Sota, much to his chagrin, knew that he needed some help.

During a recent climb, he'd lost his balance and he'd fallen. The fall hadn't been his fault, and he certainly hadn't been climbing trees - he wasn't sure he'd be able to face anyone ever again if he'd made a mistake like that. He'd been doing a little island-hopping when one of the structure he's been climbing had crumbled beneath his very paws. Thanks to his slight frame, the collision wasn't as bad as it could've been, but when he finally came to his senses and tried to pull himself upright he realized something was terribly, horribly wrong.

Given the amount of pain he endured during his swim back to the mainland and his painstaking trek across the east, Sota had no doubt that his hind left leg was broken. It would heal, in time... right? He had to hope it would. But in the meantime he knew he couldn't possibly exist on his own. If only he knew where Balsam had gone, or even Velvette, but he was hopeless.

And by the time he reached the Hot Springs, he wasn't quite sure how much energy he had left in him. A pack's scent, clearly recent, marked the border of this little forest. At the end of the day, Sota didn't have much of a choice. Sure, he might be able to drag himself off somewhere to suffer alone, and maybe he'd end up persevering through it all... but the thought of not being able to climb his beloved trees wasn't an ideal thought at all. That was the only sort of existence he as confident in, at least on his own. Maybe it was time to belong to something greater, something that could give him some purpose? Or at least somewhere he could heal properly, and eventually repay the debt of this pack's protection. Sota couldn't imagine not doing such a thing.

Tiredly he lifted his head and let loose a polite request for help. It was a hard thing for Sota admit he needed help at all, let alone ask it - it wasn't the Songa way. But he wasn't living the Songa life anymore, was he? Not fully, at least. Either way, Songa knew once he healed that he had plenty he could offer a pack, and he wasn't the least bit worried that he was capable of repaying them tenfold. Until someone answered, he nearly collapsed on the ground, no longer able to bear his own weight on his injured leg.

Percy hauled herself up at the call, sure, she wasn’t as imposing a greeter as someone like Resin, or Askan, but the caller seemed to be asking for help, and even if she needed help herself more often than not, well, at least she could maybe keep them company until someone else arrived right? She barely felt Theo scramble up her shoulder and resume his usual perch on her shoulder, lengthening her strides easily to close the distance to where the call had come from.

She had to blink once, and then twice at the sight that met her. "Y’look worse than I do," she said without thought her head canting to the side ever so slightly before her eyes widened in shock. "I mean, sorry! I’m Percy, nobody important, no sireee! But if it’s help y’need I’m sure someone here’ll be able to patch y’up..." Her smile was tight and showed far too many teeth. Fuck, she should have just stayed where she was. She tipped back her head to call for Askan, or Tam, or Resin... or just... someone more adulty and capable than she was. There was a distinct hint of help! in her howl.

"Percy". "Theo".

this city’s gonna break my heart

The Hallows were so new and yet they were already thriving. Dens had been built. Walls had been constructed. New wolves were pouring in. So many needed homes and, if able, she would give them that home. That was the point of all of this. This whole excursion. Resin wanted to provide for those in need. She wanted to teach them skills that would allow them to either become part of a cohesive community, or to go out in the world and be able to fend for themselves. If she positively influenced the lives that passed by, then her mission was complete.

A howl that seemed to be filled with exhaustion stretched through the territory and met the woman's ears. Abandoning her task of screen building, she picked her way between the pools and out into the stretch of forest beyond. There was a little speed to her step, but the howl hadn't seemed terribly urgent, so she saved some of her stamina in case she needed it.

In time, Resin arrived at the border. The giant woman walked along it until she reached a resting wolf. At first she thought that a child had howled. The wolf was so terribly small. Upon seeing his face, however, she realized that it was indeed an adult wolf. In comparison to her gigantic proportions, he was... Well he was very, very small.

It seemed that Percy had come to the call and was releasing her own call in return. It wasn't the girl's place to do so, but Resin wouldn't chastise her for it. She was glad that the earthen wolf was taking the initiative and had decided to not hide away on her own today. "Percy," she said in greeting as she stood beside the much smaller woman.

Drawing near, the scarred woman's singular gaze ran over the man's form, checking for signs of blood or injury. He did look a little worse for wear. "I am Resin, Aegis of The Hallows. Do you require assistance?" Best to just ask. One couldn't always tell what was wrong with another when they were just laying there.

