Altair Blood. The crimson liquid that gave the young she-wolf life poured onto the forest floor. It had only been a day since she had left her captor, wanting nothing more than to go home back to the pack...her family. She was slowly becoming weak from the blood loss and fatigue as her small frame wobbles from side-to-side and her vision was somewhat blurry but staying strong despite this. With only one eye left to see from, it would be a whole new experience to say the least. The injuries Altair sustained throbbed continuously, causing her to whimper slightly as she walked, hoping that they had gained some distance from the she-wolf she knew as Narcisse. Her father would surely be worried, and though she had not seen her step-siblings from some time; the thought of being able to play and teach them skills crossed her mind and made her a little more reassured. The breeze hit against her wounds, making them hurt worse than before. But she walked as far as her body could before she was slowly starting to become tired again, causing the young wolf to lie down on the forest floor to recollect herself and rest. It was probably a stupid thing to do to say the least, but, Altair didn’t really seem to care at that point in time. She had run all night to make sure that Narcisse didn’t find her. She could hear footsteps approaching after a couple moments, but she had assumed the worst and let her eye close to get some form of relief, if any. If Narcisse found her there was no telling what could exactly happen, but the sheer hope that it was one of the pack members, or even better her father...the thought made her heart race a fraction. But, she opened her eye slightly to see if she could make out anyone or if they would find her. "Speech"

He was on a last scouting expedition to ensure Hjarrandi wasn't lurking about before they went raiding in the coming days. His foxes had gone in different directions so they could cover more ground while the alpha went to the nearby forest. Fully clothed with tiger armor for protection in case someone decided to ambush him (he could never be too careful, right?), he quietly walked through the red forest. He wasn't sure what he'd find here. Wasn't really sure what to expect. He didn't know if Hjarrandi was lurking around waiting to attack his pack, but regardless, what he scented and found wasn't something he expected. He paused in his steps, the breeze carrying a familiar scent to him. Brows knit together as he concentrated on it, and when he realized how close it was, he quickly followed it.

The northern king was unprepared for what he saw. Between the trees and on the ground was his daughter. As he drew closer, he could smell the evident tang of blood and his heart raced as fast as his paws. It didn't take long for him to reach her, and when he was nearly upon her his heart stopped. "Altair!? What happened to you?" He had so many questions but he didn't dare ask them all now. He hadn't seen her in some time and assumed she decided pack life wasn't for her, but here she was. Bloodied to the brim and he could hardly tell where the wounds were. He gently brushed her muzzle with her nose and tried to clear the blood from her face but wasn't sure what the extent of her wounds were. He didn't want to accidentally disturb any fresh or old wounds, but he knew she needed help. "Altair, who did this to you?" He asked gently though his hackles rose as he looked around for anyone who might have done this.

Altair A familiar scent wafted towards her as the sound of heavy footsteps reverberated in her ears. Due to the blood loss and fatigue, the figure that approached was rather blurry. However, the scent and voice was all too familiar for the yearling as a few tears ran down her face. The young wolf didn't think she would ever see him again. Altair could only assume that he thought she ran away, which was far from the case. She loved the pack and her family tremendously, and the thought that she might have hurt her father made her a little bit choked up, along with the feeling of pain that shot through her a bit when he cleaned her off causing her body to jolt a tiny bit. "I'm...sorry, father. I wasn't trying to...run away."She choked, her tail wagging slightly to reassure him she was alright despite her injuries. At least the young wolf was with someone whom she recognized so it made her feel a little more relaxed. Though, when he asked who did this to her, her ears pinned back. "I was kidnapped by a wolf named Narcisse, from what they told me...I was with them for a while and I wanted to get back here...But they attacked me when I tried to run away the first time...Their guard was down and I came back here..." She explained to him, trying to get up and nuzzle him a little but her energy was too far gone for her to really move much. "Speech"

