Road to Recovery

[Rynn]

Several hours had passed, the sun had set long ago and was now starting to rise once again, to travel onward on its seemingly neverending journey across the sky. Kaze glanced at the horizon as it turned the brilliant colors that marked the beginning of a new day. He had not slept, no it was more like he couldn't sleep so he had found something better to do with his time than just lay around to be left alone with his thoughts. Back in the clearing, in its center lay a large buck that he had brought down and dragged into the clearing not long ago, he didn't know when the others would be waking but after yesterday he was sure they were bound to be hungry. He was in the process of dragging back a small doe that he had caught about the same time but obviously couldn't carry both of them without help so he had to drag them back one at a time. Finally he had dragged the doe into the clearing and laid it close to the buck before walking a few feet away and laying down waiting for the others to start stirring...

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

The early morning. The time after a night of good rest and relaxation. Having slept like a log all through the night, Dawn rose early with a yawn. Her pups, being young as they were, were all still asleep. How the young ones like to snooze. She looked over them with a motherly, smiling gaze and a sigh. They were so beautiful, each and every one, and all a miracle. One a bit more of a miracle than others. Her gaze drifted to Kazuko and her missing paw. A small price to pay for keeping her alive. Dawn turned and looked into the main room. Still no sign of Kage, Hitoban, or Tsuki. Where could they all be? They were beginning to worry her. She swiftly left the den in favor of sweeter air. Being without peers in her den made her feel incredibly lonely. She padded skillfully down the side of the cliff, behind the waterfall, and onto the slightly yellow autumn grass of the clearing. She quickly saw the buck, doe, and Kaze all lying motionless in the yawning sunlight. She smiled and lapped the water at the base of the falls before padding to where Kaze was.

"Well good morning, mister hunter. What have we here?" She smiled and sat before him.

[Rynn]

Kaze blinked and turned his head to look at Dawn as she spoke, "Good morning Dawn, hope you slept well.." He chuckled nodding towards the deer, "Went out and got breakfast for you all, figured you'd all be hungry after yesterdays......adventures...."

Meanwhile down in the Grotto, Raists golden eyes opened slowly, he blinked a few times to clear the sleep from them before yawning hugely and listening to the sounds of the still quiet Grotto.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn smiled and nodded her thanks. "How very thoughtful of you, Kaze. Haven't you slept at all?" Concern colored her features. He clearly had been out hunting all night. She wondered why he would do something like that; he must have been as tired-perhaps more so-as Dawn, and yet while she slept, he went out and did her job for her. A pang of guilt went through her, and she forced it down with a smile. "Well, feel free to have the first bites while I go and gather the others. They are your kills, after all." She stood and started back toward her den to rouse her pups.

Maname had been awake for hours. She had always been that way-waking up way before the dawn just to greet the morning. She was a workaholic for sure, and she had already been in to check on Raist three times. She had watched the sun rise from the top of the cliffs-her own secret as to how she gets atop and down from them every day-and had returned to her wing just as she heard Raist's yawn. She padded into the doorway, peeking in. "Good morning, Raist. Did you sleep well?"

[Rynn]

Kaze chuckled and shook his head, "No, I couldn't sleep....too many thoughts running through my head to let me sleep....so I found a better way to spend my time to get the thoughts outta my head." He saw the concern on her face, "But don't worry, I'm pretty sure I'll be crashing out later so its no big deal...I was happy to go hunting for the pack anyways, sometimes I feel I don't do enough around here..." While Dawn went and roused the others he stood and leaving the larger buck untouched started to eat at the doe.

Raist heard Manames quiet footfalls and looked up at the entrance as she peeked in, he smiled slightly, "Yes, I think I did sleep quite well Maname, thanks for asking. And I wish to thank you as well as apologize for yesterday, I'm already a sick, frail outcast, and I go causeing you more trouble by getting severly injured..." he glanced at his side for a few seconds as he spoke but then looked back at her and changed the subject, "And how about you Maname? Did you sleep well?"

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn padded into the nursery and nudged all her pups. "Wake up, little ones. Breakfast is served!" They rose groggily and followed her outside and began to feast on the deer. She then dove into the grotto pool and called out. "Food's here for anyone who wants it!" She went back out the way she came and sat by the deer, waiting for her pups to get full before eating any herself. It was something ingrained in her instincts, to provide for her young before herself. But thanks to Kaze, there would be plenty to go around today. "What do you say, children?" A chorus of muffled "thank yous" rose from the pups, and Dawn chuckled.

When Raist began to blame and scold himself, Maname entered fully into his room, going up to sit next to him. "No, no...There's no trouble in it at all. Not only is it my job, but it's what I love to do. I love healing people. Just knowing my presence makes a good impact on their health is enough to get me out of bed every day." She smiled sweetly as she checked over his wounds once more. She laughed lightly at his asking about her sleep. "I suppose I slept as well as I normally do. An uneventful night, as always." There was no melancholy in her tone, and she honestly didn't mind that she normally got so little sleep.

