Pyralis knew she should return to her family. She knew she should do the motherly thing and make sure her son was alright but anger still burned in her belly over the canyon disaster. Here they'd been doing such good work in the Fallen god's name and what did he do? Destory an entire empire! Well to hell with him then! There was still no sign of Amon… no sign of Asharya.  Had the Fallen god taken them to? Would he come for Ashiel next?  She scowled, knowing well what would happen to her should she voice such blasphemous thoughts. She gazed up at the sky for a minute, half expecting Alkali to materialize but it seemed her companion was gone as well. Trotting down to the shimmering shore, she waited for night to fall as clouds continued to build in the late afternoon sky. The breeze was chilly and she moved to lay in a patch of beach grass. Spirits her feet ached!  Well, much of her ached since the breaking of the eastern canyon wall and the flooding that washed her clear out into the Wraith's Woods western border. She couldn't bear the thought of going back so instead she headed for the waters of the Shimmering Shore. She wanted to gaze upon the spirit lights and see if they might offer her something. Pyralis yawned, ready to rest her bruised and aching body… ————— Thunder woke her, her golden eyes peered into the inky black of night. She'd only meant to sleep for an hour.  Flinching she snarled at the pounding headache that was throbbing above her left eye. She could smell blood and knew the wound on her left hind leg had reopened. Unsurprising.  Some how she was feeling even more sore and a hacking cough bubbled up from her mouth.  Great… beautiful… Pyralis got to her feet, seeking the glowing lights. The glowing blue shiver of the water lured her to the edge of the beach.  She cleared her throat to voice her thoughts to these spirits when she suddenly tripped over a log. Sputtering she got back to her feet. "Bloody, stupid, fucking… who put's a log right there? If you spirits think that was funny let me tel-" She started to cough again and as she turned to give the log a piece of her mind she suddenly heard a familiar cry. Or at least she thought she did. "Alkali?" Only the thunder answered. "Talk" "You" Think

The sound of thunder rumbled overhead, hinting at the approach of a storm. The sound brought pain the woman’s heart. Reminiscent and forlorn, She had gone in search of Donostrea. She knew full well that Arcus had not lived there, but his family had. Instead, she had found nothing but further loss. Arcus and the pack where gone, as was many others that she had loved. She had kept going after that, walking without purpose as she let her memories take her. She didn’t intent to be gone from Abaven for long, but the growing pack was safe with her sister and Vail’s man to keep an ‘eye’ out. following the beach until it turned into a sand bar, and making her way from there into the lands of her fathers ancestors. Arcus had shown her how to see a storm from a different point of view. He showed her the beauty of it's wild, wonderful nature. She had fallen in love with him beneath a stormy sky. Not that she had ever told him that of course, and now it was too late. She walked long into the night, and would have kept walking if a voice hadn’t called out. She tilted her head, curious at the sound of angry swearing, the questioning word of loss. Shaye knew a little about loss herself, these days. Most people might turn away, to hear a wolf shout in frustration, but the faint remainders of the naive, sweet girl she had once been, lingered. She almost smiled, it had been Arcus who warned her time and time again that strangers could pose a danger to her. “The log was there before you, you know.” The stranger was an inch or two higher then her, and the primarily inky darkness of her coat blended into the night. Her face was a gorgeous merging of colors, with a hint of white that bleed across her eye like a scar. She wrinkled her brow as she considered the woman, the scent of blood reaching her. “You want a hand with that? I was a healer… back in the day.” she admitted. Her future had changed course, and she was a healer no longer, but she still had the talent and the knowledge, and she wasn’t above offering a little aid to a stranger. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis strained to hear the sounds around her, certain she'd heard the call of her companion but instead all she picked up was the sound of approaching feet. Her head turned to stare at a dark-pelted woman who was walking along the beach. She seemed to be about the same age as Pyralis and her white markings shown brilliantly in the dull light of the shimmering water. Pyralis watched the stranger carefully, her golden eyes narrowing as the woman spoke and she barked out a bitter laugh. "My dear, if you only knew the ways the gods and spirits have toyed with me as of late you would not say thus." Pyralis moved around the log, a distinct lack of grace to her injured movements as she approached the stranger who offered to assist her with her injuries. The goddess's head tilted slightly as she debated whether or not she could really trust this random mortal but perhaps the spirits were trying to assist her after the horror of the flood. "That depends. What is the price for your services?" Before she could enquire the woman's name the loud cry of a harris hawk finally broke through the air, crisp and clear. Pyralis' head snapped up as she saw the great bird descend, her magnificent wings spreading and scattering sand as she landed. "Pyralis! By the spirits, I'm so glad to see you survived the flood." Pyralis didn't speak at first, she just stared in stunned silence before bounding toward the bird and nuzzling her.  "Me? What about you! I know you can fly but after what happened to my son's companion I feared the worst." "Who is this you have with you?"  Pyralis turned to the woman. "Ahh… this is…. um… what is your name?" "Talk" "Alkali" Think

The golden eyed woman let out a bitter laughter, and that coupled with what amounted to speaking to herself earlier - Shaye wondered what she was getting herself into. Still, she had offered her services and she wasn’t one to go back on that. “Personally, I try to steer clear of Gods and Spirits, no good comes from them meddling in your life.” she would admit. She was only mildly religious herself, enough to occasionally curse the gods, or wonder at the course of her life.

