Shaye would only know of the challenge at its end, hearing of it in passing on her way to her mentors den. She hurried her pace, anxious to find her mentor and stopping only to grab herbs from one of her own stashes on imperium territory. She couldn't believe her hero had fallen but her only thought and concern was to make things better for her beloved aunt. With the herbs in her maw and a swift trot beneath that waved her feather to and fro she would March into rhythms den in a very no - nonsense manner. She moved immediately to rhythms side only to see the other girl was out cold.

She twitched a little nervously at the idea of healing her aunt with any guidance what so ever but she steeled herself with a deep breath, reminded herself that this was rhythm lying there in pain and got to work. First off she mixed some pain herbs eith water and dripped it into the unconscious girls mouth so she wouldn't be woken with and fright when shaye touched the wounds, if she woke at all it would be groggily. She then began to clean the cuts and gashes on rhythms body, wincing as she did so, she could see it had been a brutal fight. After cleaning she applied herbs to fight infection and bound any wounds still bleeding.

Rhythm hadn't made it very far, as her form slipped through the entrance of her boulder-topped den her lips found their way over a poppy seed. Coupled with exhaustion consciousness did not linger with her for long. She'd find herself drifting into a dark dreamless sleep. She wasn't bleeding much, her lips were cut and blood caked where her tail had been crushed by Cascade's jaws. They were no life threatening flows, though her form was quite bruised up. Her hip and her shoulder especially. She wasn't going to be laying on that side for a long time. She wouldn't be disturbed by Shaye until the girl started touching her tail. Even through all the pain killers she was on the pain still woke her. A pained whine would leave her lips as she awoke, she'd knit her brows but find a way to seek out the cause of her pain. Seeing her niece stand over her relieved a vast amount of stress. She'd relax at the presence, though was still tense with pain. "It's broken Shaye," she'd offer through gritted teeth, "You'll need to make a splint for it." She couldn't even move her head she was so drugged up, but she could still offer Shaye the advice she needed. ""

Going over her mentors cuts and scrapes, that was easy, even an anti inflammatory herb paste for the worst of the bruises was within Shaye's abilities, but as Shaye examined the oddly bent tail her mentor would awake. She glanced up at Rhythm as the groggy and disorientated woman took her in. Her beloved mentor would offer advice, and Shaye would gulp, broken? She looked again at the broken tail, very gently letting it go. She had to make a splint? She swallowed again. “I..I.. I need to grab some things” she whispered, and fled the den. The young girl returned as quickly as possible with the items she needed for a splint. She surveyed Rhythm again and swallowed. She'd never dealt with a broken bone in reality before, only theory. Still, the young girl could never let down her Aunt and casting a big, apologetic look over at her Aunt she straightened out the broken bone, aligned in where the snap had happened, placed the stick along side the bone and wrapped it. She worked quickly, not wishing to hurt her Aunt any more then absolutely necessary. Shaking a little she took a deep breath before she moved to Rhythm's head. She gently rubbed her cheek against an unmarked side of Rhythm's head before she gently applied a honey paste to Rhythm's damaged lips. With that, she was done, and she curled up against whatever she could of her healer and closed her eyes, simply being there for her hero. "speech"

Rhythm might have noticed the uncertainty in her niece a bit more had she been more conscious, as it was there was little she noticed but the pain and the urge to drift back to nothingness. She'd feel a bit of relief as Shaye released her appendage, knowing that the worst was yet to come. With a few words Shaye would leave her again. The chocolate Destruction found she'd slip easily back into unconsciousness, how long Shaye was gone she would never really know but it seemed like all too soon her apprentice was back and handling her tail again. She'd gasp, coming out of wakefulness again, her body wanting to instinctively curl. She'd use all her will not to try and flee from Shaye's touch. Another whine would leave her lips as the girl worked, blessedly quickly. Shaye would finish with her tail, and gently moved to nuzzle her comfortingly. The fire wasn't completely put out and she knew her tail wouldn't stop being in pain for a few weeks. It was better this way though, there was less likelihood it'd grow back crooked. She'd resist the urge to lick at the honey on her lips and tried to relax as Shaye molded herself around her aunt. A heavy sigh would filter past her lips as she tried to relax and really start the healing process. ""

