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p; nani & onus
right after
THIS thread.
No more, the girl was sure she could go no more. The blood that had dripped from her arms had seemed to stop, though the coverings Onus had given her were caked with the red substance. The pain was dull, almost numb from her exhaustion. It was just enough to remind her that she was alive; a soundless heart still beat in her chest. Her legs were giving out, their own wounds hidden beneath her fur, but as painful as the ones that bled. Strong arms held her up, but she felt them carrying more and more of her weight as they walked. Again Mati tried to keep steady, on her feet and holding herself up. But each time she could only go a few steps before leaning against him again. He kept her moving, even though her will had been left far behind.
They came to the boarder, and moved past it without hesitation. Moving along steadily until they met sight and smell of the Manor, its form lingering in the distance. There was no other place Mati wanted to be more, then inside. The warmth of its familiarity that voices of the family that she had missed. The kind eyes of her mothers, and the voices of the growing puppies. But there was only one face that filled her mind’s eye, and as the walked closer Mati felt her voice reach out to her. Looking to Onus she hesitated, but it was a fleeting moment before sending her voice to the open sky. It was soft, as her voice was tired from her crying and harsh from her screaming. The girl hoped that when they came to the picket fence, the face of her mother would be greeting her.
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Thankfully the fight with Corvus had not taken up too much of his strength. More thankful still was that he had not suffered any blood loss, just blunt force wounds. There were scratches on the back of his neck, but they were nothing really. She was taller than him, so making their way had been awkward especially as they went further and she needed to depend on him more. The weight was not a bother, he had bared far harder burdens. He only wished that she had been closer to his size, that way at least part of the way he could have carried her. Unfortunately that wasn't possible so he took her weight upon his shoulders and helped make her way back home.
As they passed the woods near the lake a grim feeling snaked up his spine. I almost died there. He said nothing though, and if she had looked at his face she would not have seen a change in him. They passed over the borders and headed in the direction she said the house was. It didn't take long for the large structure to come into sight. It was bigger than he had expected, but that would be good. Her weak voice raised into the air, calling for her mother. He hoped the woman would be quick about responding, though hearing her daughter so would no doubt inform her of the necessity of that call. At a steady pace he continued to take them closer to the mansion. "You're going to be alright Mati." Onus knew she probably didn't feel that way, for the physical wounds were only part of her trauma.
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[html] http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... table4.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> feel free to PP them going inside and Mati being set down and whatnot.
A shock passed through her, and the jar that the healer had been holding fell from her grip, hitting the kitchen floor with a shatter. Something was wrong. She didn't move, standing still for a moment, her ears pinned back as thoughts raced through her mind. Before Naniko knew it she was running, turned in the opposite direction of the kitchen, into the living room, out of the living room, onto the porch and down the front steps. It was purely instinctual. As soon as her large foot hit the ground a howl filled the air, a howl meant entirely for her and her alone. She recognized the voice of her daughter and the horrible feeling in her chest intensified.
Long, muscular legs took the Commander to the stranger who carried her daughter, giving him a startled look. She'd never seen anyone like him before. There wasn't time to stare, however; she could see blood, lots of it, caked on in various places on both of them. What had happened? She tried to keep calm. It was different when it was one of her own children, not some random patient. It was hard for her not to let her emotions rule. She reached out for Mati, unsure if the girl was concious or if the stranger would hand her over. "Give me the story later, or while I'm working. But I need to get her inside." She wanted to be the one to do it, to carry the girl the rest of the way and take her into the mansion. Her baby...her child...how could something have happened to her?
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The girl seemed to slip in and out of the waking world, feeling so very tired it wasn’t a hard to do. His voice had woken her, and though she had only closed her eyes an extended blink she was left disoriented. Her mother rushed from the mansion, her tall pale form drawing close with haste. A look on her face that could not be described, for it blurred in her vision. Mati wanted her close, wanted to feel the soft fur of her mother as she laid her head against her as she had while a pup. Momma The light word slipped out of her mouth as she the female approached the pair.
