after this thread

Myrkvi had no idea how he got here.

The young Sigrun stumbled on the sands his blood dripped on. The ground was warm under his paws. He felt as if he were looking at himself from above. His shadowy pelt gleamed with health and glistened with dark blood. His mane was coming in nicely. No longer did it look patchy. He had grown into his height and his build.

His front right limb strained as he put weight on it from the deep puncture wounds in the firm meat. It felt weak to favor it but hurt immensely to try to use it as if nothing was wrong with it. His left was bruised from falling on it. That paled in comparison.

The gashes on his face had slowed their bleeding so his vision was only blurry and teary rather than blocked. They were shallow on his forehead above his eye but they deepened the further they traveled toward his jaw. The claw marks stopped mid way through his cheek where they glanced over his right eye.

His right ear was nicked and luckily not shredded. The attempt was clear by the shallow gashes on top of his head around the audit. The last evidence of his run in where to slash marks on his right hip where his attacker had grabbed him.

He had made it as far as the border before collapsing in the sand.

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The yearling had been making the rounds of the territory, wanting to make sure no one was trying to cause any funny business while things were tense and recovering within the Lagoon. She was not pleased to know that the lioness who had almost started a fight with Myrkvi with her cronies at the death match was now the Soverign of the pride. It annoyed her, and she wanted nothing more than to see her ripped from her position in the pride. Cassandra hadn’t seem much of Kvi today, and figured he had gone off on some errand for his family or something. That or he was off doing something else entirely. He hadn’t said anything to her about where he’d been headed, so when she caught his scent on the breeze tinged with blood alarm bells started ringing in her mind.

Her paws immediately moved from the slow, meandering pace that it had been to a quick and worried pace. A worried chuff escaped her as she approached his location, wanting desperately to hear a reply before she were to reach him. A reply would mean he was ok. That it wasn’t his blood she smelled. That it was someone else’s who needed help. But then… why had he not called out if it was someone else who needed help? Sand sprayed up from her paws as she slid into the area where Kvi had collapsed at the border.

He was heavily wounded, with numerous wounds and gashes all over him. A soft noise escaped her, one she’d never heard herself make before. It was one of pain and worry. Cassandra had never seen the dark Sigrun so badly wounded before, and for him to be collapsed at the border like this without having called for anyone… he wasn’t good. As she quickly moved closer, worried calls escaped her as she called for someone - anyone who knew how to help fix his wounds to come help. She didn’t know how to heal - how to fix him… The most she could do was produce comfort the best she knew how.

"“Kvi…”" She choked out as she collapsed on the ground next to him, aiming to gently press her head against his. He was so close to his second birthday, and to see him so weakened and knocked down like this tore at her every fiber. "“Kvi please don’t leave me… stay with me. Your family needs you…. I need you.”" Her words grew softer at the end, her last words a mere murmur meant only for @Myrkvi’s ears. Lifting her head from his, she let out another desperate call for help before moving her head back down to his. She wished she could do something to help him, but she felt so helpless right now…

text. "speech."

Art & Table code by Zodiac

she had been sitting at the shoreline, oblivious to the horrors that were underway beyond the walls of their kingdom and simply caught up in her own mindset of dread and uncertainty. it was only the sound of @Cassandra's cry that prompted the sigrun from her perch, both curious and afraid to see what had befallen them this time. though, as voluspa moved across the lagoon, she would have never imagined seeing that familiar, obsidian shape slouched across the terrain, with the shadow of the brunette hunched over him in the most worrisome of ways. "@Myrkvi!" her tones bellowed instinctively at the sight, thundering out across the expanse of the sands, whilst her limbs worked to quickly propel her in the direction of her fallen brother.

dark eyes were quick to rush over the expanse of his injuries as she neared, heart sinking at the deep and violence array of his wounds. "bróðir, nú ertu öruggur." (brother, you’re safe now) a solemn promise, her words tethered by emotion — for vellen would have to strike the woman down himself should the perpetrator show themselves now. but those were questions to ask later. thinking quickly, however, voluspa’s attention would then flicker to cassandra, the edges of her eyes hard as she tried to remain strong, focused, like calypso had taught her. "are you able to help me move him closer to my den? it will be safer to tend to him there." she figured that the two of them together would be able to manage it, if not for myrkvi’s sake — though it would likely cause him pain, his sister would be much more comfortable healing his wounds deeper within the territory, as oppose to having to move him after the fact. And don’t you dare to even think of leaving us, myrkvi - we are not done with you yet.

table code by ferus

Myrkvi is dazed at best. The flickering of his ear at the sound of @Cassandra’s voice the only indicator that he was some semblance of aware. Her shape moved before his eyes, but the black seas of his gaze were distant. He wasn’t quite seeing his fiancé in front of him, he was seeing past her. The great shape of Vellen took over his awareness.