A large female - at least, she was quite large by Sota's standards - bounded up to answer his call. Under any other circumstances he might very well be taken aback by the sudden approach, but it was he that had called for help, after all, and he was too tired to react properly anyway. He blinked slowly at Percy, nodding in somber agreement. "I - well, yes," he merely agreed, as the female continued on, apologizing and introducing herself. "I'm Sota," he was able to introduce himself, making a feeble attempt at dipping his head in a semi-bow, at least as best as he could from his seated position. This female was definitely more chipper than most wolves he'd met, but she seemed nice enough, he supposed...

He didn't have to sit and think about it long before Percy called for someone, and they showed right up. This female was certainly intimidating; she was extremely large, no doubt able to topple him with just a sneeze, and her scarred face was prove that she was as strong as she initially seemed. Sota gulped, though managed a small smile. "Ah, yes, I was hoping for some help. I seem to have... uh... broken a leg, or maybe fractured it," Sota tried to stand, but the fatigue had set in and moving on his injured leg seemed infinitely harder now. He gestured to the hind leg that was paining him. "I think I need somewhere to rest and heal up. I can offer my services for twice the length it takes me to get back on my paws, if you'd be so kind," Sota offered, feeling strange even asking for help. He considered himself a humble wolf though, and he recognized part of humility was recognizing when he needed the aid of others... even if he wasn't used to doing anything quite like this. "And my name's Desota, but Sota for short." Perhaps this scary looking female was a light at the end of the tunnel for him? Oh, he so dearly hoped so.

(Feel free to skip unless Percy is directed to do something or addressed directly)

The Avalon relaxed a little when the man gave his name, a shy smile pulling at the corners of her mouth in relief that maybe she hadn’t seemed to cause offence with her strange behaviour. It quickly became apparent that her additional call had been pointless, and her ears folded against her skull submissively, tail wagging between her hocks and head cringing low as Resin made her presence known. She relaxed as the leader came to stand alongside, listening intently to the story the boldly patterned wolf told, the corner of her mouth pulling down in a sympathetic grimace. Broken and cracked bones were no fun, no siree, her own head giving a momentary sympathetic throb. Percy would really have to focus on finding herbs now. At least it would give her more motivation to venture beyond the borders knowing they weren’t just going to sit there gathering dust.

She would wait to see if Resin needed her to run ahead and warn anyone, or assist in any way. Otherwise she would just happily hang out in the larger wolfs shadow until she was told otherwise.

"Percy". "Theo".

this city’s gonna break my heart

Black ears pricked forward as the oh so tiny male began to speak. He believed that he had a broken leg and some other damage. She wondered how he made it this far with a broken limb. He must be stronger than he looked. From where she stood, the marked man looked rather... breakable.

The man, Sota by name, went further to offer his services in return for healing. Well, that was something that she could agree to. He'd just done all of the work for her. "Agreed," she said simply in her growling tones. Her consent was accompanied by a nod of her blocky skull. "Welcome to The Hallows."

He was small, so it would be easy to simply carry him back, but he most likely had his pride. It would be easier for him to lean against Percy than against herself. They were of a closer height. Resin brought her lone golden eye to rest on the small wolf. "If you're able to walk, leaning against Percy would be your best bet. I've no complaints in carrying you to the healer though if you'd prefer to save yourself the trouble." She would allow him to choose his manner of entering the territory. It would be his home for a while.

What sort of pack Sota had stumbled into, he really had no idea. The female that had greeted him seemed kind, if a bit aloof... but this larger grizzled female.. well, she didn't necessarily seem unkind but she had a hardness about her that he didn't know how to take. Oh, he hoped he'd made the right choice, but he didn't have a lot of options now, did he? He feared her rejection and what he might do if he wasn't offered refuge, but part of him not only expected it, but fully understood if that was the route she chose to take.

Thankfully, she agreed. He felt his face light up with joy, in spite of the pain searing down his leg. It wasn't like he'd be much of a threat here, anyway; she likely had decided letting him in was hardly a risky move, especially if he worked off his debt once he was healed. It was a win-win for all parties involved. He wasn't much of a hunter, but he could surely be the finest scout or messenger she'd ever seen. He considered elaborating on his skills for a moment, but was distracted by the task of finally moving now that he'd collapsed here. "Thank you, Miss, truly," he emphasized his words, quiet but genuine, with a sweeping dip of his tiny head. "I can walk, a bit," he said, grimacing as he pulled himself upright and leaned against Percy. Admittedly, this was far less terrifying than being grabbed by the giantess, and she was right - he did still have his pride, as quiet and humble as it might be.

