❥❥ Star had never known true terror, never known real fear until the day she had disappeared. It wasn't by choice, she would never have left Frost's side had she known what horrible things were in store. It had been a quiet day of herb collecting in Fern Gully when she met a darkly coated, well-spoken stranger. The female had been far larger than herself, but she presented herself in a non-threating manner, and Star was just friendly enough not to think twice about a smiling face. She had proclaimed herself a wandering healer of sorts and had a fine band outside Boreas who needed special herbs. The woman had seemed nice enough, interested in Star's work as she gladly spoke of her role within her pack, her mate, and Star's herbs. She had seemed truly interested and offered Star a look at her own supply of herbs, though the way she presented them had been foreign to her. The stranger lay her travel bag down and took out an odd looking bowl then a canteen-like bladder filled with brown tea. Pouring the tea out into the bowl, the female began to covertly watch Star until she filled the bowl about an inch and invited Star to drink it.

❥❥ 'What's in it?' Star asked as she took the first of a series of several lapping sips from the bowl, not thinking a healer would harm another wolf. 'Lots of things; chamomile, valerian root, lemongrass...all in normal doses. The real kicker is the poppy pods, I put five pods in this one...should be enough to knock out a small horse in there.' The stranger replied, a sly smirk moving over her darkened face just as Star's vision began to swim with drowsiness. An awful heaviness began to infect her limbs, her energy had leeched from her in waves as she felt the sedatives in the tea begin to do their horrible work. Star panicked, but she couldn't utter much more than a whimper as she passed out from the dose of opium contained in the tea. Distantly, she had felt the sharp prick of teeth in her scruff and the drag of grass and rock against her pelt as the stranger took her near-lifeless body to a more inconspicuous area. Caves nearby had provided plenty of cover from prying eyes, and gave Stardust long, pain-filled months of hell.
***
❥❥ Sunlight speared her dark-adjusted eyes and caused her to hiss quietly then listen behind her for any sign that her captor had heard her. Luckily, Star had tricked her jailer into drinking her own brew, and the evil woman lay on the floor of the caves, unconscious and unknowing. Months of being drugged had destroyed thoughts of escape, any attempts had been thwarted by the sheer force of the strange woman. Star had made it appear as though she had given up, but she truly remained determined to make it home, to see her mate before she died. She had to, what would Frost think of her! What kind of hell had her disappearance caused for him? Would he blame her for leaving, or understand that it hadn't been by choice?

❥❥ Star panted hard against the pain in her eyes, tears adding to the burning that the light caused, trying to see through a haze that was caused by endless months of being drugged and half-starved. The only water she had been offered had been the tea that contained the poppy pods, the only food was barely able to be called bone, resulting in a simply atrocious outward appearance. She was bordering emaciation, her stomach tucked and back arched with cramps from dehydration. Her eyes burned from the light and her tears, but also from mydriasis - dilation of the pupil from drug use. There was an unkempt filth all over her, making her fur matted and dull, meaning it would be obvious that she had been to hell and back.

❥❥ Slowly, and very painfully, Star moved in the direction she knew home lay. There was only one thought in her mind, only one goal, and she would be dead before she gave it up. With each trembling paw step, she grew closer and closer to her goal, and further away from her drugged captor. Every muscle in her body ached, her limbs were heavy and painful, her stomach cramped, her head felt as though someone was pounding on it with a boulder...but she fought herself and the last of the drugs that slowly left her system. Panting hard, and trembling, she finally saw the most blessed sight in the near distance. Finally, she knew success! Her paws quickened until she was ambling toward the border, every aching step moving faster until she reached it! She would have stumbled all the way back to her den, but the mad and awkward dash for home had taken her energy.

❥❥ The woman was unconscious before she hit the unseen line, but this time, she crash-landed on her own doorstep. Instead of relief, she found herself drifting in a nightmarish field of anxiety and fear, locked in a mental prison and forced to relive her time in the hellish woman's clutches. One thought overcame all others, how could she have been so stupid?

"Soothing voice." Quiet paws. Whispering mind. "Spoken to."

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((Blue asked me if I'd toss Torin in here before she posted Frost so here he goes!))

Speech

Torin was a bit in his own mind as he went through the motions of his patrol, his paws carried him along the inner rim of the scent markers and would stop at regular intervals to mark the border where it needed to be refreshed but otherwise he was mentally checked out. He was just going through the motions; his mind on the many many other issues he knew he needed to deal with...

