Basilisk stumbled through the Col, senseless to his surroundings. The pain blazing across his face was nothing to the pain and shame rending through his heart. He had gone to tell Hazel that his true feelings for her were that of a best friend. The sort of wolf that you watched the sunset with, sat up all night drinking alcohol you stole from your adopted mother and complained about the wolves around.

He did not expect it to go well, but this… this. It was late enough that he didn't encounter anyone as he stumbled along. There was blood dripping into his eye, and he knew he should seek out a healer. Find Ollie. He didn’t, instead he didn’t stop until he was in her painter's den. It was private, and quiet. He did not expect to be there. He sank to his stomach on the cold stone floor. It hurt, it hurt so much. What had he done?


"Speech"

She had meticulously patterned out small dabs of each color, testing how much water for each effective stroke of the brush. How the paper reacted to each pigment. It had taken her hours as she delved into her experiments and she was just about to wrap up for a rest and wash her paint brush when... Her master stumbled into the den and fell into a heap. His face bloodied, a slash ripped over his beautiful black and brilliant blue face. She froze, waiting for him to command her.

If he was here bleeding... Then the wound wasn't something he wanted the boys to attend to and ask innocent questions over. Quietly she set her brush down and slowly approached his head.

"Who was it?" She asked quietly into the silence, brushing a claw gingerly to move a weft of fur away from the wound. Did he find Kyanite sneaking into the Col? ...Did he and Hazel have a fight?

"Speech"

He flinched when Ignita approached and spoke to him. He’d been so out of it, he hadn’t realised she was here. He had come here to be alone. He couldn’t face his own den, not right now. The scent of her, what he had lost and broken…

Ignita brushed fur from his wound, and he flinched at the kindness. His shame was a harsh, harsh thing. He reached out and grabbed her paw in his own, stilling it. “Dont.” he told her, though his growl lacked any bite. “Leave, Little Bird. Walk away.” he commanded her, his voice rough and harsh. “You don’t want to be a part of this.”


"Speech"

Oh... Interesting. She stilled under his paw, searching quietly for meanings, solutions, puzzles, directions. He commanded her to walk away, but that was the last thing he needed obviously. Something happened, and she couldn't figure out what. He had let Ollie stitch up bear scratches. But she was the one who stitched up his belly wound. Caused by his aunt.

His bidding was to leave him. She pulled from his grasp and stepped back. She couldn't do anything for his wound here but she knew where they kept the supplies.

Silently she did leave. And tiptoed to the market, closed for the day. Ollie's stall stocked for the morrow. She grabbed the kit he stored under the other wares. He had made her store several around the Col in case of emergencies. And she quietly entered the den again, kit in maw.

She sat before his face and opened the kit. Finding the herbs and tinctures and gauze for cleaning. She dabbed the gauze with some tincture, just like Ollie showed her, and started to dab the wound despite his protest. She said nothing more. No questions.

"Basilisk" || "Iggy"

Cold air brushed against his cold, signalling her departure where before there had been a hint of warmth. He hated that it hurt to know she had left, despite his order telling her to do exactly that. He rested his head on his paws, and closed his eyes. He just needed a moment of oblivion, he needed to forget.

He didn’t know how long passed before she returned. He growled at her, but it did nothing to dissuade her from seating herself before him and dabbing at his wound. He was lucky he hadn’t lost the eye. Or perhaps he still might, he knew how dangerous wounds around the eye could be.

“I did what I promised I wouldn’t, Iggy. I deserve this scar.” His voice was hoarse. “I broke her heart.”

"Speech"

She paused her dabbing as his words sank in. What had he done... What did he do?? She was supposed to to hold that thread for him! She was supposed to hold them accountable! She had resolve! Until that damn tiger... Her resolve was nothing against her helplessness.

She dabbed again the wound. Hazel nearly did take his eye out. As would be her right. It would also be the woman's right to march right up and slice Iggy into a million pieces or more.

The tincture had helped stop up the immediate bleeding. Should she dare to try and sew it up? Ollie was so much better at it. It was rather large...

She took up a carved porcupine quill with an eye carved in, and found what looked like fine thread. She thread it, knot it, then gingerly went to work with a little more talent than all those months ago.
She said nothing, just concern and concentration on her features as she worked.