He was dark and looming. A vague shape of a lion but wispy. His form was ever changing and far from solid against the backdrop of the ocean. He felt judged, like Vellen was weighing his options as Myrkvi bled onto the warm sands. The words @Voluspa spoke in their native tongue seemed to really come from the deity’s unmoving maw. His injuries and blood-loss twisted the voices of Cass and his sister to put them toward what Vellen had to say. He was safe? Huh. From what exactly?

Unfortunately for those around him who had questions, Myrkvi didn’t remember why, who, or what exactly happened to him. He didn’t even remember how he got off the mountain. He remembered getting to the peaks, but nothing else. It didn’t help that he wasn’t quite here to begin with.

Kvi offered no signs of acknowledgment past what had already been given. His spiritual self was sitting at the feet of Vellen seemingly having a conversation even he couldn’t hear or understand at the moment. He was left to the mercy of the two lionesses who found him first.

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The fact that he barely responded to her presence was worrying. He usually seemed to brighten up whenever he saw her, and she knew he was rather out of it if he didn't even stir when she arrived at his side. A worried noise escaped the fluffy girl at he laid there, unmoving. ""Kvi..."" She whispered quietly. Her nose was pressed against his cheek, hoping that he would become more alert by her motions. Hopefully someone who could help would be along soon - she knew nothing about healing herbs and how to patch up his wounds.

Thankfully, her call would be answered by none other than Kvi's sister @Voluspa. The older girl hid her emotions better than she did, not showing any sign of worry as she came upon the pair of them. The darker girl said something in a language unknown to her, but it was obviously something that was second nature to her. ""Ou-His den isn't as far as your den - we can take him there. Its not too terribly far away."" Cassandra answered breathlessly as Voluspa asked if she was able to move him closer to her den. She had almost slipped up on calling his den their den, as she'd pretty much taken up permanent residence there since her move to the Lagoon. ""If I ever find the one who did this to him.... they will not walk away unscathed."" Cassandra vowed quietly.

Moving herself so that she was helping support one of his sides, the nearly grown girl looked towards her future sister-in-law, ready to follow her lead to get Myrkvi away from the borders and into a safer location.

text. "speech."

Art & Table code by Zodiac

Fury is rising in her throat. For @Myrkvi and @Magnus, of course, but mostly at herself. At her weakness and the way it takes so long to respond. She limps her way to the group, b face tight and eyes murderous. @Cassandra's comment elicits a little growl of agreement and her eye shifts to @Voluspa. "take him to his sister's den." She tells the brown youth. He may like the comfort of their shared den, but Voluspa is the healer in training and her den will be stocked. A frown touches her lips and she steadies her gaze on her niece. "Calypso hasn't been by in days." It seems an odd thing to say, perhaps out of place. But to the thoughtful, they would hear the veiled warning: you're on your own in this.

wrath, anger, sadness — it all swirled potently within the depths of her gaze, a concoction of emotion that, this time, would be used to fuel her instincts and serve her brother as a medic. she took another look at the breadth of his injuries, attention shifting only when @Cassandra spoke once more, hoping instead to usher @Myrkvi into the folds of his - their? - den, as opposed to that of his sister. and while voluspa could understand the sentiment behind the request, with the sigrun in such a wounded and disoriented state, he likely would not even notice the extra steps.

thankfully, @Saga, too, had answered the call of the valour-greyflood, and said what voluspa had been thinking. "it will be good for me to have my inventory on-hand - once he has healed and rested, we can take him back to his den." she assured, hoping that cassandra would understand that it would be good for myrkvi, at least immediately and in this moment, to be taken there. "if you support that side, i will support the other." cool tones added as the group began to shift, before taking the position needed to transport myrkvi further into the territory. dark eyes would flicker again to their sovereign then, the limp in her step still apparent — though voluspa would leave the decision up to her on whether she would follow, or do what she thought was needed. the yearling knew better than to try instructing her aunt when it was not needed, after all.