[Rynn]

Kaze had eaten his fill before Dawn had even gotten all the pups up and down into the clearing, he was laying near by watching the young ones eat, he cuckled at their muffled thank yous, "No problem little ones..." he said softly but loud enough for them to hear. He stiffled a yawn and stared off into space.

Raist blinked, "I know its your job, but I always put myself down about my illness, I hate bein a burden to others....and with this illness thats about all I am.." He chuckled, that was literally how he saw himself, a burden to others, all the other packs rejecting him had made him that way which is why he never stayed in one place too long, for fear of being a burden. A small voice in his head told him that one day he'd possibly leave here too, but yet another voice was telling him to stay. He watched Maname as she looked over his wounds for a few seconds before he turned his head a bit and gave a dry cough.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

After her pups had eaten their fill, Dawn started in on what was left. They seem to be eating more now. Well, what was she to expect? They were growing pups, after all. It seemed like today would be a lazy day. She wondered briefly if Raist would be able to make it out to eat. Probably not. No matter, they would just take it in to him.

Maname looked at him with a stern expression. "You are not a burden to me, and even if you were, that would not be all you are. You are worth more than you care to notice, and it makes me angry to hear you speak so lowly of yourself." She shut her mouth and blushed, looking away. She didn't want to upset him, after all. She busied herself with tending his wounds. "You seem to be healing well..."

[Rynn]

Kaze continued to space out his mind elsewhere, he yawned again this time not being able to stiffle it. He was half watching the pups after they had eaten their fill but he wasn't putting his full attention into it.

Raist blinked as Maname spoke about how him talkin lowly of himself made her angry, and if she was trying to hide the blush by looking away it didn't quite work he caught a small glimpse of it as she turned her head away, "Sorry....been around too many wolves and packs that have told me I was nothing but a burden so that's how I look at myself cause its been drilled in my head for so long...Its a habit that I guess is going to take awhile to break..." He chuckled softly as she changed the subject, "Any chance I could maybe get up and move around? I could really go for some fresh air or at least a chance to stretch my legs a bit, laying down for awhile get stiff and boring after awhile..."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn finished eating and laid down in the sun, keeping a lazy eye on her pups. They weren't going anywhere; at least, not for now.

Maname pulled back and looked at Raist, a shocked look on her face. "What kind of pack would call one of their own a burden?" The idea sickened her. As she chewed over this tragedy, she sat down. He spoke up about wanting to move around. It didn't seem like a good idea, but maybe just a little bit of movement would be okay. "Well...if you're sure you're up to it...just a little bit around the wing. I wouldn't feel very comfortable with you wandering very far."

[Rynn]

Kaze yawned again and rolled his shoulders after eating his fill it had made him rather tired and he could feel sleep pressing down on him. He laid his head on his paws and closed his eyes but didn't fall asleep, after Fallens betrayal too many thoughts were running through his head to let him relax enough to sleep.

Raist chuckled at the shocked look on her face, "Not all wolves are kind...most of the ones I crashed into only kept the strong wolves and either killed or outcasted the weak...like me....and everytime I was given the option to die or walk out....a few times they didn't even give me those options and just tried to kill me, though they quickly found out that I was stronger then I looked and when they tried to apologize I would just walk out because my weird illness would have come back sooner or later and they would have killed me anyways..." He saw that Maname wasn't completely sure if he should be up moving around or not and shrugged his thin shoulders a bit, "Its entirely your call Maname, if you would rather me not get up at all that is fine, I won't go stir crazy if I'm stuck laying down for a few more days."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname considered what he said for a long while. True some wolves were evil and only wanted strong wolves on their side, but she'd been lucky enough not to come into contact with many of them in her life. It was clear Raist had not been so lucky.

She looked around the room. It was sparse for a reason-it was easier to move around when things weren't cluttered. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable by keeping him lying down, but she didn't want him to fall and pull open his wounds. "I suppose if you...if you stuck close to me, so you could lean on me if you needed to...I think it would be okay for you to move around a bit."

[Rynn]

Raist smiled a small half smile as she said if he stayed close to her he could get up. "Alright thats fine, your the healer here, I can't argue with you....too much..." He slowly rolled onto his stomach and slowly levered himself up into a sitting position being very cautious not to move the wrong way so as to irritate his injuries. He coughed slightly but seemed fine otherwise.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname stood as Raist sat up, preparing herself for him to lean on. She wasn't the strongest wolf ever, but she figured she could handle helping Raist move around a bit. "I'm ready when you are. You can lead and I'll just follow." She smiled at him sweetly and wagged her tail ever-so-slightly. It was nice to have so much company. She hardly ever had anyone around all the time. Rin popped in every now and again, but they always leave in the end.

[Rynn]

Raist slowly stood testing to see if his legs would even support his weight at that moment, and so as to not disturb his injuries. He stood still for several seconds and upon discovering that his legs could hold his weight he took a few steps then turned to look at Maname with a small smile on his maw as his tail wagged slightly, "How about you lead I follow, since I'm still not completely familiar with my surroundings down here..." He had a feeling if he was the one leading he'd have them walking in circles or something.