“The price?” she would ask, a little taken aback. She didn’t know many healers who would ask for payment for services rendered. Ah, but then again, she supposed she did. The healer who had saved her sisters life had asked for a toll almost too great to pay. Perhaps she could understand a wolf wanting to get that out in the open first. Not wanting anyone to feel as though they were in her debt, she took only a moment to think it thought. “A shared meal, something simple.” she decided, an easy price to pay, and one that cleared any ‘debt’ immediately.

Shaye managed -just- not to jump, at the sudden, and unexpected cry of a bird. Her own little Treeswallow wasn’t with her today, and the sound came from a throat far more fierce than little Feathers.

She looked at the magnificent bird with interest. She and her father had always taken an interest in collecting feathers, and many in their family had birds for companions, she had a fond affinity for them. “hmm, I would also settle for a single feather, if you would rather.” she suggested, ears pricked in curiosity at this mention of a flood. The clear affection between wolf and bird endeared this strange woman to her a little more, and her smile was a little warmer when the attention of both turned to her. “I’m Shaye Destruction, at your service.” she introduced herself with a friendly tilt of her head. “How about I get you patched up, and if your up for it, I would be interested to hear about this flood - its my first time hearing about any natural disaster around here.”

Pyralis chuckled and nodded lightly. It was a good idea to stay clear of gods and spirits and yet was the mortal woman aware she was talking to a living goddess? Pyr did not bother to mention her heritage. She still felt stung over the unfortunate fate of the Eclipse Empire and she bore bitterness toward the Fallen God in her heart. Pyr watched the woman as she named the price. The older woman contemplated it for a moment. A shared meal certainly would be doable but then the stranger asked for one of Alkali's feathers. She cocked her head as she turned to glance at her companion. The bird shrugged. "It's alright I don't mind, one feather won't break me and it should grow back before my next molt." The hawk bent her head and unfolded her left wing. She eyed it carefully for a moment then selected one of her secondaries, a particular strikingly striped feather. Wincing she plucked out the feather in its entirety then hopped over to deposit it at the woman's feet. When the bird returned to stand next to her Pyralis reached out to gently lick the birds head. "I owe you. Next meal i get the liver is yours." She turned back to the woman. "A pleasure Shaye, I am Pyralis Abraxas. My companion is Alkali. Do as you intend and I'll tell you what I can about the flood." Pyralis settled herself down so the other could work. While Shaye went about her business Pyralis unfolded her story. "A great storm hit the canyon suddenly. The winds were horrendous and the rain fell swift and heavy. It caused the river to rise and flood and then to make matters worse…" she shrugged. "I can't say for sure what happened. I believe a series of massive mudslides shredded part of the canyon wall and the sudden influx of rock and muddle caused the river to swell further and a massive wave to crash down on our den site. I was swept away clear out here. Though I journeyed to the shore myself for reflection but my injuries caught up with me." Pyralis ears flicked up as she heard familiar screeching cries echo up into the air. A coyote pack was nearby… not good. She hoped Shaye would get the worst of her cleaned up before they had an unwelcome welcome party. "Talk" "Alkali" Think

The feather was agreed on for the price by the bird himself. Feather did not speak the language of the wolves, and she wondered at what it would be like to have a companion such as this with her. She was a glorious bird, and she knew it. Of course, Shaye loved her loyal little TreeSwallow, and knew she wouldn’t give up her friend for all the world.

“Thank you” Shaye said politely as she deposited a beautiful stripped feather at her feet. Shaye tucked this one neatly behind her blue feather, and would store it in her den when she next returned home. All of Shaye’s feathers had stories, with the one she wore with her always bearing a memory of a time with the father she had now lost.

Abraxa’s where these wolves everywhere? This wolf didn’t seem as prideful and cunning as her relative, and Shaye wouldn’t judge her for her family, but still, the Alpha filed away that knowledge and would not forget it. She had received her feather, though she needed no payment for a little bit of healing. She moved forward, closing the distance between them to examine the left hind leg of the wolf. She wasn’t a stocked and prepared healer, but she knew a trick or two. She cleaned the wound with salt water, which was handily enough right next to them. The salt would be good for purifying the wound, as well. She pulled out some of the longer, thicker tufts of fur at her tail and created a bandage from them, winding them around the wound. “If I see any of the herbs I need I can make you a poultice, but for the moment I can see to it enough that it won’t become infected.” she would explain.

She would also receive the story on what happened in the canyons. “How long ago did this happen? I might collect a few wolves and send out a search party there.” Shaye explained, happy to offer relief to the wolves who had suffered in the disaster. After a moment, the Alpha would tilt her head, she had finished with the wound and now she could hear something in the distance. “What is that?”