Shaye didn't really understand what had happened to Rhythm, or the way that this pack worked. She only knew that Rhythm had crawled to her den in this state and she had been here alone when Shaye had found her. The young girl felt an anger burning in her veins, that was nothing like she had ever felt before. Before now, all her emotions had been born of love, family, and learning. Shaye made a promise to herself then, that when Rhythm got better she would ask her Aunt to teach her how to fight. She wold ask Motif, and Shai, and Bass, she would ask everyone until she was really good, and she would work hard and fast. Then... then lets see anyone dare lay a finger on Rhythm, Shaye would break any part of their body that touched her beloved Aunt. Seething at the injustice of the world, the young girl would snugglr in closer to her Aunt, as much she could without jostling any of the wounds and would let herself sink into a troubled sleep. ""

Rhythm would be oblivious to Shaye's turmoil, well she was pretty much oblivious to most of the world as her niece snuggled up to her. The comfort of the girl was exactly what Rhythm needed, she would relax and find herself easily drifting off into oblivion. Her sleep was dreamless and she wasn't sure how long it had been since she was asleep but the returned pain would wake her with a vengeance. She'd cry out, the effects of the pain killers wearing off as she slept. Moving only caused more pain, and she'd sigh heavily as she gained real consciousness. Her tail was absolutely throbbing but it wasn't near how it felt when it had happened. She'd realize Shaye was still with her and already she felt guilty for possibly waking her. ""

Shaye slipped easily into her troubled dreams, with Rhythm being the only thing on her mind. She wasn't sure exactly what she dreamed when she awoke, only that they where troubling and darker then the bright-natured girl was accustomed to. It was almost thankfully that she would be pulled into wakefulness, through that quickly became concern as she realized Rhythm was crying out. She pulled herself to her paws and grabbed some more pain herbs and offered them to her Aunt. She didn't say a word, just looked up in worry at the familiar, beautiful eyes of her hero. She wanted to ask what had happened, what had left Rhythm like this, but she didn't pry. Her poor Aunt had enough to worry about, and Shaye only wanted to nurse her back to health, to see her beloved Aunt well again. ""

As she thought Shaye had woken up, her feet on the ground quickly as she realized her aunt was in pain again. Shaye worked quick, grabbing her concoction from earlier. With out the added help of the poppy seed she would be much more coherent, at least that was what she thought. Not being able to deny her niece's offering Rhythm would let herself be medicated. Sighing again she'd try to relax until it kicked back in. Her brilliant (but pain clouded) stare would linger on Shaye's form. She'd realize that surely Shaye had no idea what was going on. "Thanks for your help, Shaye." She wasn't quite sure she would have been able to do all of that herself. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this," she didn't know how to explain what she'd gotten herself into. ""

Rhythm easily took the herbs, making no noise of complaint and completely ruining the theory that healers made the worst patience. Rhythm would sigh and settled back down as her anxious niece hovered over her, even as she tried her best not to get into the space of the injured woman. As she watched her Aunt, Rhythm would speak past her pained lips and thank Shaye, Shaye simply nodded her head, accepting the praise but also certain it was not required. She would do anything for her Aunt, and this was nothing, this was simply using the skills Rhythm herself had spent so much time and love teaching Shaye. “Don't be silly” she scoffed at Rhythm's next words, moving herself back into the crock at Rhythms side where she could snuggle up against her Aunt. “I'll always be here for you. Its the least I can do” she whispered, her voice fading a little, she was tired and it was warm and cosy next to her aunt. ""

Shaye would chastise her gently as she came to lay back down with her wounded aunt. Rhythm would lay her head on Shaye's legs, careful of the fresh cuts on her lips and gums. “I'll always be here for you." The chocolate colored Destruction would sigh heavily into Shaye's words, feeling the truth in them. She wasn't sure if it was the pain killers or Shaye's soft embrace that would slowly put her back to sleep but she was thankful for both. Her tail's pain would subside into a dull ache as they took hold and she could feel sleep wanting to take back over. She was sure by tomorrow she would be more able to take care of herself. Though she was also sure that she might easily be able to sleep the whole next day away. She hoped Shaye might tell Valentine how long she planned on staying, because Rhythm wasn't going to be any use the next couple of days. ""

Shaye felt the soft movement of Rhythm's head as she used her niece as a pillow. The young girl smiled, glad that she could be there for her Aunt as her Aunt had always been there for her. Shaye could smell the honey and herbs she had lathered onto Rhythm's injury, and the smell was familiar and comforting – there was always a herby scent around Rhythm and her den. She would feel Rhythm's breathing relax as her Aunt succumbed to sleep, and Shaye placed her own head on the ground and waited for sleep to claim her. It didn't come immediately however, instead she would find herself thinking about Rhythm, about how Shaye couldn't leave here until her Aunt was well again, she needed someone to watch out for and Shaye intended for that to be her. She drifted off to sleep eventually, and in the very early rays of morning light she would sneak out of the den and hunt down a rabbit just off of Imp's territory – it made the walk a slightly longer one, but it was common courtesy not to hunt on another wolf's land. She dragged the rabbit back to the den, peeking inside first to see if Rhythm had yet awoken. ""

