[P] Will you still love me when my heartbeat stops

Sedona Whitesage · 1 January 2020, 05:09 PM

OOC: Backdated to about a week after Sedona's attack. WC: 655

IC: It'd not even been that long and already she was growing restless having to stay laying low and bedridden like this. The pain was still fresh, the wounds still required daily treating, but the time spent bored and useless, being doted upon by the ever watchful, ever caring pack healer, Karria was grating on Sedona's nerves. Everyone who knew her, knew that the Whitesage woman was not one to be idle for long. And even being wounded didn't keep her from wanting to be up and doing things. But she was under strict orders from the elder wolfess to stay off her injured leg and allow her face time to scar up.

Her face was honestly the most difficult part of the aftermath of the attack to accept. She couldn't turn her head or make any sort of expression without the wounds pulling and stinging. She had been very lucky not to have lost her eye when Shaamah had swiped at her. If only she had been able to inflict some kind of retaliatory damage upon him... Sighing, Sedona re-positioned on the pile of furs that was her bed. While she was recovering, she was not sharing it with Sineria, not wanting to accidentally bump into him and cause more pain, or wipe the medicinal, herbal salves off the open cuts into his fur. It was true also that, Sineria's anxiety over the situation was driving both Karria and Sedona nuts. Karria had ordered the young man out of the house for a bit to blow off some steam.

Now alone with just her dozing caretaker in the other room, the Whitesage woman succumbed to loneliness and boredom and the swirling thoughts in her head. The attack had impacted her pretty badly, leaving her confidence in her abilities shattered. She felt weak and powerless, and wanted nothing more than to prove her worth again. She needed to learn to fight and to continue to show her pack that she was strong, not be moping around like this. Growling softly, still bandaged and slathered with ointments to help aid her healing process, Sedona reached for the staff Karria had left for her at the bedside to assist her in walking about the house. Carefully, quietly, and with effort, the Whitesage woman managed to wobble her way to her paws and to the front door without disturbing the slumbering healer.

She'd had enough of being cooped up indoors. She wanted to go outside. See what was going on in the real world. Her injured leg shook from the depth of the slice to her thigh and it angered her to know that she might not even walk right on that leg again. She bit back tears that started to form in her eyes as she wondered if it would impact her ability to ride properly again as well. She couldn't dwell on that thought for long or she'd become a sobbing wreck. Right now, just walking was a challenge enough. For now she was going to focus on that. Pushing the front door open, the cowgirl glanced back into the other room at Karria one last time before hobbling slowly out into the cool evening air. She knew that she would get an earful for disobeying the other woman's orders, but she needed this.

Frowning, Sedona tried to make her way over to an old stone bench that was just out front of her home. It was a nice place to sit and watch the world go by. But as the cowgirl made to step from the porch, a patch of ice caused her to slip and lose her balance, the staff she was using to support her going one way while she slid the other. With a yelp and a curse, Sedona started to go down, clutching at the cold railing of the porch, desperately trying to keep from landing on the ground all the way...

Phoenix Whitesage · 3 January 2020, 06:31 PM

[+534]
i hope these assumptions are okay! <333
___

He had been pissed off, naturally.

Really Phoenix didn't know how else to see it. His sister had come back in pieces, torn to shreds, just about on death's doorstep, and the cowboy hadn't felt anger and rage like that in a long, long time. Someone had hurt her, his sister, his own flesh and blood and his closest confidant --

The man took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from getting worked up again. It seethed through his nostrils painfully slowly, and his teeth were so tightly shut together he thought his jaw would snap.

She needed some space as she healed, the old healer Karria had told him. Phoenix, in his infinite worry, was probably smothering the Whitesage woman, and she needed rest if she were to make any sort of recovery. Having Nick breathe down her back was not going to make all the slashes and scabs disappear overnight, after all.

So he did what did what he knew best: pestered Tohopka.

The horse had a lot more patience than Phoenix gave him credit for. It was hard for the Luperci to put his thoughts and feelings into words as it was, and it was exponentially more tedious to translate it into Low Speech. But the stallion seemed to understand more or less what his owner was so upset and distraught over the first day, and from then on, Toh seemed more mellow than usual, letting the man come and vent if he needed to, even if he couldn't understand a lick of what he was saying. But that was alright with Phoenix. Just as long as someone was hearing him out.