That was until a familiar scent hit him, Torin paused; his eyes narrowing as he wracked his memory for why the scent was familiar to him. Then it clicked and Torin picked up his pace. He had to admit there was some annoyance over the lack of a call for an alpha, Stardust wasn't guaranteed a return back into the pack; though he certainly wasn't going to stop Frostbite if he wanted allow her back into the pack.

As he approached where her scent seemed the freshest he was struck with the sense something was wrong. Stardust hadn't called for anyone... but she also hadn't moved from where she had entered the pack and-

Torin once more picked up his pace, this time running full tilt towards the woman's prone form. "Stardust?" He called, skidding to a halt beside her, he watched her near emaciated form to catch the rising and falling of her chest. Assured she hadn't crawled across the border only to die, he tipped his head back, Frostbite deserved to know she was back but he also was seeking aid; Hailey was also intended to hear his summons. He wanted to move her, to bring her into the safety of the pack lands, the comfort of a den but he wasn't sure that was a smart move. At least not until Hailey gave him the go ahead.

Torin rocked on his toes, his whole body a live wire as he waited.

Art by Vhitany

The stiffened form moved from its slumber as his internal clock told him it was time to get up. He had been resting since his last round of patrol, curled in a ball in his den. The winter was tougher then last year, his coat kept him warm, but traveling in the snow was wearing the older man out, so he took naps between patrols so his body was ready to go on the next one. It wasn’t time just yet, but he always had a few things he had done before going on patrol. Uncurling himself the tall male moved outside of his den where he would stretch and wake himself up fully. He then would sit for a moment to get his mind awake and ready to go. When all the was done he would get up and make a loop around the dens checking to see if any hunting needed done while he was out and making sure none of the members needed anything. He circled back around to the Willow that his Star’s den. A den they shared up until she had dissappeared. He crawled into the den and looked around, coming back out a few minutes later.

His ears perked as Torin’s howl rang out over the territory, requesting the aid of a healer, but also calling for him. Brows furrowed with concern before taking off in a run, determined to get there quickly. The call had been near the borders and he feared Torin may have been attacked. So he rushed to get there, but the scene before him took a more stunning blow to him emotionally. Torin’s form stood beside a light colored form in the snow. It was unmoving from a distance and at first he hadn’t recognized it, but her scent made him stop dead in his tracks, fear welling up within him. Was she dead? His ears flattened at the thought, his heart painfully throbbing. Stumbled forward he drew closer afraid to find out the state she was in. When he saw the full extent of her state, he felt sick and dizzy. She was thin, unkept, and terrible looking. What the hell happened to her? Then a state of blame came over him, mentally growling and cussing at himself for ever letting her leave on her own. To leave without him. Turmoil left the man unable to speak, just staring at the form of his mate in the snow. So many emotions boiling over at once and he had no idea what to do, thankfully Torin had called for a healer.

If anyone looked in his eyes they could see the emotional train wreck he internally was, but quiet as he came he moved over and laid down beside her. Curling his large form around her to keep her warm. Laying his head beside her with a pained sigh, lightly nudging her muzzle and praying that she wasn’t going to die on him.