The giant woman chuckled a bit at Sota's manner of adddress. "Please, just Resin. Titles and monikers are a formality that we don't need here." She was a simple wolf in some aspects. She had passed down her dislike of titles to her daughter. There was no need for them. Though she was in charge here, she was really no different than anyone else.

With a nod at his insistence to walk on his own, Resin waited until he was leaned firmly against Percy. She hoped that the smaller woman was happy at being useful. As they walked slowly along, she made sure not to hurry the pair, she decided to let Sota know what The Hallows were all about. "The Hallows is a bit of an outlier pack in that we welcome all into our lands, be they from another pack or loner. The hot springs and their healing waters should be open for all to use and I've decided to let them do so." Coming upon a fallen log in their path, Resin stopped and used her bulk to slide it aside so that the pair would be able to traverse their path more easily.

"We also claim the falls above. That is where pack will reside, but I would have you stay down below in the healing dens until you can safely travel up on your own." They couldn't have him injuring himself further just to trek up to different dens. "All I ask in return for the housing and care of those residing here is that you pull your weight. Contribute as you are able. Enhance whatever skill set you possess until you've mastered it." She didn't feel that it was too much to ask. Resin simply wanted every wolf within her care to be the absolute best that they could be. She cast her golden gaze towards the small man, opening the floor for questions if he had any.

(Again feel free to skip to not hold things up)

Percy was happy to be of assistance. If there was one thing that would set her tail to waving, it would be the opportunity to help out, however meagre the task might seem to someone else. She took the small man’s weight easily, measuring her steps to his and listening just as intently to Resin as the stranger no doubt was. With her memory as fractured as it was, she knew she had heard it before, but it still had the novelty of a first rendition for the young woman. She had stiffened for a moment at the sight of the log ahead, but of course the leader shifted it with ease and her head dipped with relief. Percy herself was often down by the healing dens, dropping of whatever herbs she had managed to gather, the rest of the time she was usually trying to pester Askan into hunting with her, or chewing his ear off about some strange animal or sight she had seen that day. The pack was swelling around them. It wouldn’t hurt her to branch out a little more. "An’ if y’need anythin’, even if it’s just company, you can give me a holler. I can’t guarantee I’ll remember y’name, but I can try an’ be entertainin’. If not, Theo’s got m’ back, he’ll remember ya!" She offered a lopsided, self-depreciating grin, or as best she could manage standing alongside and supporting his weight as she was. She noticed Resin’s pointed look towards Sota and clicked her jaw shut, ears turning back apologetically. She hadn’t meant to butt in.

"Percy". "Theo".

this city’s gonna break my heart

The giant woman quickly shot down his attempts at formality, a thing that once would've alarmed little Sota. But he'd learned a lot since being away from home, and he knew not everyone was quite the same as he was. He merely nodded in understanding as she introduced herself as Resin. more focused on finding a proper position to lean against Percy than any pleasantries that he might normally be interested in. They moved at a slow but steady pace, and Sota let his ears swivel to focus on what Resin was saying. This pack was called The Hallows, and they acceptable all wolves. That was an odd concept, at least according to his Songa upbringing, but on a more personal level he appreciated that level of compassion and openness.

He nodded again in understanding of her words. He would contribute as much as he was able, as soon as he was healed up. Being the best he could be in whatever skills he chose also appealed to him. He had no doubt he would awe them with his tree-climbing skills, but... not for a long while, unfortunately. Until then he wasn't quite sure what he'd be best suited for, though with a long road of healing ahead of him, he had a feeling he'd have plenty of time of reflection to think about it. He found himself grinning at Percy as she offered her company. He appreciated her kindness, as well as Resin's. Hopefully this place was suitable for him, but Sota had realized he was quite adaptable, so he wasn't too worried. "Thank you, again, both of you," he breathed, though another step had him gritting his teeth in pain. They'd be there soon, he hoped; and then a good, long rest was in order. "I should be back on my paws soon enough to start contributing in one way or another. Even if not to my full capabilities," he added a bit somberly. Sota was fine with pushing himself, though he knew he didn't want to push this injury too hard, even when it started to feel better.