They moved inside, Onus and Naniko taking much as her weight as they climbed the stairs. She would have so much forgiving to do, so much apologizing. Nothing could be said to the male coyote that saved her life, nothing that would really describe how grateful she truly was and that he would never have to save her again, for she would never make such a mistake twice. Something cold touched her feet and she walked along the wooden floor, letting them guide her to the front room and to the couch that sat in its center. There was a fire burning, as they typically were while the hours were dark, in the form of candles and lanterns. Mati looked on and beside the pain there was only one feeling that controlled her thoughts. Looking at Onus, her friend, she spoke. I’m sorry.
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Onus's hopes were answered as a tall pale woman came running to them. So this was Mati's biological mother. It was clear now where the girl got her build. While Onus was large for coyote standards, he felt almost dwarfed by the woman. She was very tall and well built. He could see the worry that flooded her being through her green eyes. He was impressed though by her ability to stay relatively calm in the face of her daughter having been injured. She was strong, that was clear. Though she had to be to have made it through the rape.
Despite what the mother may have wanted, he continued to help carry Mati inside the mansion. The woman guided them to a couch sitting in the center of the great room and he helped lower the young girl onto it. She looked at him and once again apologized. He didn't know why she kept saying she was sorry. "You don't need to be sorry. Save your strength." Now that his muscles were done carrying her weight, they began to ache, especially where Corvus had landed hits on him. His ribs and abdomen were protesting the loudest. "Anything you need me to do?" he questioned the healer. He didn't know much, only how to tie a tourniquet, which he already had. He could assist though if it was needed.
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[html] http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... table4.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Do you want Onus to stay? :o Maybe have him tell her what happened while she fixes Mati, then he can dissapear? and Erin, the Siobhan table you made me and that one that I made you have the same color scheme 
She went up the stairs with them, trying to think as they rushed into the living room. What should she get? She'd breathed more of her powder earlier, and back then it had made her head clearer...but now it didn't seem to be helping. She felt just as slow as ever. What did she need to get to help Mati? "I'm here, baby girl" Naniko reached down so that she might touch the girl's shoulder lightly. She grabbed her bag of herbs off of the banister, pushing aside the little packets of fun-powder to find the stuff that would help her daughter the most. Willow-bark, ground down to a fine, dust-like form. "Hot water. There's a stove in the kitchen...through a few rooms to your right. and there's a kettle. I need to clean her up and make her some tea with this powder. But be careful, there's broken glass on the floor in there. I dropped something." She turned back to her child, pulled supplies out of her bag, biting her lip as she looked down at her. Something to clean the wounds, first...she got that jar out, unscrewing it with hands that shook slightly. She didn't want to hurt her, or cause any more pain, but she knew from experience that this stuff burned as it cleaned. She picked off the blood-soaked wrappings, applying the liquid as delicately as she could. How could Mati have gotten wounds like these? What had happened? She frowned, continuing to carefully clean.
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The mere sound of her mothers voice calmed her, settling the tightness in her chest that came and went. The longer her mind settled on a memory the harder it became to breathe, and as the white wolfess spoke Mati could feel it relax. Mati always felt safe beside Onus, even more so after the courage and strength he had shown, but the calm and comfort her mother gave was something different. She could be wrapped in the voice and presence as if a heavy blanket, her mind and body at ease.
The girl couldn't help but look down as her mother touched the ripped scarf that Onus had given her. She knew it would hurt, but did not expect the sting that rang through her body as they were pealed away. She clenched her teeth at the feeling, but tried to keep her face even. The bottle her mother held burned her nose as she opened it to the air; tears welled in her eyes as she smelled it as if Mati knew exactly how bad it would hurt. It burned as if she placed fire against the open cuts, making her flinch at each application.
