Esther walked briskly along the invisible border, pack stench rising from the grass and filling his nose, and he shuddered. He needed out of this place quickly.

His ma told him of the dangers of the pack, how they would shred them both if they happened to find him. He didn't understand what would drive anyone to kill someone as nice as his ma, which deepened the fear. They had already gotten to ma, which meant he was next. Death was something that didn't tend to disturb him, but the idea of canine teeth rending flesh from bone sent uncontrollable shivers down his spine. He didn't want to die like that, like ma did. Not ever.

Paws carry the small healer along paths that are quickly becoming familiar to her. Meadow is on patrol today, strengthening the scents at the boarders and getting to know her home better. Humming softly as she walks, the earthen hued wolf enjoys the day as she works. When a new, unfamiliar scent reaches her nostrils, the small wolf slows her pace and considers her options. Maybe she is not the best wolf to meet new wolves. Should she call for someone else to greet the new comer or strike out and find them herself? It only takes a moment for Meadow to make up her mind and her steps quicken in anticipation. As the scent grows stronger, a smile appears and she makes a conscious effort to appear relaxed and composed. Soon the form of a brown wolf comes into view and she slows her relentless pace to a more acceptable speed. Calling out to the wolf in a calm, gentle voice, the small wolf says, “Hello! Are you okay? Do you need any help?” Only when she is a respectable distance from the new wolf and still on the pack-side of the border does Meadow stop. The smile grows as she dips her head slightly in greeting. Raising her head once more she adds, “My name is Meadow and this is The Hallows.” Her body is loose and there is no tension or aggression that can be found in it. The smile that is in place is gentle and reassuring as she greets this new wolf. "Meadow"

Askan understood and respected Resin's desire to help, but even with her reassurance he couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. He was fairly certain she'd be able to throw someone out on their arse if she had to, but what of the others? Dunkan seemed capable enough, if not a bit overly moody, but the rest of the pack was mostly made up of healers and lost souls. Would they be able to remain impartial and look beyond the sob stories loners told at their borders? Askan wasn't so sure. It was with this in mind that he increased the intensity of his patrols, meandering around the Springs and Falls till he noticed the scent of yet another stranger.

By the time he drew near Meadow had already struck up a conversation. He hadn't spent one on one time with the healer yet but he'd already gathered that she was the kind and gentle sort, soft and fuzzy around the edges and always eager to offer a helping paw. Admirable traits for sure, but perhaps it wasn't such a good idea for her to try and chat up such a highly strung loner. His anxiety was obvious and his  movements skittish, like he wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run. Well, what was stopping him? No one was forcing him to stay here, Askan knew Meadow wouldn't ever consider forcing anyone to do...well anything, even if it was for their own good.

It was the strangers slightly unhinged response that put the Templar on edge. Coming to a stop Askan placed himself beside Meadow, a little in front so that he could cut off the strangers advances if need be. He stood with his shoulders square and his back straight, but made no move to interject or introduce himself. Meadow was welcome to keep chattering away, Askan was just there to make sure he didn't try anything stupid.

He was too slow.

The first approached with pleasant smiles and gentle greetings, but Esther saw through her. He saw through them both. They'd talk softly and slowly like they would a newborn babe, lure him in. And then they'd tear each of his limbs one by one, rip and shred at his guts, and laugh at him as the life slowly left is body. Vicious creatures they were, and he knew it.

Lucky then, that he wasn't a newborn babe. But then again, it was he who lingered upon tainted lands, this was his own stupid fault. He backed away, tail between his legs, muzzle wrinkled in a fearful snarl.

She told him her name, but he already had a name for her: Demon.

"G-get away!" He warned them, paws inching closer to the river bank. There was no way that he could escape this. "Get the FUCK away from me, y-you packdog BITCH!" He repeated the sentiment more agressively, hoping to drive them away. He didn't really know the meaning behind the vulgar words he spat, but he knew they were offensive enough to warrant at least a brief pause.

