[m] Don't be shocked if i cry

Caprica D'Angelo · 01-05-2012, 07:49 PM

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WC:1094+ -yoink- xD This really is tl;dr sorry.

"Guys?" Caprica said to an empty chamber. The first few months of her little brothers' life would never come back: when they were together most every day: easy to find, always at her mother's or another close person's side. These days they weren't even the full triple act all the time: they had started to go their separate ways, make new friends and have different adventures. She had been away too, on a whirlwind tour of the westerly provinces, and she didn't begrudge them their freedom. She guessed she just kind of missed their ever-present noise and mischief.

The thick-coated wolfess, optime-formed as usual, moved to the commons and then to the entrance, where at least the trails were more concentrated and less entangled. There was no recent puppy-trace except that of the Rakeeb's girl. Maybe at least Miwa would know what was going on with her siblings today. Caprica was willing to clutch at straws. She'd been spending so much time with her new horse from Aniwaya, she had not spent any quality time with the kids since she got back. Of course, they were probably having a whale of a time without their big sister fussing over them, but then again, they always managed to have fun together one way or another. It seemed Miwa's father was with her, which relieved Caprica: at least the girl was being watched out for. When her brothers' scent joined the trail, she punched the air and whooped joyfully. Perfect score. She wished now she'd kept the horse with her: she was eager to catch up the little group. She didn't fancy the mare's hooves on these rocks, though she was certainly having to remind herself not to wrap the creature in cotton wool: she was a horse, not a delicate little kitten. Still, as it became unevenly steep and treacherous, Caprica found herself panting with the effort of moving forwards and shook her head wonderingly. What the hell were they thinking clambering up here? The territory was sure to end soon. She'd taken Alaki for a more sensible wolf than this, leading the pups into the barely traversible outskirts. Not much more sensible, of course, with his bouts of madness and rage and his ever-present swords and knives and so forth but somehow he didn't really seem like an unstable character. She might have something to say to him soon, though, she thought grimly picking over a particularly sheer part of the path. Her foot slipped on a stone and she gave a yelp of pain as her ankle turned. That was enough for Caprica: she sat down amongst the stones, rested the foot on the other thigh and started to massage the ankle, glad of the rest. She didn't think it was badly hurt, but she didn't want to risk over-straining it more and ending up with a highly useless and unflattering swollen joint.

Her back was comfortable against a boulder: she stayed where she was for some time, thinking about not much in particular, enjoying the view of the landscape that was so much nicer to look at than to walk across. Rugged ravines, natural-piled stacks, screes and gunmetal clouds, crossed by wheeling black crow silhouettes. Wait a second, those didn't look right. She shaded her eyes, arched brows creasing. The birds seemed frantic and organised - all flying together. Pricking her ears, she could make out the croaking distress call, faint but unmistakeable. Caprica thought then of only one thing - the children. She leapt to her feet and jogged forwards as fast as she could risk, pleased to realise her ankle wasn't even painful. Whatever trouble was happening back at the village, or wherever it was, she wanted to find her brothers before she dealt with anything. Although, as she made it further down the trail a sinking sensation came to her stomach as she realised there were crows circling up ahead as well. "Hang on little guys, I'm coming," she muttered through grinding teeth as she maneuvered over the ledge and what she saw hit her as heavily as a train, or indeed a bear. The pups clustered at a safe distance from the behemoth, thankfully with the mystic Panda acting as a living shield for them, and there were already fighters present - but the storm-coated Alaki lay still and unmoving, his katana fallen from his grasp, and another male - an outsider - was similarly disabled. A newcomer to the pack had made her winded way up a small slope, and a wolf she'd seen around but didn't know was just heading in for another charge, while Venom mounted on a horse and an amber-hued woman aimed arrows thrown knives the creature's way. Caprica could feel only the urgency of the moment. Once that huge animal reached one of the fallen again, a slow-bleeding puncture wound would not help. Its eye had been put out, though, and she was certain it could not stand for long against their combined efforts. It was the single chance act in its death throes that Caprica feared most. So she did not use her sling, although it was hung round her neck as always. She was among the larger wolves in the land and she knew her strength would be better put to use up close, as Leon's was. But instead of striking bare-handed, she ran to Alaki, guessing the warrior would have had a fearsome weapon ready and she was right - the katana looked deadly sharp where it had fallen from his unconscious hand. She bent for the blade, muttering "Sure hope you wake up and take this thing back off me soon..." as her concerned eyes raked his form for signs of life. But there was no time to stand on ceremony, and Caprica had to turn away from the fallen, spinning to face the fight. She clenched the hilt of Alaki's weapon tightly, and advanced to the rear of the bear, keeping it between herself and Leon. It was time to do this bastard some damage. Nobody went near her brothers. With a furious grunt of effort to drive herself on, Caprica lunged forwards and brought the katana down towards the back of the bear, entreating whatever spiritual powers there were present to give her enough strength to sever the animal's spine.

Image courtesy of Ant Jackson@Flickr; Table by the Mentors!

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