"Speech"

She didn’t speak, damn her. He didn’t look, didn’t want to see the judgement that would be sitting there. He needed to do damage control, he needed to speak to Spider urgently. He needed to… he needed to figure out what patrols she had been in charge of. He needed to restructure. He didn’t want to know what the pack would think. He couldn’t hide in the shadows, his private life his own. Not when he was the damn Warlord.

Iggy forced his head up, her hands filled with thread. He gave her another half hearted growl. He didn’t think he had the strength to walk away himself, not with the weight in his heart. He stared her down now, forced to hold his head up. Daring her to speak his mind, to lay judgement on what he had done.


"Speech"

This was as much her fault as his. She ignored his growls of protest, she knew there was no bite to them just now. His look could wither the beanstalk to the giants cloud castle but she paid it no mind as she carefully slipped the needle through the flesh and pulled it taught. Knot it well and cleaned the needle and placed it back. She wrapped a bandage over it then.

She sighed. She had no smartaleck retorts this time.
"I think your eye will be alright." She said quietly. Denying him the judgement he believes he deserves. She had nothing to judge, the guilt lay with her, she had led him on in one way or another.
Someone was going to get hurt, they were all going to get hurt. She thought she could have held on to it a lot longer but he had to go and...

Did she have to cry every damn time? Her face contorted as she tried to hold it in. An errant tear rolled down her pale and teal stained cheek, running the color through her fur.

She shook her head, not at him, no, herself. "I'm sorr--sorry." She huffed and turned away, "I'm so -s-sorry. Its all my fault. I must have... I ruined everything." She shouldn't have gone to him that night, she should have denied him at every turn, she should have...


"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

His own throat was raw for holding back the tears that threatened to fall. He had never felt this way before, and he knew that Hazel was suffering the same, and she was suffering alone. He hoped she found Halo, the gentle healer would be exactly what she needed…

When Ignita started to cry, he finally stirred himself, moving a paw to cup gently against the side of her face. “Ignita. This isn’t your fault. I didn’t mention you. You… I realised, I realised what love felt like, and with it I realised that the love I felt for Hazel is that of a friend, of family. It’s not..” not the love I feel for you. he left unsaid. “Even if this comes to nothing, even if you don’t love me the same way. I couldn’t stay with Hazel, and live a lie.” He whispered, his voice choking up. Hazel deserved better than that. She deserved someone who loved her with the same fiery passion. That need, and heat that burned through you body and soul.


"Speech"

She couldn't help the worry flutter through her features, the concern, the implications... The questions.

Love. It burned. Within them both like a wildfire, unbidden, all consuming. Burning everything it touched that wasn't aligning with it's possessive fuel.
He sacrificed his very life for her, just now.
Ignitas very life was his every day.

Her golden gaze danced between his azures.
This was no test.
She reached forward, and gently pressed her lips on his unmarred cheek, tasting a tear of pure grief. She pulled back and searched his face.

"I would fetch the moon for you." She whispered and pressed her cheek into the side of his nose.


"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

He knew the pressure she must feel, to hear what he had done and why he did it. He had every intention of giving her time and space. He wasn’t willing to give her her freedom, but time… time he could manage. It seemed Ignita had different ideas. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and a few tears escaped him. Hurt and hope warred in his heart, and her kiss danced across the battlefield.

She rested her cheek against him, and he found himself leaning forward. He shifted his head and planted a kiss on her lips. Tasting her there for the first time. His tongue slipped out, brushing against her soft muzzle. Too soon. it was too soon. He needed time for this wound in his heart to heal. His traitorous body betrayed him however and he couldn’t help his quick breaths, the flurry of his heart. He pulled back slightly, and rested his own head lightly against her. “I would kill anything that ever hurt you.”


"Speech"

Where had it all gone wrong? She didn't know, she wished the world would just... Stop for a little while. Stop rushing them together, stop pulling them apart.

Suddenly his lips sought hers. The taste strange and new, electrifying, bringing her heart to flutter against her chest. *Too soon* she knew.
Her muzzel wet under his caress, too soon. The ache in his heart was too fresh. If they indulged it would be with shame. He pulled away, and she felt his forehead head warm against her fur. She breathed a shuddered breath against him. Desperate to soothe, wishing to take this pain away.

He would kill anything that would ever hurt her. Like tigers and bears and anyone else that sought to possess her.