The trio walked slowly. Resin never rushed the smaller wolves in the slightest. Whatever stops they needed to make to adjust or simply rest, she was willing to make. Sota seemed like a respectful little man. The mix of pride and humility that he showed was promising. He seemed eager to repay the kindness that was being bestowed upon him and that was perfectly fine with Resin. There was always work to be done.

Once they reached Meadows healing hut Resin ushered them inside. There were stacks of furs spaced out for those that required healing. "Hello him to some furs, Percy. I'll call the healers." Back outside, the ashen woman called for Luta and Meadow. Broken ribs would require expertise that a less skilled healer just wouldn't have.

Lúta was finishing up her border patrol when she heard Resin's call. Even though her primary role was as a healer since she was battle-trained she figured she may as well help out with the borders. Walking helped to clear her mind and get the blood moving plus it gave her a chance to check on how the native herbs were growing. When she heard the call of her alphess she barked to Raga to let the macaque know that they were shifting their course.

She arrived at the Hot Springs to the smell of a stranger leading right to Meadow's healing hut. "It's Lúta, I'm coming in." She wanted to announce herself just in case. When she slipped into the den she saw the stranger. A handsome little man that was bruised and scraped and looking like he'd been having a heck of a time. "Hi, my name is Lúta. Goodness, what's the situation?" Maybe someone could catch her up on what happened to the poor fellow.

Before long they arrived to the den, and Sota was happy to collapse on the ground. When he'd first reclined on the borders of this pack's territories, he'd felt suddenly weighed down by exhaustion from his trip, but this? This was an entirely different kind of fatigue that overwhelmed him all at once as he fell carefully onto the soft furs that lined the den's floor. He allowed himself a moment to close his eyes - usually he was on high alert, but he had to trust that these wolves he'd approached were being honest with him. So far they seemed to be genuine.

The brief period of silence was broken by a female voice, announcing her presence before slipping inside. Tiredly he blinked his eyes, focusing on the female. He noted her size but he was too tired to spend much time considering just how easily she could likely squish him. He was utterly defenseless, but too tired to worry for very long about it. "Sota," he returned the introduction quietly, managing a faint smile. "I think I may have broken a leg. This one," he leaned up slightly and gestured to one of his hind legs; due to his position it was obvious it was the one he wasn't lying on.

With the man now situated and a healer present, Percy dipped her head quietly and offered the man half a smile. It was getting crowded in here and there wasn’t much else she would be able to contribute unless the healer wanted her to go and fetch stuff so she inched towards the door, her ears folded against her head submissively and tail pointed to the ground. A quick, "Lemme know if yer need me t’grab anythin’," was offered to the healer before she found a seat outside the door, ready to spring into action at the smallest command.

"Percy". "Theo".

this city’s gonna break my heart

-feel free to pp Percy running around to grab stuff if required or skip over her to keep things moving!-

With Sota delivered to the healers den and Luta seeing to him, Resin decided that it was time to take her leave. Black ears flicked forward as she addressed the man one last time. "Make yourself at home. It might be best to stay here for the first night. We can set you up with a den tomorrow. Anything you need, just ask." Giving a nod to the small wolf and the healer, the Aegis turned and pushed out of the healing den.

Percy sat outside, also having made the decision to give Luta space to heal the man. "Percy," the woman began. "Keep an ear out in case he needs something, would you?" It would be an okay task for the earthen wolf. Resin was slowly trying to build her confidence and give her small tasks to jumpstart her mind once more. "If you need help, let me know." With a third nod, the woman took her leave.

The little man introduced himself as Sota and explained that he might have a broken leg. Oof, that wasn't going to be fun. "Ok, I'll have Raga take a look. We'll get you feeling better soon." She gestured to her macaque companion who moved forward and with her deft hands began to palpitate the leg while Lúta started pulling herbs off the shelves. "Oh, that's rotten luck. It does seem to be broken but it looks like a clean, straight break. What happened?"

Lúta heard her companion and pulled out a bundle of hide bandages. She pulled down some powdered root of Avens for the pain, marigold for the bruising and ointment made from ox-eye daises for the inflammation. "Raga, can you get a fire going for me please. Percy?" She looked over to her pack mate. "Do you think you could find me something to use as a splint? Sticks, bark, bones, just something to help stabalize the leg."