Askan appears and Meadow’s attention is diverted to him. As he steps to her side and places himself beside and slightly in front of her, the small healer offers him a smile. While they have not been able to get to know each other very well, the earthen hued wolf does know the fighter. Something about the way he is being protective and placing himself between her and the skittish wolf has her feeling grateful. Something just feels off about the new wolf. And suddenly she is extremely appreciative to Askan. The new wolf backs away and snarls at them causing her gentle smile to falter and drop. When he tells them to get away, Meadow instinctively takes a small step forward, confusion on her face. Is he okay? But then he wounds her to the core. His next words cut her and she halts her steps, hurt written plainly on her features. Did she say something wrong? Had she done something horrible rude? BITCH. The word reverberates in her head and each time she hears it, that label injuries her a little more. Tears prick her eyes and threaten to build but she pushes them away. Unconsciously she shrinks, tail tucking, frown pulling her mouth down and ears drooping. He had hurt her and she had only tried to help. She wants to run away and hide but she resists the urge. Looking to her protector, sadness and hurt plain to see, Meadow tries to draw strength from him. After a moment the anger sets in and she stands to her full height, fury overriding the pain. Looking up at the unknown wolf, she tells him, “You are the one who came to our lands. I thought you might need help so I came to offer it. If you do not want it then leave. We will not make you stay but you will not go around being mean to anyone in our pack.” Her stance is defiant, head held high, anger in her eyes. He came to their lands, he can just as easily leave. "Meadow"

It seemed as though Askan's hunch had been right. Like a switch had been flipped the loner lost his mind, his words thrashing and jagged as though he wasn't all there in the head. The insults didn't leave much of an impact on Askan since...well look at him, why would he care about the opinion of a crazed lunatic? But the fact he'd called Meadow a bitch was very much uncalled for. Resin might have created this pack to make peace but surely she wouldn't let this slide. He side glanced the healer for a moment before directing his attention to the loner once again.

"Oi watch your fucking tongue!" Askan snarled, stepping up as his tail snapped up to attention. His hackles rose down the line of his back as he took yet another step forward, barging his way into the loner's personal space. His teeth were on full display as he spoke, marking this as his last and final warning before he'd beat the snot out of him. "Who do you think you are, you come to our borders and talk shit? Leave! Get the fuck out of here!" He mock charged, stomping forward to further emphasis his point. As if his words weren't loud and clear as is.

He wouldn't say it again. But in part he was sort of hoping that the fool would try and push his luck since it was about damn time Askan earned his keep.

A glimmer of dimwitted hope flickered within the boy when he saw the smaller beast falter, but it wouldn't last. They both met his snarl with one's of their own, the mask gone. 'They'll rip you and shred you 'till yer nothing but bloody bones!' A voice sung in his head as they closed in on his weary body, eyes glinting with gluttonous fury.

Of course, this couldn't be further from the truth, but primal fear gripped the poor boy's mind like a vice. His amber eye's rolled wildly in their sockets as the darted from place to place, his fearful snarl frozen to his pale face. Esther was nothing but a cornered animal. With each retort and stern word he was repelled closer to the river at his back, as if he was being exorcised.

The other man approached boldly, and Esther tried to scramble away. It was not a well thought out move, one of pure adrenaline and flight response. He tripped on wet stone and crashed into the water, flailing wildly as if he had run into another attacker. Esther panicked even more, not knowing how to swim, and in his desperate movements smacked his head upon solid rock. The splashing calmed.

The water was shallow, but the yearling was out like a light from his self inflicted head injury. He sunk quickly, head underwater in his momentary stupor.

(ooc note: tldr idiot kid is accidentally drowning himself)

When the words leave her mouth and Askan echoes her sentiment, Meadow feels proud of the pair for telling the mean wolf off. However, the way his eyes roll, the panicked moments and retreating steps tell the small healer that this wolf might not be right in the head. Shame slams into her, and her tail shoots between her legs as she remembers that she is supposed to heal those in need, not harm. She watches the way her words seem to alarm and wound the wolf. Then it happens. His retreating form hits water and he trips, going down on wet stones. Meadow feels a knot in her stomach as the wolf thrashes in the water. A sickening crack resounds in the air and the frantic struggle ends. Horror paints her features as she spies blood floating in the water. Guilt, panic, worry all flood the small healer and, for a brief moment, she thinks she might be sick. However, there is a wolf in need of help with his head is currently under water. Losing an anxious howl, calling for Resin and/or Tamsyn, Meadow springs out from behind her protector Askan and scrambles into the water. Placing her teeth on his scruff she tugs and yanks, not worrying about further injuring the already wounded wolf, just needing to get him to dry land. But the struggle is futile and after a moment and she quickly gives up the effort. Shaking from adrenaline and shame, the small wolf opts to get his head out of the water. Moving beside his face, she wedges her small frame under his head, effectively lifting it out of river water. Meadow’s body shakes and shivers and it is not just from the water. The situation plays over and over in her mind, the words exchanged, the anger displayed, the horrible bloody outcome. Eyes look around, not seeing what is before, just the blood in the water and on her fur. His head rests on her and his wound seeps life giving fluid onto her coat. It feels like ages since the beginning of the exchange and Meadow ponders how it could have all gone so horrible wrong. Lips move and the mantra, “I am sorry. I didn’t mean it. I am sorry. Please wake up.” is soft on the wind. Frame quakes with the fear that she has killed this wolf. So lost in her world of fear and regret is the healer, that she has forgotten about Askan and the howl for help. Meadow is traumatized by this whole, horrible situation and the knowledge that, if she had not been the one to meet him, this might never have happened. This is all her fault. "Meadow"

