Mar's Ride Home

[Tsukikage]

"My wings?" Shimo said in surprise. Hitoban wanted him to try and fly... great... "You did see what happened last time right there, right?" Though I was just surprised, is all. Maybe I could... "No thanks, I'm staying on good ol' terra firma."

The two were still trying to convey Mar to the grotto, where everyone else was; his injuries from the haywire incident earlier necessitated the need for a sled with which to convey him.

Mar stirred again. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness, waiting for his body to recover enough to at least be able to communicate and find out what was going on. He'd been half-blind and unable to speak the whole time, so as far as he knew, he was being carried off by some of those God-forsaken "Night Creatures" Hitoban had mentioned. He tried to look around again, and to his amazement, he could actually see better this time. He saw a little less blurred than before, and made out the shapes and colors of who he guessed were Hitoban and Shimo, though Shimo's image seemed... off. Blood's returning to the outer parts of my body, no need to rush it.

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban's ear flicked back to the sound of Mar's head dragging against the wood and she looked back to see him looking at them.

"Hey Mar. How're you doing? We're just taking you back to the grotto for a while for you to heal. Though I doubt we'll dump you in that water. I think we should just hang out beside the waterfall until you're able to move. Don't worry Mar. Shimo and I will take good care of you."

I shrugged when Shimo said that he'd rather not fly and we continued to pull Mar on the sled I'd created. We were getting nearer and nearer to the grotto now and the sun was high in the sky.

[Tsukikage]

"He... Hii... too..." Mar wheezed.
Shimo whipped around to look at Mar. He was pretty beat up, but the balm they'd rubbed him down with was helping. Though he was still in a bad way. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. He turned back to Hitoban, "That's it. I'm flying; we don't have a moment to lose!" Shimo let go of the sled and ran around it faster and faster, until he finally figured out how the wings worked, and he was airborne.
Mar stared in amazement. So they were wings after all... huh, fancy that. His eyes still couldn't focus in just yet, but he could distinguish white movement around him.
"Alright," Shimo said, from his new vantage point in the sky, "I think I've got the hang of this." He flew over and picked the ope up again, ready to pull at a moment's notice.

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban smiled and ran around to the back. She pushed her forehead up against the end of the sled, poking her in the eye, but when she rearranged herself, she was able to rest her head somewhat comfortably. She shouted to Shimo from her position and started pushing.

"Go Shimo!"

[Tsukikage]

Shimo flapped his wings as hard as he could manage, and together, the two moved the sled at a steady pace.
Mar smiled weakly. You guys are amazing... to think... He thought, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, you... stayed behind for me...

[Bounder]

(Wanted to start in this thread. Hope you two don't mind.)

Restless, quite restless. That's all there was too it. It was the reason he stuck to his travels. He wasn't content to stay in one place. In a way, he was just like his father. Not that he'd ever admit to that, of course. Back home he had nothing. So why stick around? His family was broken, his father long gone. His mother was a shell of her former self. And Marus... well, they were no longer brothers. That hurt the most, they'd had such a strong bond. But now their trust in each other was shaken, and he could never get back that which he'd lost.

The bi-colored timber trudged through the forest. Where was he, exactly? And where was he going?

... voices. Just up ahead, and he had their scents. One... two... a grand total of three. So he wasn't alone. Splendid. He wouldn't mind meeting the. He stepped into the clearing and came to a halt. What he saw made him freeze. Was one of them flying? He took a closer look. Yep, no doubt about it, he really was flying. But how could this be? Last he checked, wolves didn't fly. This was a first for him. He looked from Shimo to Mar. My... that was a big wolf. A really big wolf. It wasn't like him to stare, but he'd never seen anything like this before. He looked to the female. She looked normal, for lack of a better word. But he could see that she was trying to help the one that was flying. Perhaps he could help.

It all depended on whether they wanted him here or not. He moved a bit closer, his head bowed in submission. They were sure to have noticed him.

"Er, hi," he began, his tail wagging slowly. "I was just passing by, and I saw you all gathered here." They were moving already. He looked to the sled, and then to the others. "Need any more help?"

He was willing to try.

[Tsukikage]

Mar had of course noticed the stranger long before he'd appeared, which meant his sense of smell was back. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell anyone about him. Grr... I hate being so useless! I'm just laying here like a fat slug, waiting to be dragged off to some hole somewhere... or wait... what does eat slugs? Birds maybe? Shimo would know, if I could ask him...
Shimo, too, had noticed the newcomer with his "echo-vision", for lack of a better name. He'd regained partial sight, at least light-sensitivity, but still relied heavily on sounds to guide him. He did not halt in pulling the sled, or even look at the new wolf -- not that turning his head was really "looking" anymore. He smiled politely. "Hey there! Sure, I guess we could use a hand. My wings are beat already."
Shimo landed clumsily, but with his dignity in tact. He continued to pull as he introduced himself, "I'm Shimo, this huge mass is named Mar, and behind there pushing is Hitoban, alphess of these lands. May I ask your name, sir?" He was a bit surprised at himself, though he tried hard not to show it. It's just... he sounded so much more... masculine than before. Maybe it was his imagination. He sighed, "Let's take a break, Lady Hitoban. It's not too much farther, and at the very least my back aches horribly." He circled around to whisper to Hitoban, "er, do I sound different to you? Like... I dunno... different?"