The way she spoke made his heart hurt, and he felt bad he thought she had left of her own free will. While he wouldn't have blamed her if she had, he would have preferred that over what she told him. Someone had kidnapped his child, and they would pay if he ever got his paws on them. Come hell or high water he would make sure of it. "You're safe now, Altair. They won't ever hurt you again, not as long as I'm around." He reassured her, gently nuzzling her cheek. He was glad to know she was alive. She would be safe now under his watchful eye. But they needed to get her wounds tended to and he didn't think it was a good idea to move her or make her walk back home. They needed a healer, and his mind wandered to Drifa. "You need a healer, do you mind if I call for Drifa? She's the packs best healer, and I promise she'll take good care of you," He waited for her answer as he gently lied protectively beside her, gently resting his head on her to keep her warm. "I am glad you are safe. Your siblings and I worried about you," He muttered as he then thought about the name of the wolf who had hurt her.

Narcisee...if I ever cross paths with you, it'll be your last. He vowed to himself. A silent promise. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it. Whether he found this wolf or not, she would get what she deserved eventually Preferably by his own teeth, but he didn't know who or where they were. But before he went searching for them, he had to make sure Altair was back home safe and sound.

Being back in her father's watchful gaze made her relax and feel more peaceful despite the amount of pain that trailed throughout her muzzle and eye. But, the mention of a healer did seem ideal in this point in time. Especially since the young lass was unsure whether or not her wound was infected. Her captor did quite a deal to her, so there was no telling what else happened that she couldn't already feel. Her frame snuggled closer to the larger male, her left eye shifting to meet his gaze as she nodded, A healer would be nice...I'm fine with what you think is best, father. All I know is...I need help and I'm happy to be back..." Altair explained.

Her crown rested against her paws as they crossed one another. Deep down, the yearling wished that this whole ordeal could have been avoided. The thought that Narcisse could come back and attack her family...It was not something Altair wanted in the slightest. Her father was a leader and a great fighter from what she had seen, but, a fight could go either way; especially with those who had bad blood with each other. But, she didn't dwell on those thoughts for too long, focusing on relaxing and getting some form of rest until Drifa arrived despite the throbbing pain that surrounded her face.

He listened to her words though he couldn't help but worry. She was injured, and he didn't know the extent of them. He wanted to take her back home but was afraid to move her just in case she had more going on than met the eye. Perhaps it was best he let her rest first, and in the meantime, he would gently clean off any blood he found without disturbing the worst of his wounds. It was rare to find him so gentle towards another, and the only times he had been really was towards Heloise and his own family. Though perhaps with one or two others, his children and those closest to him were the only ones that would know his gentle touch. "I'm glad you're home, too. And I promise the woman who hurt you won't come anywhere near you again, not while I'm still breathing." And anyone who dared try to hurt her would also have to face him. He sighed quietly as he returned to his work, his mind occupied with the thought of finding the vile creature who did this to his child.

Although Altair wasn't biologically his, he had grown to care for her and took her in as his own. He was just as much his as his biological children were. He even considered Ignis and Actaea his, too. Along with Tyranis and Cloudburst...Or at least, their father figure since his brother had completely failed them. He promised to protect them and teach them the best he could, though part of him felt like he was failing in some ways. He knew he couldn't do it all himself and sometimes thought it best for them to learn by experience. But this? This wasn't the way he wanted them to learn. He had failed to protect her from this sort of thing, but what could he do? He couldn't lock them away forever...he knew that no matter what, everyone he loved would likely go through some dangerous time in their life, and he wouldn't always be there to shield them.

Despite knowing this, he still felt like he had failed her. When he was nearly done cleaning her up as best he could, Finn returned with some food. He placed it near Altair, and Ace thanked his other "son." "Eat if you can, Altair. We're going to rest here for a bit before taking you to see Drifa." He murmured before turning his attention to Finn. "Finn, let Drifa know she has a patient coming soon, please. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Speech"