Sedona was a good listener, too, but she had heard him shout and snarl probably a few too many times about the incident already. He was trying really hard not to lose his cool when he saw her and remembered it -- he hadn't even been there when it happened, but the mere thought of it brought his blood to a boil -- but ultimately it was easier to just leave her to rest and go outside.

He was on his way back to the house now, not feeling comfortable leaving her for too long at a time, whether or not the healer was there or out. It was just as he rounded a corner that he saw a flash of brown out of the corner of his eye, and it took him no time at all to realize what he was seeing.

She was outside.

"Damn it, Sedona, what are you doing?" he shouted from afar, instantly jogging over to assess the situation at hand: she was barely on her feet, probably having slipped or tripped or something because of her injuries. The man crouched and got her arm over his shoulder as he hoisted her up slowly and carefully, trying to lead her back to the porch and into the house, if she would let him.

"You know yer supposed t'be inside in bed," Nick frowned, reaching down to grab her staff. "What are you doin' wanderin' out here by yerself?" More importantly, how'd she slip past Karria's watchful eye?

Sedona Whitesage · 6 January 2020, 03:05 PM

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ooc here!

[+327]

Everyone around her she knew was worried about her, angry about the attack, or simply giving the Whitesage woman her space while she healed. She was honored by the pack's dedication to her, but she felt she didn't deserve such attention. Her brother seemed the most outraged by what had happened, constantly ranting about how he wanted to hunt down her attacker and rip him a new one, but Sedona had to patiently reassure him that was not a good idea. She loved her brother dearly and she didn't need him hurt or worse, killed, on her behalf.

Not being able leave her own home bad enough but the constant need for assistance was almost insulting. Being a woman used to taking care of business on her own and being self sufficient, Sedona found her predicament extremely frustrating. She had mostly moved past feeling sorry for herself, but there were moments, like now, as she clung to the rail of the porch, slipping on the snow that she felt her most weak and vulnerable. Thankfully it was her brother who came rushing up to scoop her back to her paws instead of someone else who would cause her more embarrassment.

Damn it, Sedona, what are you doing? He hissed as he handed her her staff,, righting her. Panting from the exertion, Sedona folded her ears and gave a huff. "Goin' ice skatin' what's it look like?" She shot back, not exactly feeling like explaining to him for the hundredth time how restless she felt. "You know yer supposed t'be inside in bed. What are you doin' wanderin' out here by yerself?" He asked, concern and disapproval evident in his tone and the cowgirl sighed closing her eyes. "Look, I can't just sit in there anymore. I gotta get some fresh air. Please Phoenix. Don't bring me back in there just yet..." She shook her head, looking at him now with pleading eyes, her free hand reaching up to lay on his chest. "If ya stay with me, Karria can't complain." She said, trying to make a compromise, before Phoenix could protest.

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Phoenix Whitesage · 8 January 2020, 07:39 PM

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phoenix whitesage

ooc here

+369

"Yeah, goin' ice skatin', my ass," he grumbled, scratching at the back of his neck irritably as she tried to explain herself. Sedona was always so hardheaded, wanting to do things on her own — and so was he, because he assumed it was a family thing or something like that, but in this sort of situation, striking out on her own was not exactly the smartest idea. Wounded as she was, she was only bound to keep stumbling and fumbling around like this if she had even made it past her house; luckily, Phoenix would make sure she wouldn't do anything of the sort.

But she pleaded her case convincingly, beseeching his mercy; her hand on his chest was probably overkill, and the cowboy stared at her with hardened green eyes, lip in a tight line. Please Phoenix, let me keep hurting myself, Phoenix. That was all he heard.

If she had an escort, though, that was a different story. An escort like Nick. His brow arched at her suggestion, as if Karria complaining was the biggest issue at stake here, but eventually he realized there was no winning her. She'd always be more stubborn than the man. Even if he marched her inside, she'd find a way to climb back out, because that was what she set out to do.

So instead, luckily, Phoenix would make sure she wouldn't do anything of the sort by herself if she was just gonna do it anyway.

"Fine," he said finally, waving a finger in her face. "But it ain't gon' be long, alright? You hear me? Just fer a lil' bit then yer gettin' back in bed."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting lose a little sigh. "I get yer restless, Sedona. I know you ain't used to this sorta thing." Nick felt a chuckle in his throat then, and he shook his head. "How far did ya think you were gon' get, anyway? Where are you even headed?" A beat, and a pensive look passed his face as he started to lead them from the house in no direction in particular. "Rather, where are we headed? Nowhere too far off, now."