No words came from her tightly sewn teeth, but she was suddenly fully awake and aware of what was happening. No longer did she feel the fatigue that the loss of blood had given. As her mother's fingers worked lightly against her torn skin she didn’t complain, at least not with her voice. The thoughts were written on her face, though she was grateful that it was her mother that would tend to the wounds instead of a stranger, or no one at all. Eyes closed, she leaned her head against the couch’s cushion and prayed for it to end.
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Yeah I figured he could stick around to tell Nani what happened and make sure Mati was going to be okay and then he could leave :]
Onus said nothing in response, only nodded and headed down the hall to where she said the kitchen was. He opened the door and saw the kettle was already on the stove. He walked over, avoiding the broken jar, and picked it up. Thankfully there was already water inside. It might be a little stale, but heating it up would help. The coyote checked the counters for matches but saw none, but he opened the drawer to the left of the stove and found a pack. Deftly he lit the small stick and poked its flame under the kettle, lighting the fire. As the water heated he silently wondered to himself where Anu was. Surely it would not be long until she heard word that her daughter had been hurt.
When he deemed the water hot enough he blew out the fire and picked the kettle up, taking it carefully back into the main room to see Mati holding back the tears that the healing was bringing her. If it was stinging that meant it was working however. Sometimes getting patched up was worse than receiving the wounds themselves. "Here," he said, offering the woman the hot kettle. "She was attacked in the city. A male wolf named Corvus Vendetta. He's black with a ring of white around his neck and shoulders and he has pure black eyes. If he comes around here you should meet him with numbers. He is not a force to be taken lightly." Even though the crow wolf was dangerous, even he could not stand up alone to the power of a pack assembled.
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She was just finishing wrapping new, fresh bandages around the wounds, her lips pursed, when Onus came back with the kettle. She hadn't been sure if he would know how to work their stove, and didn't know if there would be enough wood in it...a mother's worries, maybe. But everything looked to be all right. She wanted to have Mati drink the tea, to help her gain strength and fight off infection. She'd give her some now and then a bigger dose of it when she woke back up. Naniko felt sure that her brown child would be asleep for a long time after a few drinks of Willow Bark tea. She could remember how sleepy it had made her whenever she was being healed.
She took the kettle gratefully from him, giving him a nod as she poured some of the hot water into the already waiting cup of powder. A few flicks of a spoon and it was ready to be drank. But was Mati awake? She prodded at the girl while she listened to Onus, frowning. Attacked by a wolf? She had expected something else...a bear, maybe, or some other woodland creature. But another wolf? This was something that she would need to speak to another pack leader about. Had other packs been having a problem with this Corvus? If he came near Crimson Dreams...then he might come near their lands, too. She would have to tell the scouting wolves to keep a closer eye on the border.
She held the cup up so that Mati might drink from it, speaking to the stranger. "I'm Naniko D'angelo, the Commander here. I didn't even catch your name. But...whoever you are, you're welcome here. Anyone who would come in...and help my daughter...when I wasn't there for her. I don't think I can spread the news fast enough about him...are you going to go and tell the other packs? They could be in danger too."
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The beaten girl tried not to listen to the story, but with the words from a voice Mati could not ignore the memories became bright vivid pictures. They were clear, even sharper then they had been at their original moment. It was surreal, like Mati only stood by and watched the destruction. It was like a dream, one that she opened her eyes to run from. The girl would rather face the pain of her open wounds then the ones within her thoughts. Her breathing grew soft while her mother wrapped her arms with a tender touch. Mati had never truly experienced the talent that her mother possessed for the art of healing, her knowledge was beyond the young girl. But she had never been so grateful for her mothers craft.
Awake enough now to take the potion that was handed to her Mati held it and sipped the tea with the white caregivers help. The soft homelike sound of her words made Mati look to her face, the concern for the others was something Mati felt as well. Though in her heart she was sure that no other would fall into the same trap she had. No one could be so foolish, none other would be so very whiling and allow such a beast so close. It was a shameful truth that made Mati hold it firmly inside, not wanting them to know that it was only at the last moment she had changed her mind.
