voice, low and deep in the recesses of her ears. She's on her side, paws bent at an awkward angle and chest heaving up and down. Her eyes are halfway open, mind foggy once more. But, Fernweh can make out what the voice said to her. There is a concern, a foreign word - a question. Through the barely there light, she sees the same male, his figure looming above her. Fernweh's first instinct is to run, but she's so tired, and the snow beneath her feels warmer than usual. Maybe she'll die here, in peace, and her body can be salvaged for meat and fur. As long as she doesn't wither away piece by piece, then she's fine.

Let me rest she tells him through dry lips. I'll feel better... Her voice trails off, her front paw twitching for a moment before she attempts to curl into herself.

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There was a distinct smell coming from the exotic woman, even past the sweet scent of her natural scents - it was sick. Alexander was no healer, but he knew enough to know that he needed to get her somewhere warm and likely get some kind of water down her throat. Hydration was important when your body was weak.

The Earth would provide if he could only find a decent den of some sort, he would run out whatever creature he needed to temporarily. "Stay awake." It was a quiet command, one he would follow-up with a nip to her hip as his pale eyes scanned the area. Briefly he would disappear, returning a short while later, having found a small, but warm shelter hidden along the tree line. It went deep into the Earth, soothing the beast - in his heart he knew she would be fine.

Unfortunately, he would need to be rough to pull her onto his shoulder and back. Jaws would grasp her scruff, tugging up as his form lowered - Alexander managed pull her up and he stood, shifting a bit to readjust her as he began moving at a brisk pace toward his destination. "Your name, what is it?" He rumbles out to her, attempting to keep her awake.

he wouldn't leave her be. but, fernweh is too far gone to care anymore. she feels a sudden pinch on her hip, too sharp to just be a muscle, and too gentle to be an attack. her heart, however, still speeds up, pushing her to weakly open her eyes, head almost lifting to see what happened. for a moment, the red titan is gone, vanished, as if he's never there. and, for a moment, the earth is silent, and she's cold. but he returns, seemingly engrossed in trying to save her. she would've been hesitant to accept, for he is a stranger to her; but, now that she's crumpled like this, she cannot object. her voice slurs as she grunts, allowing him to prop her up, allowing him to manipulate her to his desire.

name? she parroted, unsure at first of what the man meant. fernweh...greyflood. she is aware now of what she's doing, only because she's no longer on the ground. she's sick, and she came out just to stretch her legs, she met someone, and then, she fell. the world before her unnerves her with its lack of solidness. fernweh wants to shrink back into what meager soul she is, bereft of the burdens that she placed upon herself. she wants to be with avaneira and her siblings, warm and safe. i don't...understand she said, trying to keep herself conscious, why're you doing this? @Alexander ♔

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Thankfully the thicket was full of potential dens, the only issue was most of them were small animal sized and Alexander was anything but. She spoke her name and the beast committed it to memory. @Fernweh.

A hefty breath expels from the Savage as he stops, those blue eyes casting along the area to get a better look at his surroundings. Heavy blankets of snow covered the ground and many of the brush nearby.

There was, however, a dark hole that sparked his interest almost immediately. Inching toward it, trudging through the snow, he comes to another soft stop just before the den. A low, growling chuff bellows from his jaws, a command in case there was a creature inside.

When he was met with silence, Alexander began pushing back the building snow from the entrance. It would be a tight squeeze, but he could lay mostly outside the den to ensure she was warm.

The question that filled the air brought a pause to the beast, a brow arching. "Kindness must be rare in your life." Came his reply, voice a low rumble as he lowered to his stomach as close to the entrance as possible and motioned her into the den.

"Inside, csitri." He would remain still, moving only to help her if it was required. Even though she was atop his back, Alexander could feel the weakness of her body. Hopefully with warmth and rest she could recover without the assistance of a healer - otherwise a call to his sister may be necessary.

her world moves and she tries to move alongside it, feeling more so the heaviness of her body than the ache in her mind. fernweh can smell the man, his scent, and the extraneous ones that cling to him. it's not a bad scent, she thinks, closing her eyes for a moment, as her lips twitch and ears taper. she feels @Alexander ♔ stop, shift, and then nudge her towards something. a gaping mouth, a black hole? no, it's none of those things, she realizes. much to her relief, the blackness is just the opening to an unused den. a soft sigh escapes her as fernweh pulls herself inside, feeling suddenly a cold tremor running down her spine. this isn't the den she haphazardly put together, but it'll make do. i-thank you she breathed, eyelids fluttering as she looks toward him. i...have been by myself fernweh explained as she dropped her head down onto the floor. but i found many good things. she's becoming sentimental again and saying things she would never say to a stranger.

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Alexander's ears perk slightly as she murmurs her thank you, his skull nodding in acknowledgement. He meets her gaze, admiring the way she had the strength to gaze up at him and speak, even despite her condition. Instead of making her strain herself, the Savage lowers his head to her level, but this is only after he adjusts himself to more or less block the entire entrance of the cave with his own form.

He wasn't attempting to trap her, merely lock in the heat so it didn't escape and cause her a chill. "You have been blessed then, it is often rare for good to outweigh the bad." He hums thoughtfully, pressing his paws forward to gently cover her own in case her feet were cold. It would take a moment to warm the den up, so Alexander would attempt to help speed up the process.

Furthermore, his head raises once more, ever so slightly, so that the warmth of his breath could sweep over her. As a result, the heavy earthen scent he carried would follow. "Are you warm?" He questions in a low whisper, pausing to steady those pale blue eyes back on her smaller features. Despite being larger for a woman, Alexander still found her to be immensely feminine, and he could not help but admire the exotic swirls and stripes that adorned her softly hued form.

there's the faintest hint of the cold from outside, until @Alexander ♔ moves, completely blocking it from seeping within. fernweh slumps down again, her head and chest heavy still, while her eyelids battle against the sheer will to not close. she wants to keep herself awake long enough to not slip into another nightmare, another chaos that may unfold in her mind. most of all, she doesn't want to die yet.

so it comes as another blessing for alexander to continue talking, responding to her as if she's not so sick and weak. fernweh can't imagine not having someone else around now, for their presence seems to drag her out of the black dredge that's her misery. she, however, barely lets out a chuckle, as she forces her paws to cushion her chin. her crumpled state brings no dignity to her form, but now at least she can look like she's simply resting.

yes, i am she responded, whisker twitching at the sudden rush of it from the man's breath. it doesn't have any distinct smell, but fernweh's thankful to feel it. she'll take whatever warmth there is, however small it is. remind me to thank you again, after i'm healthy.

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