Pyralis, to her credit, was a patient patient and she let the other woman mill about and work with minimal fuss from the goddess. "It's been… probably a day or two since the flood." It was hard for her to be sure, maybe it had only been hours. Everything in her head seemed so jumbled. "I'm sure there were survivors and the rest of my family is involved. They'll find everyone." There was a slight waver in her voice and she swiftly stilled it. She couldn't help but think of her son and fear for his safety but surely Razi had gotten out and alerted the family. The screeching howling grew louder and Pyralis swiftly got to her feet. Her lips pulled back in a snarl. "Coyotes. They must've caught the scent of blood." Sure enough the creatures made themselves known. A group of four coyotes appeared through the dark and began to circle the woman, testing them. Pyralis snarled and one of the creatures yipped, swiftly moving around to her other side. "Well, this is just perfect." Her hackles raised, her defenses setting into place as she growled another warning growl. Alkali took off into the sky to keep an eye on the coyotes movements. "You can fight, right Shaye?" "Talk" "Alkali" Think

Pyralis would tell her more about this flood, this natural disaster that had uprooted a pack and likely taken lives. Living near the ocean herself, the thought gave Shaye the shivers. Of course, her land was flat, not a canyon like this wolf spoke of. There was a tremor to the other wolves voice, through it was quickly stilled. It didn’t surprise Shaye, this wolf might be a strong character, but anyone would be shocked after experiencing such a thing. Shaye didn’t have time to comment further on potential aid she could offer, for Pyralis got to her feet with a snarl. The sound in the distance was getting closer, and the other woman identified the sound for her. Coyotes. the began to circle the pair, yipping, testing. Shaye moved, standing at the other woman’s back, facing the ones that circled in this direction. “I can.” Shaye said softly, leaving out the fact that she was still learning, and new to the art. One of the coyotes leapt at her from the side, perhaps hoping her vision was filled with the one that inches forward in front of her, testing her. Shaye raised a large paw, smacking the pouncer, feeling teeth graze against her leg, before she pounced, but the creature was already moving, zipping away, and Shaye fell back into position, covering this wolf’s back. She growled in annoyance at the creatures, wanting them to attack fully. Not this cowards game of cat and mouse. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis was glad the other woman was confident and she grinned. "Well, this should be fun. I love a ladies night that involves battle." A pair of coyotes lunged for her. She shifted her weight rapidly to her hind legs, lifting her upper body up high so that the coyote on her left missed, his jaws just sailing under her chin. She titled her head down and let gravity aid her as she dove down on the hapless creature. Her fangs sunk deep into the back of the coyotes head as she wrapped her arms around it. It shrieked and struggled.

As to the second coyote it never even reached Pyralis. As it lunged Alkali dived her talons seizing and shredding the flesh between the creatures shoulder blades. It twisted and writhed, finally managing to break free but at the cost of serious lacerations.

Shaye wouldn’t exactly call it fun, but she had no doubt these little pests where drawn here from the smell of blood, and Shaye had no intention of letting them have her patient. She didn’t doubt that Pyralis could hold her own, but Shaye would watch her back, and fell easily into a battle with the stranger. She was surprised when the bird ripped one to pieces. Her own Little Feather couldn’t barely harm a butterfly, let alone a full blown coyote. She almost missed one of the buggers as it snuck up beside her, and forgot about the bird as she concentrated on her battle. The coyote pounced her, but she was accustomed to the two-prong attack by now. She dogged the attack, and bit down on its neck, turning rapidly, and in time to smack the one still in her mouth against the one attacking her. There was a yip of surprise from the creature, and she dropped her prize, stepping hard down on him as she snapped at the one who had attempted to ambush her. He bounced away from her strike, and she leaped, coming down hard on him, and tearing out his throat. She leaped back into position, covering Pyralis’s back before any other of the willy creatures could take advantage of the moment. She had killed two now, and a quick glance told her Pyralis wasn’t far behind her count. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis struggled with the coyote that was wrapped in her embrace but not for long. She shifted her jaws, loosening them enough to slide down the creatures neck before her grip tightened like a vice, her lower jaw just under it's throat and her upper fangs diving into the middle. With a strangled cry the coyote was suddenly and swiftly silenced. She dropped the hapless creature and licked the blood off her fangs before she turned to see how her companion was doing with the other coyote. It had its tail tucked between its legs and was yipping and crying at the hawk who swooped down to claw at it again.

"That's enough Alkali, I can take it from here."

The hawk soared higher as Pyralis dove for the coyote, her bulk crashing into it, knocking the air from its lungs before she forced her weight on top of it. Pyralis shoved her paw onto the creatures throat, forcing it's head back as she tore into its neck, ripping the windpipe open. It wasn't long after that. She spat a mouthful of blood out and turned her wild gaze onto the remaining coyotes who suddenly seemed very unsure about their choice of prey. The wolves were not as bad off as they had supposed. She laughed. "What's the matter you cowards. All bark and no bite?"