A call of emergency wasn't something to be ignored. Hailey knew it was a summons for her skills as a healer why else would she be called by Torin? In that tone of voice no less, though she didn't know what she was expecting. Carefully she began to tie up some herbs, winter had killed off majority of the ones that she couldn't preserve properly in time. Shiva, her snowy owl companion helped to hold some of them. Poppy seeds, mint, a few other basic things after all she didn't know what the wolf in trouble was going to need. When she thought she was ready, Shiva took off ahead of her. Hailey's paws took not haste in running to the situation. Frostbite had gotten here before her, there was a rather devastating looking female. Flashbacks from her missing time from lirim came to her.... she wouldn't let this one slip away. "I know you're just trying to help Frostbite but be careful." Hailey furrowed her brows. Sometimes being close to a wolf who was in this state could make them very sick. "She's going to be able to get sick easily in this state, she's very weak." Though no healer needed to look at her to tell that. This poor woman was near death Hailey tried to keep herself calm. Shivering slightly before she took a deep breath and looked at Shiva as the owl landed with the supplies. Hailey first came up to Stardust and gave her a sniff near her mouth. She stiffened a bit as she looked worriedly at Torin and Frostbite. "Someone's been drugging her....." which meant she was going to have to be careful with what herbs she gave her. Though the most likely culprit was poppy pods, poppy seeds were out of the question. "I'll get to the point.... because of the drugs used there is only so much I can do for her without causing much harm. I'm going to give her only three things and then we'll have to move her to a den don't let anyone go in and out unless it's me or one of you two please. Her immune system will be weak and we'll have to keep an eye on her for illness." Hailey knew she had no authority to ask such things but she was determined. Looking at the heartbreak in Frostbite's eyes she could only guess that this female was his mater. So she'd try her best. "Shiva fetch me the Maca, Roseroot and Elderberry please." Hailey would ask of the owl. She pulled the yellow flower known as roseroot out of the pile, along with some berries and a strange yellow looking fruit like object. Hailey took the three and placed them onto her own leaf. Grabbing a large stick with her mouth and crushing the portions all into one. Once it was a fine sticky mess because of the berries she nudged it to Stardust. "Frost can you... open her mouth for me please? I need to make sure this goes down her throat." The roseroot would be for her shock, anything that happened to the female during her capture would be drowned out by the herb. An anti-anixety and anti depression herb to lift the spirits. Elderberry was for strength, in her emiciated form it was what she needed most and the berries wouldn't make her drowsy like poppy seeds would. Elderberry would also strengthen her immune system and hopefully keep her safe from illness. The Maca for energy it was not only a herb but a food. Filling and full of nutrients for energy it was a precious herb she'd collected from the mountains a rare thing indeed and she was glad to use it here. The Maca along with the roseroot would give a bit of relief to any mental notion that the female would have. Once Hailey had administired the paste and made sure Stardust had swallowed it she backed away and sat down. "She needs lots of water when she wakes up, I'm sure you can see to that Frostbite. Don't give her any food, one of the herbs I gave her will make her feel full. If she says she's hungry chew up a pawful of meat and she can have that. Too much food at one time will upset her stomach when she's been without it for so long." The female finally smiled and looked to the two males. "She'll be okay." she could vouch on that. Even if she didn't know the females name or who exactly she was. "Talk"

So many scents wafted through her unconscious mind, their faces flashed but the one that stood out the most was Frostbite. She had to get home. Had she made it? Was it another dream of freedom she had endured? Another horrible lucid tease of home from the subconscious corners of her mind had been more torturous than anything the woman had done to her. Star was completely unaware that she had truly made it home. That she had finally and truly made it back. She was locked in her nightmare, trapped back with the awful beast of a woman and her tea. There were bone bars wedged tightly between an outcropping of rock and the stone floor she had been forced to sleep on. Pain, so much pain, and comfort couldn't even be found in sleep.

There was a howl from far away, urgent and needing help. The sound morphed into a snarl and biting fangs began to pinch at her mind. Trapped and whimpering in her unconscious state, her bones ached, and the faint scent of poppy tea began to roil through her mind. Distantly, the words 'I need to make sure this goes down her throat,' broke through the haze of black that blanketed her mind. Mentally, physically, she fought to get away from the witch and her tea. Wrenching herself from unconsciousness, Stardust let loose a sound no one had ever heard her utter before.

A deep, truly frightening growl came from the ordinarily friendly healer, she came awake with a start, fangs exposed and eyes glazed as she fought the pressure on her. She rolled, snapping at the air and snarling wildly as she stumbled to her paws, brilliant and bloodshot jade moving from face to face for a moment, her frame shaking violently with the effort.  Once she realized there would be no fangs, no tea, she whined long and baleful at the three forms she saw. Those frightened eyes landed on Frost, her breaths stopped as her heart leap from her chest and ceased to beat for a moment before slamming into her throat and wrenching the most pitifully hoarse sob from the poor woman.

Slowly she shook her head, making the world spin as she collapsed to the ground crying and wailing. "Please don't be a dream..." She squeaked out, her voice heartbreaking fragile and cracking. "Tell me I made it, need.." She gasped under the weight of her emotions, at the burden hope laid upon her chest as she lay upon her side in the snow. "Need to tell Frost..." Another sob as her thoughts splintered and recollected, "I need to tell him..." She slipped into unconsciousness once more, her emotions simply too much, the fright and hope and fear were too great, and she panted in her state, hoping she made it but not daring to believe.