Instead of speaking her secret, the blood flecked female rested her body deeply into the couch and closed her eyes once again. Her voice did not retreat as the rest of her did, but called forth to meet the two saviors. Naniko would know of the male that saved her, He's Onus. He is going to kill him. Each word was forced, as if she needed to softly gasp at the beginning of each one. But their was something solid about them that spoke of a true belief. There was no doubt, not a single fragment that said he would fail in the task.
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He can leave now. If you want him to stick around for some reason just let me know and I'll edit it
The man watched as the pale woman poured the hot water in a cup that held some dust and stirred it up. He knew nothing of the herbal arts of healing. All he knew was sanitizing wounds (usually with rubbing alcohol or a bottle of liquor if nothing pure could be found) and stitching them up. He had had to do so to himself on a few occasions. Mostly when he had just started out on his mission. The only serious injury he had suffered for a couple years had been the one that Corvus had given him. Almost instinctively the scarred tissue twitched at the thought.
Onus knew more about Naniko than she knew, but he said nothing to the effect. It wasn't the kind of thing that needed to said, especially in this situation, if at all. He noted that he was welcome here in Crimson Dreams. He doubted he would ever have need of their hospitality, but it was good to know that it was there. Perhaps sometime he would need to call upon this woman for healing. Initially he hadn't planned on sticking around the area, but with Cwmfen everything had changed. He had tied himself to her and he knew that he could never severe that bond.
He was about to answer with his name when Mati did that for him. His gaze turned to the traumatized girl and then back to her mother. "She's right." He hoped that last part would be the truth. That he would be the victor and Corvus the corpse. But the man could not be certain. "Dahlia de Mai knows. His daughter lives there and he's after her. He hasn't tried to get at her yet, but he will. And soon. The next time will be the last. Only one of us will live." The past two times they had both walked away with their lives (though the first time only barely). Next time that would not be the case.
Onus saw no reason for him to linger here any longer. Mati needed her rest and surely the woman wanted to be alone with her injured daughter. "I'll leave now." He spared one more glance to Mati and then turned, hands in his pockets, towards the front door.
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[html] http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... table4.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> You want to do one more reply, and then we can close it, Alli?
Each of her children were different in their own ways, and Naniko was proud of all of them. Even Salem...even though he'd left. She could understand that he had wanted something different than the life that she had made here for him. In Crimson Dreams he would have been protected, loved, and cared for...but he had wanted to make his own way in the world. He was an adult, and it was his choice. She couldn't not be proud of him for wanting to make his own choices. Maybe he was more like her than she knew.
All of them were a little like her, in different ways. She nodded at the news of Dahlia. She thought to offer her help, but what did she know about fighting? Next to nothing. So she kept her mouth shut until he'd finished and had abruptly left. Onus seemed odd to her with his mannerisms, but he had saved Mati...so he had to be good. Naniko watched him go, then turned back to her injured daughter. "You should try and sleep now, sweetie. We can talk more later after you've rested."
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um, yes!
Part of her wanted him to stay. He was a light in the darkness that surrounded her, and she couldn't even manage to thank him for saving her life. The couch was becoming more and more inviting, and though Mati fought the fatigue and sleep that her body desired it was a battle she could not win. Purple eyes looked to the man, his words sounded distant as she felt the pull of slumber tug against her mind. He would kill him, wouldn't he? For the worlds sake. Her weariness made her second guess him and it was wrong of her. She should never loose faith in her hero.
Naniko spoke, and Mati looked at her with purpose and in deep thought. It took a long moment to process the words, however simple they might be. Yes, she thought as she leaned heavily backwards. Yes, she should rest. A bandaged arm reached out, touching the white fur of her mothers. She needed her close, needed to know that she would stay with her and protect her as she dreamed. Rest would not come if she was alone, but her mother would stay. Mati knew that.
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