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Sedona Whitesage · 10 January 2020, 04:11 PM

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ooc here!

[+355]

Sedona knew she was asking for him to capitulate to her whims even if they weren't of the best intention. The Whitesage woman was just desperate to be free of the stuffy confines of the house and back out on her own. Even if it was too early in her healing to truly be independent at least with Phoenix's assistance she could have a little freedom right?

Her pleading words and large green-yellow eyes must have done the trick for after a moment of tense silence where Phoenix looked over his sister with a hard expression upon his face, the male finally gave in. "Fine. But it ain't gon' be long, alright? You hear me? Just fer a lil' bit then yer gettin' back in bed." Sedona grinned, wagging her tail and gave his cheek a small kiss before grabbing the staff her brother still held in hand and un-looped her arm from his, getting steady on her own feet again. "Oh thank you so much Phoenix, I promise I'll owe you one!"

"I get yer restless, Sedona. I know you ain't used to this sorta thing." Phoenix began as he helped lead her to the edge of the porch again and take the steps carefully one by one. "How far did ya think you were gon' get, anyway? Where are you even headed?" Sedona folded her ears, not really having thought about her destination previously, only worried about just getting out. She chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I guess I was simply just tryin' to go. She told him and they reached the snow, paws crunching in the cold powder.

"Rather, where are we headed? Nowhere too far off, now." Sedona looked ahead and glanced a copse a trees in the square behind the Brassard Church across the street. An idea struck her then. "There's a stone bench behind the church. Let's go there?" She asked and pointed in the general direction. She was glad for her brother's company. As much as he'd annoyed her in her bed-ridden state, at least out here she felt less smothered. It was like normal, expect for the staff and her heavy limp. "How's Hopi and Toh doing? Not too upset that I'm not around are they?" She asked after a moment of silence passed and they began to cross the street. The cowgirl was the normal caretaker of the larger animals of the Vale and having someone else in charge of their care must have the horses a little confused.

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Phoenix Whitesage · 11 January 2020, 10:40 AM

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phoenix whitesage

<3

+384

She planted a sloppy wet one on his cheek, and Nick groaned at the gesture, pure though it was. "Yeah, you sure do," he grumbled, rubbing the side of his face as she worked to right herself, without his assistance. Hopefully she could go at least a little ways on her own, but he would be there if she needed him. That staff of hers looked pretty reliable, though, so she would probably be fine, now that she had her footing.

A stone bench, Sedona said; well, it wouldn't have been his first choice, but he'd humor her, just this once. "Lead the way, then," he motioned, and slowly but surely they made their way around the Brassard Church.

Of course she'd ask about the horses; had the situation been reversed, that would have been his first question, too. "They're doin' fine," he answered, giving her a little shrug. "Not use t'me bein' the one callin' the shots, but they're gettin' used to it. Hopi misses you somethin' fierce, though." Even Toh's annoying company couldn't fill in the void. Nick had tried his darnedest to explain her owner's progress, but there was only so much his limited Low Speech could convey.

"Been takin' care of 'em. You'd be proud." He chuckled. "I mean, I know yer not gonna agree, but it's prolly good yer havin' a lil' break from yer work. Yer addicted to it." But he'd never really dig into Sedona for being committed. She was one of the hardest-working luperci he knew, and she definitely didn't deserve what happened to her — he tried not to think about the attack too much, else he'd work himself up, but the point was that through it, for better or for worse, she had been forced to take a step back from all of her pack duties.

They finally reached the bench, and the cowboy offered his sister a hand in case she needed some help steadying herself as she sat down; only after she was situated did he take a seat beside her, extending one arm lazily across the back of the bench as he stretched his legs out in front of him. "Reckon this is a nice lil' spot."

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Sedona Whitesage · 14 January 2020, 02:12 PM

WC: 489

The Whitesage siblings were known for the exceptional closeness. Playful banter, hugs, little pecks to the cheek, all of this was commonplace among them. Sedona and Phoenix had been the closest of the four kids and still to this day, their relationship was strong. No matter how much time past or what events tried to steal that bond from between them, nothing could prevail. Brother and sister as they were, they were strong in their familial ties and values.