[Bounder]

Oh, he was nervous. Make that nervous and tired. He'd been on his paws for several days now. He didn't know what they were like. But there was no going back, he was out in plain sight. The wolf with the wings was the first to address him. Though he was busy, he was very polite. The bi-colored timber offered him a small smile.
"I'd be happy to help," he said. That being said, he walked to the other side of the sled. He began to pull in time with the other male. "It's a pleasure to meet you" He looked over to Shimo and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Shimo. It's not like me to stare. It's just... well, I've never seen a wolf with wings before." He chuckled softly. "Though I have to admit, they are pretty cool." From the looks of things, Shimo was still getting used to them. But he appeared to be a quick learner.
He turned to Hitoban. She was the alpha female? He stopped for a second, and dipped his head to her. For a time, his father had been in a pack. Granted, Canyon wound up being banished from said pack. But he had shared what he knew with his sons. The alpha was to be respected. Always.
"It's an honor to meet you," he said. "And my name is Bounder."
They seemed like a friendly bunch. And they were a pack, right? Perhaps his search for a home was finally over.

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban had momentarily blacked out from the headache she'd aquired yet miraculously had managed to keep pushing. When Shimo stopped pulling she looked up, wincing as the blood rushed away from her skull, to see what the holdup was. There was now another wolf among them, a Timber male, and she smiled to him. He'd bowed to her and said it was an honor to meet her. Wow. She was no different from he, but she knew it came with the title and all, so she dipped her head in a welcoming return and smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm Hitoban no Fokkusu. It's a pleasure to meet you Bounder. Thank you for your offer and we shall gladly accept but for right now we need to take a minor break. If you don't mind waiting for us I'm just...going to...lay down here...a minute..."

She couldn't stop herself from sinking onto the soft forest floor in her weariness, but she was determined she wouldn't be another to ride on the sled. She would just rest a minute.

[Tsukikage]

Shimo laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm not so used to having these things, either." He smiled at Hitoban, as she laid down, then turned to see Mar sitting erect. "Mar! You're awake!" He smiled, "How are you feeling?"
Mar nodded, shrugged, and scratched the ground. I'm freakin' sore, thanks for asking. I can't talk, little buddy, c'mon. You can figure it out, I know it. He began wheezing out beginnings of words, unable to finish them.
"Oh gawd!" Shimo gasped as the realization hit him. "Okay, just take it easy, Big Guy, we're taking a rest. Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up, okay?"
Mar nodded and laid back down.
Shimo turned and walked away, crying as he leaned against a tree, just within eyesight.

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban's ears perked to sticks cracking and she turned to see Shimo walk away and lean against a tree. She hauled herself up, the emotional security of those around her more important that her own physical, and padded over to him. She placed a paw on him and looked at him.

"Shimo what's wrong? You can tell me."

[Tsukikage]

Shimo smiled, then seemed to get seriously ticked off. "Tell you what? You're just afraid of me going crazy too, aren't you?!? Why else would the alphas bother with a screwed-up, mutant reject like me?" He took a few deep breaths and shook the tears from his face. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well; I won't explode anytime soon. It's just..." He pressed his head into the tree, tears streaming down his muzzle. "It's my fault. Everyone's been so nice to me, and all I've ever offered in return is pain. You've seen the dream catcher in the back of Wahya's neck? I put it there. I could've killed Maname. And now look at Mar; he can't speak, he can't see any better than a mole, and some freak with wings is dragging him along because he's lost too much blood. I... I can't stay with your pack, Lady Hitoban, I'd only cause you all more pain..." He collapsed against the tree, whimpering and crying. "It's all my fault..."

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban huffed, put off by his depressing mood, and shoved her face right into his, making him look at her. She had that look on her face-the one where she was about to lecture.

"Suck it up Shimo. I know that might sound harsh right now, but it's valuable advice in the long run. You can't always be blaming yourself for everything or you'll soon start believing it, then you'll start doing the things you blame yourself of just because you think you can't control it when you really can. It's called a self-fulfilling prophecy and you're heading down that road fast. I'll tell you one thing right now-if you keep this up you're going to end up like Wahya. He's started agreeing with Giga. F.u.c.k.i.n.g agreeing with him! Now do you really want that to happen to you? I know you don't have a demon in you but what you struggle with is your own mind. I struggle with my own mind in two forms and do I blame myself? Hell no! Now get up, dry your tears, stop deliberately trying to screw up your life, and give me a hug."

Hitoban backed up and stood, watching him, hoping that this new tactic would work better than her previous ones.

[Tsukikage]

Shimo's eyes darted back and forth, trying desperately to avoid contact with Hitoban's. He thought for a second, This is a little... too close. Then something stuck and he caved. He jumped up and pressed his face into Hitoban's chest, wondering why he'd been so foolish. "You're right. I can't afford to be so negative anymore -- not when I can still help people who need me." He looked back over to Mar, who smiled rather pathetically, trying to reassure Shimo that it'd be all right. Shimo almost wanted to laugh; Tsuki had told him about a similar incident that happened to him in the city. "She pinned my head to the ground and asked me whether or not I wanted to be a wolf anymore... That has stuck with me all this time. It's largely because of her that I am who I am today. He thought it was weird at the time, but it made sense now. He got up and flared his wings, lifting just slightly off the ground. "Thank you, Hitoban. I needed that." He said as he bounced back to Mar, with a gait somewhere between flying and padding, tail wagging all the way.

[Rynn]

ooc: Sorry muse is kinda dead today...just got back from Nationals...^^;

Rin had not gone to the grotto, but off on her own she had gone a good distance away from the grotto when she suddenly slumped to the ground under a tree and didn't get back up. A large white wolf saw this and smirked to himself before turning and padding away.