With her morning sickness fading off and giving her a bit of peace, she was able to fall back into her old habits and routines when it came to doing patrols and checking on the pack. She knew that a time would come all too soon when she wouldn't be able to do her patrols as easily so she wanted to take advantage of the time before it was gone. Physically, she had only just begun to show a little bit of change with her stomach beginning to show the litter that she was carrying, but it was fairly unnoticeable to anyone that wasn't looking for it. It had made her begin to wonder just how large she was going to get and how many pups she was actually carrying when she was already beginning to show this early on in her pregnancy. Her absent minded train of thought was abruptly cut short when she heard Meadow calling for help, the tone in her voice sending a chill through her. She'd never seen the healer in any state other than a calm, understanding manner, so hearing the obvious anxiety and worry in her tone made Tamsyn realize that it was something serious. She wasn't that far away since she had been patrolling the border of the Hot Springs anyway so she took off to run to where Meadow and Askan were standing. She didn't notice the stranger in the water until she got closer and she skidded to a stop beside the healer and fighter. She arrived just as Meadow was lifting the male's head out of the water and she was able to clearly see where his head had obviously hit a rock and gotten him into this position. She had no way of knowing the events that led up to this without them telling her, but there were much larger issues at hand. All of the details could be sorted out later. She went to the stranger's side, dipping her paw in the shallow water so that she could press it to his ribcage just behind his leg. She could feel his heartbeat fairly easily against his chest. So at the very least he hadn't been like this for very long. Her mint eyes darted to Askan, telling him, "Help me pull him onto the land. I'll get his scruff, you push his lower half up onto the bank." She wasn't entirely sure where this calm, focused energy was coming from, but in this panicked situation she was glad to have it. She gripped the larger male by his scruff and began to pull, gradually getting him back onto dry land with the warrior's help. Her eyes turned to the clearly shaken Meadow and she looked at her with a pointed, firm look. She was the only healer around. As hard as it might be, Tamsyn needed her to focus. "What do we need to do?" she asked her, calm and firm in her tone. "Speech"

From the moment he uttered his threat it all went tumbling down from there, he watched on feeling a heavy sense of "what the fuck" as the loner somehow ended up losing his sense of balance and started to drown himself. Though he didn't really care to see a wolf die before him he didn't feel much pity either, at least not compared to Meadow who was beside herself trying to help him. For a moment the Selwyn simply stood there, wondering if this was the universes way of teaching him a lesson and whether he'd actually have the sense to learn from this encounter.

He probably ought to have helped Meadow sooner but he only moved in to intervene when Tamsyn entered the scene and ordered him to do so. Again, he didn't think the loner deserved their help at all but he didn't think now was the time to argue. He'd make his opinion known soon enough. With a huff, Askan bowed down and used his head and neck to shove him up onto dry land. He was none too gentle, taking little care on whether he'd leave bruises in his wake. Only when the loner was on dry land did he step back, allowing the others to step in and do their thing. He was itching to say something now, the curt and sharp words lingering on the tip of his tongue as he watched with disinterest. Meadow was too kind, he was not.

"Doesn't deserve it if you ask me. The idiot came to our borders and told us to get lost, took out his fucked up mental shit on Meadow. Might have attacked her if I weren't there." He sniffed, derisively. It seemed like a safe assumption, given how clearly his marbles were loose.