Hard work ethic, honesty, loyalty, compassion. All of these traits were instilled in the Whitesage family and carried over for generations, Sedona and Phoenix had not come up short on any of these qualities. In fact the two seemed to have an abundance of them. Sedona in particular got a heavy dose of the hard work ethic. As the two of them made their way slowly across the lane towards the Brassard Church, they chatted about how the horses fared without their usual Gamekeeper's attentions. Sedona was glad she had her brother, someone with lots of experience around horses to be there in her stead, caring for them. She knew they'd be okay as long as he was around.

Hearing how much Hopi was missing her, Sedona smiled weakly. "I'm sure she does. As soon as I'm able I plan to drop in and see her. Karria absolutely will not let me go to the stables just yet." She chuckled, glancing back to the house where smoke tendriled out of the chimney and the cowgirl knew the healer remained probably still fast asleep inside. "I can't tell ya how grateful I am that yer able to help out around here Phoenix. I don't know what I'd do without you." She said sincerely. "You're right though. I am addicted to my work. It's what keeps me sane." She laughed. "I start gettin' these wild ideas when I'm left to brood with nothin' to do." She smirked, thumping her brother's shoulder playfully with her free hand that wasn't clutching the head of the staff.

Leaning heavily on the wooden crutch Sedona hobbled along next to her brother until they reached the little wooded area, just behind the church and the worn stone bench came into view. The cowgirl's leg was starting to stiffen a bit, the winter's cold seeping into the injury and making her shiver a little, but she ignored it in favor of taking a break on the bench. Sighing once settled she smiled as Phoenix sat beside her and sprawled out. She gazed out through the snowy trees at the square filled with homes she'd repaired with the assistance of Brom and a few other pack mates and smiled with accomplishment. "Can't believe it was over a year ago that I was fixin' up all these houses..." She mused, content to survey her home for the time being. She didn't need much, she just needed out of the house.

Phoenix Whitesage · 14 January 2020, 11:46 PM

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phoenix whitesage

<3

+432

"'N she's right t'keep you from goin'," Phoenix agreed, nodding his head sagely. "You'd figure out some way t'hurt yerself, I know." He flashed a grin and backed away just slightly, just in case she had that knee-jerk reaction to swat at him, and he chuckled. "Don't worry much about it, Sedona. You'll be right as rain in no time."

Try though he might to hide it, there was a bit of uncertainty there. Really, he wasn't sure if anything would be the same, now, or if they could even really get back into some semblance of normalcy. The attack had changed everything; Sedona would have to live a bit more carefully now, carrying the aftermath of the incident on her pelt. Battle scars, he reckoned, but he tried not to get carried away thinking about it; he'd just get pissed off as he did a hundred times before, which he was sure his sister got tired of.

"Aw, jeez, yer gon' make me blush," he grinned, but the beam softened a bit soon after. "'M just glad we managed t'be in the same place at the same time. Odds were million t'one fer that happenin'. Fate or god or somethin.'" A certain someone was to thank for that, and briefly he wondered how Lyssa was faring with her coyote pack. Hopefully they were prepared for winter.

Wild ideas, indeed. "Right, like plannin' yer lil' escape," he reminded her cheekily, letting out a pitiful "ow" when she flicked him.

They went quiet for a little bit, aside from Sedona trying to settle into the bench, though her injuries kept her from doing so both quickly and comfortably. But once she was all set, she was right back at it, reminiscing on her pack days of old. "You did all this?" he asked, incredulous. "Lord, Sedona, what ain't you had yer hand in here?" It seemed as though she was a pillar here, quite a respectable member of the Vale; he had a lot to live up to with the Whitesage name.

"'M sure if you were out walkin' right now you'd try fixin' me up one," he laughed. "I know you want me outta yer hair, 'least once yer all better. I can't keep livin' there forever, I don't reckon."

Though he was joking, there was a painful realization behind it. Phoenix... really did need to look for a house to call his own. Eventually. Maybe after the winter had passed. Or until she kicked him out.

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Sedona Whitesage · 25 January 2020, 07:02 PM

WC: 393

The Whitesage sister was in all truth, reluctant to kick her sibling out of the house. Now that they were reunited, it was almost like old times. The banter, the warmth and care, it was so nice to have around again. But Phoenix was right of course, it would be time for him to move out soon. He couldn't stay with Sineria and her forever. It just wasn't right.

Chuckling as they peered around at the Winterwynd houses, Sedona chuckled. "I've definitely made my mark around the Vale." She acknowledged her bothers astonished statement. "I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself when I finally joined Mistfell, so I threw myself into making the pack a home for not only myself but for others as well. I am pretty proud of my efforts." She smiled at her brother. "Did you know it was Brom and I who fixed the Orchard up? Got the barn all repaired 'n all?" She grinned proudly tail wagging against the bench.