Speech

To say he was a bit taken aback by the intensity with which Frostbite approached the scenario, logically it wasn't all that surprising... he had clearly been lonely since Star's disappearance and Torin knew that they had been mates. Still Torin had known Frostbite as composed and having more of a handle on things than Torin did. So as he watched the older man rush forwards Torin was unsure what to say. The look on the older man's face was heart breaking.

"She's uh- She's breathing." Was all he could offer as Frostbite curled himself around her form. In truth he couldn't say much beyond that but he wanted to give Frost what comfort he could.

He sighed in relief as Hailey appeared as well and immediatly got to work. Torin stepping back as he let the little healer work. Hailey was instructing Frost how to help and Torin watched, ready to jump in if needed when suddenly A sound, something he couldn't even describe pulled from her and Torin stood, frozen. Stardust herself was rolling to her paws; eyes wide but distant as if she was seeing monsters non one else could see. Then she seemed to snap to reality, and her gaze moved over him and Hailey to snap to Frostbite and the sound she made broke his heart.

Art by Vhitany

His gaze looked to Torin for a moment right before Hailey arrived at the seen. His gaze then looked to her as she addressed him, ears flattening in concern as she warned him to be careful. His gaze shot back to Star. He still was fearful she would get to cold, but lifting his head to keep his mouth and breath away from her, not wanting to get her sick. Worryingly he watched Hailey check out Stardust noting that she stopped dead after smelling Star's mouth. The words she spoke next made his stomach churn, the strong urge to vomit and anger begin to boil his blood. 'Drugging her? Why would anyone want to drug her? How dare they drug her? Will she be okay?' His thoughts only made his emotions worse and a small worried whine passed his lips as he looked to Star's face. His heart ached at the news. His ears listened to Hailey, taking in her words and being sure to remember them. No one would be in and out of the den aside from him, Torin, or Hailey. He would guard the den if he had to because honestly he would be to worried to be too far from her. Hailey then asked him to open Star's mouth. He did his best to fallow her instructions, standing and trying to use his front paws to open her mouth. He helped her get the paste in, but soon Star's body came to life. It was quick to get the paste in her and to be done with that. Soon though the male snapped his paws back at the sudden unrecognizable sound came from his mate. Soon she stumbled to her feet, snarling and flashing her fangs. It cause his eyes to widen in surprise, not expecting the sudden outburst. It felt like the several moments took forever in his mind until she realized that there was no threat. Then her glazed look landed on him, the sob from her made his heart ache before the words from her mouth made his ears flatten in concern. He whined coming to her side again as she began to speak through her sobs, but as soon as he was just about to comfort her she fell out of consciousness again. He looked to Hailey as she spoke, taking in the information she gave again. She seemed confident that Star would be okay and it was a little relief to him. He looked to Torin, his eyes begging for help, help to get her back to the den. "Frost Talk", & 'Frost Think'

Hailey wouldn't waver when Star snapped, the female had gone through a lot. The white healer could only imagine the pain and suffering she'd gone through to be the state she was in. Surely - they would have to look for those who did this to her and bring them to justice. Though, that was not her purpose for the time being. Quickly the sobbing female would fall back asleep - soon the herbs would take effect and the healing process would have to begin. Hailey could see the distraught that Frost was in, it broke her heart in a way. As she looked to Torin she approached Star and came to tug her nose under her forelimbs. "Here I can help too." she whispered quietly towards him. Three wolves were perfectly capable of moving a sick wolf to a den after all weren't they? "Talk"

❥❥ Star was trapped somewhere between reality and a dream, unable to prevent the painful bites to her loose skin that allowed the others to drag her to her den. She couldn't protest, only hang limply from their collective jaws as horrid memories plagued her prone form. There wasn't much that could be done but to wait, and once she smelled the lavender that wafted from her den and the other soothing scents that made up her home she was awake...barely. Star sat up once she was put on the ground of her den, groggily swaying on her elbows as she lay there. Sobs wracked her frame again, but she didn't speak again, other than a few muttering slurs and half asleep words that made no sense.

"Soothing voice." Quiet paws. Whispering mind. "Spoken to."

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