Tamsyn answers her panicked howl quickly and Meadow feels relief flood her as she looks at the female. Meadow’s eyes are still wide with shock and horror as she watches Tamsyn approach her and the wolf she hurt. With Askan’s help, the two wolves manage to get the injured one to shore. Meadow watches from the water for a moment, shame and shock rooting her to the spot. How could she do this? How could she cause another such harm? Guilt rips through her and hallows out her heart. Thoughts tumble through her mind but the words ‘bitch’ and ‘murderer’ are the most pronounced. Tamsyn’s voice breaks through the torrent of words and the calm, firm tone grounds the shaken wolf. Mask slips into place and the cool, calculating healer appears. Standing and making her way to the hurt wolf, Meadow looks over the head wound. Pressing gently around the open gash, she says, “Doesn’t feel like he cracked his skull but he definitely has a concussion. There are herbs back in my hut that can help. You two stay here and keep him warm. I will fetch what I need and be back quickly.” Casting a glance to Tamsyn and Askan, Meadow abruptly turns around and runs to her hut. Although the distance is short, the small healer runs as if all the hounds of hell are chasing her. She runs from the accusations and cruel names. From the leering faces and shame filled eyes that she sees all around her. When she arrives at her hut, she is shaking and tears coat her cheeks. Swiping a paw angrily at her eyes, she tries to hide the evidence of her crying. She doesn’t want to show Tam and Askan just how weak she is. Moving around the hut quickly, she stuffs herbs into her bag along with balms and a bowl. Grabbing a large fur, Meadow crawls under it and drapes it over her small frame. Grabbing ahold of it with her teeth, she readies herself for trek ahead. It is the largest fur she can find and is heavy on her body. However, it is also the warmest and will help keep shock from setting into the wolf. Holding tight to the fur, Meadow runs as fast as her small legs can carry her. By the time she arrives back to the trio of wolves, the small healer is huffing and puffing. Meadow moves towards the injured wolf, only having eyes for him. The fur on her back is heavy and making her hot. Right now, only thought is that she needs to get it over his soaked form as quickly as possible. "Meadow"

Tamsyn gave Askan a glance when he made a not so kind comment about the loner and what he had happened between the loaner and Meadow. She knew what a kind and gentle soul Meadow was so it wasn't a stretch to think that someone could have walked all over her with enough misguided anger. She was secretly glad Askan had been around to help protect her, but she also knew that there had to be some underlying reason for this loaner to be so hostile. Wether it was a mental thing or perhaps a toxic background that they had grown up in, she knew and was familiar with both possibilities and knew that not everyone that behaved this way truly meant what they said. Fear could do a lot of terrible things. "We don't get to decide who lives and who dies from a few hurtful words. If no real blood was shed then he still needs out help," she replied in a tone that said that this wasn't up for discussion. This was a place of help, healing, and growth - she wasn't just going to sit by and let someone perish at her border because of what might just be a misunderstanding. With her focus on Meadow, she was relieved to see that healer she knew and loved come back to the surface. There would be plenty of time to comfort her later once this was all sorted out, but for now she needed the smaller woman's experience and guidance. Tamsyn nodded in agreement to the assessment and instructions and while the healer ran off to get the supplies she required, Tamsyn settled on her haunches beside the male and started working the water out of his fur with her paws and gently rubbing back and forth over his neck, shoulder, and side to help generate a bit of heat. Luckily, Meadow wasn't gone long and returned with herbs and more in tow. Tamsyn looked up at the healer and quickly put two and two together when she spotted the large fur that was draped over the woman's back. "Here, let me help," Tam insisted as she got back to her paws and went to take one side of the fur from her. She helped to guide the admittedly very warm fur down over the stranger's body, making sure to cover all of him up to his neck. She looked to the healer then and took a step back to give her room to work, standing at the ready in case she needed any more help. "Talk"

Yeah yeah of course. Askan rolled his eyes, thoroughly disinterested. If that's how the softies of the pack wanted to feel then that was their prerogative, even if he thought it was a waste of time and effort.  With a grumble he turned, wanting to leave given that he'd played his part and hadn't been shown a hint of gratitude for his efforts. Had he been really really petty he would have thrown in the towel and just left, let the others defend the borders or let loners just waltz on in and insult whoever they pleased. But whatever, fine. Askan was of no other use right now and he wasn't all that interested in volunteering himself to drag this guy half way across the land to the dens either. They could find another pack mule, he had other borders to check.

With a huff he turned tail and followed the line of the border, retreading paths that were already well worn.