"I repaired the corrals as well. Redid the fencing." There were influences of the Whietsage woman all over the Vale. "I've really made this place home, Phoenix. I don't think I could ever leave now." She admitted. "And now that yer here, I couldn't be happier." She said nudging him. "But yer right, you'll need a place of your own. I think Sin's getting a little annoyed with ya always bein' around." She laughed. "I don't mind, but I imagine for him it's bad enough dealing with me, but two Whitesages has gotta be a little crazy." She smirked. She knew that the two of them could become quite a handful when they were together, always roughhousing and teasing each other.

"I can show you some of the good homes around here come Spring." She offered, watching a bird fly overhead. She wanted him to be close to her in case anything should happen so she wanted to be sure she found him a decent dwelling nearby. Shivering a bit in the cold, she figured it was about time to start heading back to the warmth of her own home. Sighing she frowned looking back the way they'd come. "I'm startin' to get chilled. We should probably start headin' back..." She said and began to rise from the bench with the aid of the staff.

Phoenix Whitesage · 26 January 2020, 12:46 AM

[+410]

She admitted how she had kicked up a lot of dirt in the Vale, and Phoenix did not doubt her for a second. It was clear how much impact Sedona had wrought in these parts, and he really couldn't go far without meeting someone that knew her and recognized her blood in his visage. Maybe someone had even mistaken him as her, too; they really did look similar, but one would be disappointed to find out that Phoenix lacked his sister's drive, her willingness to work with no if's, and's, or but's about it. He had inherited the laziness in the family that had lay dormant for so long, but finally it had a chance to manifest in the Whitesage man.

Not all the time, of course, but it was enough for him to even notice it in himself.

"You fixed up that ol' orchard we cleaned up a while back? You?" But in a way he really wasn't surprised. She was so handy and good with stuff like that, and that aspect of her really did shine in the Vale. It was obvious once he looked around. "Gah, Sedona, yer gon' put me to shame," he grinned, shaking his head. Would other Mistwalkers expect him to be as motivated as his sister? God, he prayed they wouldn't; he definitely did not mind helping, but sometimes he was not really... the best at it.

"Right, right, you ain't gotta harp on it," he reassured her, waving a hand in the air. "I'm gon' get me a house, don't you worry." But it was a relief that she'd help out and make the process a bit easier on him. "'Sides, I bet Sineria loves me," he added with a huff. But honestly he wasn't sure how her mate viewed him; that was a lot of Whitesage energy under one roof, and the white male seemed a bit more skittish than the siblings combined.

She mentioned heading back, and the cowboy leaned onto his thighs, stretching out his spine as he did so. "Yeah, reckon yer right," he admitted, and the brother moved to help her up should she need the assistance. "Don't need t'stress Karria out." He laughed a little, and he rubbed his hands against her shoulders, trying to warm her up even just a little. "C'mon, little lady, let's get you to bed."

Sedona Whitesage · 26 January 2020, 01:02 PM

OOC: Gonna wrap this up with this post. ^^ WC: 263

The Whitesage woman blushed a little at her brother's awe at her work in the orchard. She nodded her affirmative and smiled. "That's right. I had some help o' course, but my two paws built that place from the ground up." She told him with a happy waggle of her tail. She knew Phoenix wasn't as ambitious as she was, but she knew also he could appreciate her efforts. That was the nice thing about this particular sibling. There was rivalry, sure, but never about their work.

As they continued talking about finding Phoenix a home of his own Sedona chuckled. Sineria likes you well enough. I think you intimidate him a little though." She admitted. "But please don't tell him I said that." She splayed her ears with a mild frown. "Else I will kick yer butt out to the snow." She playfully growled as they stood and stretched preparing to return back to Sedona's residence.

A bird chirped as it flew by overhead and a chilly breeze played with Sedona's hair. She tucked a few strands away from her eyes and then started back the way they'd come, out of the copse of trees behind the church. Smiling fondly over at her brother the cowgirl nudged his shoulder with her own. "Thanks Phoenix." While she wasn't looking forward to returning to bed, she was looking forward to the warmth of the indoors. Karria would certainly be worried by now with her absence, but she knew with the help of Phoenix, they'd be able to calm the old healer's wrath no problem.

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