it was sagas final words, however, that struck something within voluspa’s chest — something that could only be described as a sense of responsibility. "he is safe in my hands." it was solemn confirmation, edged with promise, that she would not fail her brother in his time of need, even if calypso was not here to guide her. it was stiffly that she nodded in tandem with the words, gaze hovering upon saga for a moment longer, until she grunted and looked to take on her portion of myrkvi’s weight, prepared to move whenever cassandra was ready.

table code by ferus

The movement of @Voluspa and @Cassandra lifting him from the sands made him groan lowly. A distant acknowledgment of pain but nothing more. He did not, could not, struggle against or assist them in carrying his bulk. It probably helped that his sister nearly matched him in size. The movement would spur fresh blood as a slow ooze from the injuries to his right side.

The only clues to this misfortune lay in the trail of blood that followed him home should someone wish to attempt to investigate.

His mental and spiritual self turned away from the shadowy figure once his physical self had begun to be moved. What he perceived as Vellen gave him a nudge toward himself as if his judgment had been made. Myrkvi would follow after the small group toward his sisters den.

@Saga

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she moves without hesitation to prop her nephew up, even with her still-healing leg. while @Cassandra may want to be the one to support him, the woman feels a feral rage building in her gut. her claws are unsheathed and slide through the sand harmlessly, leaving her feeling as useless as she has been for weeks, now. her niece pauses before they move, promising he is safe with her - and her heart tightens. she never meant to load the girl with doubt, to ever indicate that she doesn't believe her capable. and the sovereign only narrows her gaze and nods firmly. "i know." she promises, voice pitched low for her ears moreso than cassandra's. "let's go." she grunts, casting a quick glance at the valour yearling, before assisting @Voluspa in bringing @Myrkvi to her den.

as they arrive, she sinks quietly to her haunches, hiding the pain and effort it takes under her placid mask. she rests quietly for a long moment before struggling back to her feet, pregnant body bringing her down, and she grits her jaw. "i'm going to follow it." saga announces, jerking her jaw at the blood trail. "cassandra won't know an rike's scent and you... are needed here." she tells voluspa, ear twisting distractedly to the valour yearling before she moves to disappear, leg and pregnancy be damned. she needs to hunt down the scent before it disappears entirely.

but she pauses before she gets more than a few feet from her den. the pain is dragging at her and her leg quivers. "fuck." she snarls, ears laying flat and fury escaping her attempt at neutrality. she chews on her cheek before loosening her jaws from their clench to loose a ragged roar for @Ragna. she trusts her daughter; she knows the scent, she knows to be careful. she can be there and back long, long before saga possibly could.

Everything was starting to sound muted as @Saga and @Voluspa spoke around her. She was there mentally, but her worry about Kvi's condition was almost deafening to the young girl. Her suggestion to take @Myrkvi to his own den since it was closer was brushed aside in favor of taking him to Voluspa's den. In her mind, she knew that was the smarter thing to do. His sister had her herbs there, would have more access to whatever he needed to start healing from his encounter. Where she had stepped up on the nearly grown male's side to help, she suddenly backed up as Saga took her spot next to Kvi to help usher him to Voluspa's den.

Cassandra hated not knowing who or what had done this to him, nor did she know what she could do to help with the situation. She was no healer. Her skill lay more in fighting and diplomatic means, and it hurt to know she could do nothing to help heal Kvi's wounds. She had to do whatever she could to help Voluspa. She followed behind the trio of Sigrun's as they made their way to Voluspa's den. As Saga took her leave, her own dark ears push back at the Sovereign's words. The two times she had come in contact with the Rike, there had been too many other scents around for her to be able to clearly pick out one scent from another. Saga was right in that aspect... Yet another way in which she was of no help to the situation.

Part of her wanted nothing more than to just leave and disappear. She felt useless in this moment, unable to do anything. She couldn't heal the wounds on Kvi's frame, and she couldn't track down those who had attacked him. Once Myrkvi was settled down in Voluspa's den, Cassandra settled herself next to him, giving his sister a glance before she started trying to clean some of the dried blood around his wounds. ""If you need me to get anything, fetch more herbs or anything... just lemme know..."" She said softly, her words intended for her future sister-in-law. Until she was requested for anything, she would remain here at Kvi's side. The least she could do was provide comfort to him with her presence.

text. "speech."

Art & Table code by Zodiac