She sighed. Her body and soul belonged to him, but did her heart? She could not deny the warmth and electricity she also felt when she spent time with... Spider. She had torn Bas away from Hazel, against her wishes, against what she thought was right. Bas should never know how she felt about his kid. She couldn't get between them both, not when Bas had denied himself Hazel. Family was supposed to be his utmost core, and he would not be willing to share his possession of her she was certain. Not even with his kid, perhaps even especially his kid. She and spider could only be friends nothing more... But her heart aches for them both.

Could he kill the concept of consternation? Because it sought to destroy her from within.

"I believe you." She replied into his fur. The world continued to turn despite their desperate pleas for time to stop. She wiped a tear of her own away, before she pulled away and got up.

"If I could stay with you here I would. You and I know it's too soon though. Shall I get you anything?" She offered. She would understand if he wished to remain here all night if he could. Away from the bed he had shared with Hazel.

"Speech"

Broken, he felt broken. A ghost of the strength he had possessed just the day before. The weary pain wrapped about his heart, and clouded everything else. He had changed the course of his future, and he was afraid. He hadn't come here looking for Ignita, but hearing her desire to leave turned something inside of him. How easily pain turned to anger.

“Leave then, if you're so desperate to.” He growled. He pushed her physically with a paw, pushing her away from him. Because he knew the alternative would be to pin her down, and hold her close. Suffocate her. But he didn’t throw away one future, just so he could burn the other. He turned his back on her, resting his head on his paws. He knew he needed time and rest, but he intended to get back up on his paws and find Spider shortly.


"Speech"

He pushed her physically away and her body moved so easily under his prowess. It shocked her as she felt so helpless against his strength. He didn't harm her with it, physically. She blew out a breath and closed her eyes, trying to keep her own anger in check. He knew why she was trying to give him space! She knew what he was saying beneath his push and menacing growl, turning way from her.

She drew in a slow breath and turned to her paints. She began to dip the brush in the water to clean it, picking up where she left off when he came in. She placed all the jars tidily to the side and wiped the pallet.

Why did he do that Hazel... Why did he upend his life and the future like this? Was it really because of her? How was Spider going to take this? Would Spider hate her for this? Would he blame her for separating his parents?

She put away the medical kit. Picked it up and slowly made her way to the door, waiting for him to request, or demand or stop her in some way. She was here, she wasn't leaving him. She would be nearby. Her heart pounded in her chest, weighted with guilt and shame. She would go and replace the emergency kit where she found it and then fall into her own bed to cry until she succumbed to sleep if he didn't stop her here.

"Speech"

He had to find the strength to stop himself from making more mistakes, more messes. A part of him - a very large part - wanted to be alone to wallow in his misery, and hold onto the hurt that he deserved. Grief was not an easy emotion to navigate, and he was almost too late by the time he wrestled control and lifted his head. Watching Ignita as she started to walk to the dens exit. “Wait… wait.” He whispered softly.

Waiting for her to do so, and finding himself a little surprised when she did. He didn’t speak for a moment, trying to gather his jumble of thoughts. “I need to go… I need to find Spider. I wont have them find out from anyone else. But when I come back, will you stay with me?” He asked her softly. Hoping he wasn’t making a mistake, that the two fools could control themselves.


"Speech"

Ignita stood in the doorway as he bid her wait ever so quietly, her head tilted towards him, her gaze on the door for just a moment. When he finally spoke again her breath shuddered as she tried to keep it even. So many emotions boiled and rumbled and coiled just behind her heart, thrummed in her ears, and tingled her paws.

Silently she closed her eyes and gave him a curt nod. He worded it like a patient request as if she could deny him like any other wolf of the pack, but she was bid to follow his every request. Even the unspoken ones, even the ones hidden behind other words that she could parse out. There was no hidden meaning or need behind it other than comfort and not being alone.

She replied a simple yes in case he didn't see her nod. Then continued to put away the medical kit. Giving him the space he needed to compose himself.


"Speech"

Basilisk watched her go, and rubbed a paw down his face, forgetting for a moment the ugly wound that ran down his eye marking. He winced, taking a moment to check he hadn’t popped any of her stitches. When no fresh blood showed on his paw, he dismissed the injury.

It was late, but he needed to find Spider. He needed to tell them what had happened while they would still have time to make a choice. They needed to hear it from Basilisk himself, since it was his fault that this had happened. He waited until there was complete silence around him. Until he knew that Ignita was truly gone, before he got up and took himself to the beach. To the soft sound of the waves, where he would beak another heart.

-exit Bas -


"Speech"