Rhythm might not have been able to bounce back as quickly as she was had she been more of a prideful creature. She wasn't prone to raging fits or gloating, though she felt more than frustration at her loss she knew she had to roll with the punches so to say. Rhythm had to learn from her mistakes and get better for the next time. She had plenty of time to think about it too, her tail would easily take a couple of months to heal. Hopefully she could take that time to heal her relationship with Valentine as well. None of these thoughts were currently in the girl's mind though, she was still completely out, unconsciousness had its hold on her and it wasn't going to let go for hardly anything. Rhythm needed her rest, mending a broken tail would take time and all kinds of rest. The first day after would be the worst, but as time went on she'd get better each day. As Shaye poked her head back into her den Rhythm's ear would flick softly, but other than that she was completely still. She wouldn't wake up naturally until the sun was closer to setting. ""

Shaye would enter to find Rhythm still out cold, and moving the rabbit she placed it in a corner where Rhythm could find it when she awoke. After doing that she carefully went over her work on Rhythm, applying a new poultice here and examined her Aunt's tail without actually touching it. It would be a long why before that stopped giving Rhythm pains, and she wished there was more she could do for her Aunty. Instead, she sat by the cave entrance and looked out into Imperium's territory and fumed. This wasn't a fun and friendly spar like she had witnessed between Kyrast and Rhythm, this was down right brutal and Shaye had no idea what had happened. Shaye realized in that moment how alone she was when she traveled to Imperium, she didn't have her father, her mother, her family and the few friends she had made. Here it was just her and Rhythm, and that had always been enough for her, so much so that she remembered a time when she wanted to move her. Yet, here she was, with an unconscious Rhythm, with no one to talk to, no one to explain to her what had happened to her Aunt. There wasn't even a single wolf that had come by to check if her Aunty was okay. The pair of them would sit here in silence, one unconscious and the other in stiffing contemplation as she felt just how alone they both where. ""

Rhythm would eventual feel consciousness tugging at her form. The sun was just beginning its descent to the earth, she could faintly hear the calls of the snow birds as they sought out their shelter for the night. The scent of Shaye's recent kill would also coax her into wakefulness. It had been a couple of days since she'd eaten, and her body craved the fuel that had been gotten for her. For a long few moments her stomach would hurt more than her tail and she'd slowly pull herself into wakefulness. Still groggy, but already feeling better she'd struggle the few inches to Shaye's present and start to consume the carcass. She was so focused on food in those first few moments she hadn't checked to see if Shaye was with her. Lifting and turning her head to look into the rest of her den she'd seek out her niece. She'd be needing an explanation now that she could actually comprehend what was happening. ""

Shaye was tucked a way in a corner sorting through herbs when Rhythm finally stirred. She looked up from the Dandelion she happened to be holding at the moment, and tilted her head as she watched her Aunty. She watched in silence as Rhythm devoured the rabbit the young girl had tracked down earlier in the day. She had left Imperium territory to find it and had dragged it back from the borders, she was glad to see that it wouldn't go to waste. It wasn't until after she had eaten her full that she would see her Auntie's head turn about in search of her and Shaye would take in a deep breath preparing to speak, but she had forgotten the dandelion right before her nose and breathing in particles of pollen she let out a violent little sneeze first and shook her head to clear it. “Aunty” she said softly in greeting as she shuffled some herbs out of the way and got to her paws. Her little feather fell into place behind her ear as the young girl trotted forward to be at her Auntie's side. “how are you feeling?” ""

Shaye was quiet as Rhythm ate her fill, the former not even really able to take notice of her niece until she had finished the meal that had been provided for her. She wasn't sure what exactly she would have done had Shaye not been here to patch her up. She'd hadn't seen Valentine since she'd been in the fight, and wondered silently if he'd come by. Not realizing that he was in his den at that moment passed out from his own fighting wounds. She'd find herself looking to her niece for guidance, feeling a bit odd at the reversed roles. She couldn't help but smile as Shaye sneezed though, it made her remembered vividly the tiny pup she'd spent so much time with. "Shaye," she'd answer back, though she felt better pain remained laced through her voice. "Better, but you know as well as I that the pain isn't going to disappear for a while." ""